Response to inquiries (migration offices): Clients and representatives
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
The responsibility for responding to inquiries or representations varies depending on the issue. Listed below are the various categories of inquiries or representations, as well as the contact information for the individual or office responsible.
| Category of inquiry or representation | Contact |
|---|---|
| Individual case inquiries related to the decision or decision-making process |
Migration office email address If there is no reply after 30 days, or if there is a disagreement with the reply, you may contact Case Management Branch (CMB) by email at case-review-im-enquiry@cic.gc.ca. |
| Local office procedures |
Migration office email address If there is no reply after 30 days, you may contact a migration program manager via the migration office email address. |
| Quality of service complaints or situations involving possible professional misconduct or malfeasance |
Migration program manager by email Email address format: firstname.lastname@international.gc.ca |
| Complaints from applicants related to biometric information collection and processing |
Migration program manager via the migration office email address Note: This category is for complaints from applicants alleging that their biographical data was matched against the fingerprints of a different applicant (mistaken identity) or alleging that their fingerprints were erroneously matched against an existing record in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s databank (false positives). For complaints about quality of service related to biometric collection, consult the section on quality of service complaints above. For complaints about the biometric requirement or general biometric procedures, consult the section on general procedures below. |
| General procedures, procedural consistency between offices, operational policy, global processing times and levels |
|
| Immigration (selection) policy |
Write to the appropriate director within the IPGB:
|
Procedures for migration offices
At this time, all migration offices are equipped to receive enquiries via email, including case-specific enquiries. The protocol encourages migration offices to respond to emails via email, but allows migration program managers the flexibility to use operationally feasible and efficient channels for responding (whether this is email, fax, letter or other means) depending on the local environment and conditions.
The protocol requires that migration offices
- receive client enquiries via email
- respond to emails (acceptable responses include automated replies, standard responses and case-specific replies via email or other channels)
- have a dedicated email enquiries mailbox and address
- handle email enquiries in the same way as other enquiries (for example, have written consent to release personal information to third parties, ensure client is adequately “identified” before any personal information is released)
Email enquirers must therefore state
- the enquirer’s full name
- who they are (that is, the applicant, the applicant’s designated individual, the applicant’s authorized representative, Canadian Member of Parliament)
- their email address
They must also provide, as a minimum, the applicant’s
- given name
- family name
- date of birth
- visa office file number
Migration offices must also
- establish, publish and adhere to response times for email enquiries
- have the client’s consent to communicate via email
- respond to the client in the official language of the client’s choice
- provide cautions to clients using email to protect their personal identifiers and to be aware that email is not a secure channel
- protect the privacy of IRCC staff
- provide IRCC identifiers in email replies (that is, office name and address)
- provide clear instructions to clients on what address to use and what information to include with an enquiry
Enquiries and representation to migration offices should be sent to the generic migration office mailboxes. You may indicate that it is for the attention of migration program managers (“Attention of”). Enquiries or representation should be sent either by email or by fax/mail, not both.
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