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2023-2024 Annual Report on the Access to Information Act

PDF version: Annual Report on the Access to Information Act 2023–2024 (PDF, 938 KB)

Table of Contents

Introduction

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is pleased to present to Parliament its annual report on the administration of the Access to Information Act (ATIA).

The purpose of the ATIA, as described in its section 2, is to enhance the accountability and transparency of federal institutions by providing Canadians with a right of access to information in records under the control of a government institution. The ATIA establishes the principles that government information should be available to the public, exceptions to the right of access should be limited and specific, and decisions made on the disclosure of government information should be reviewed independently of government.

This report is tabled in Parliament in accordance with section 94 of the ATIA and section 20 of the Service Fees Act. It outlines how IRCC administered its obligations under the ATIA during the reporting period beginning on April 1, 2023, and ending on March 31, 2024. This report is intended to fulfill reporting requirements for IRCC only as the Department does not have any non-operational (“paper”) subsidiaries.

IRCC was created to facilitate the entry of temporary residents, manage the selection, settlement integration of newcomers, grant citizenship and issue passports to eligible citizens. IRCC’s mandate comes from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act. The Minister of IRCC is responsible for the Citizenship Act of 1977 and shares responsibility with the Minister of Public Safety for the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Effective July 2, 2013, the primary responsibility for Passport Canada and the administration of the Canadian Passport Order and the Order Respecting the Issuance of Diplomatic and Special Passports moved from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to IRCC.

This report comprises of three sections:

  1. Overview of IRCC’s Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) program, including organizational structure and delegation order
  2. Outline of IRCC’s overall performance on its administration of the ATIA
  3. Description of IRCC’s initiatives to promote training and awareness, improve its policies and processes, and to ensure monitoring and compliance of its obligations under the ATIA.

I. Overview of IRCC’s ATIP Program

The IRCC ATIP program continues to be one of the most solicited ATIP programs in the Government of Canada. During the reporting period, IRCC received 252,627 ATIP requests including 182,907 requests under the ATIA. The majority of IRCC’s access to information (ATI) requests pertain to clients’ immigration applications. The remaining requests are for corporate records pertaining to departmental policies, processes, and procedures.

This reporting year, the IRCC ATIP program implemented new strategies to address the large volume of incoming requests that resulted in marked increases in compliance. Considerable progress was achieved in processing and responding to requests within the legislated timelines and resolving old and new complaints filed by or on behalf of requesters. In parallel, the ATIP program continued to advance previous initiatives aimed at improving client experience and using technological improvements to enhance service delivery and increase processing efficiencies.

This year also marked IRCC’s adoption of a new organizational structure that seeks to replace the previous functional framework with a dynamic and client-focused integrated business approach. As part of this notable change, new sectors and branches were created, and some existing programs and areas of responsibilities were moved under different lines of business. During the implementation phase, the ATIP program closely monitored its tasking sheets to ensure that all information pertaining to ATIP liaison officers and coordinators was updated and that all appropriate changes were accurately reflected in the ATIP case management software. Throughout the process, the IRCC ATIP program maintained contact with the Offices of Primary Interest (OPIs), upheld mandatory training for ATIP liaison officers, and continued to fulfill ongoing requests with minimal disruption.

Organizational structure

The ATIP program is structured around its main lines of business. As shown in Figure 1 below, the program is administered by three divisions: the ATIP Operations Division, the Innovation and Support Division, and the Privacy Program Management Division. The Director of the ATIP Operations Division also holds the title of ATIP Coordinator.

Figure 1: Structure of the ATIP Program
Text version: Structure of the ATIP Program

Access and Privacy Management Branch

ATIP Operations Division
  • 147 employees
Responsibilities
  • ATIP requests for client records
  • ATIP requests for corporate records
  • Informal access to information requests
  • Complaints from the Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner
  • Disclosures under 8(2)(d, e, f) of the Privacy Act
  • Robotic process automation
  • ATI Corporate Reporting
Innovation and Support Division
  • 10 employees
Responsibilities
  • ATIP processing efficiencies and technologies
  • Departmental ATIP Training
Privacy Program Management Division
  • 24 employees
Responsibilities
  • Privacy policy, advice and guidance
  • Privacy awareness
  • Management of privacy breaches and complaints
  • Disclosures under 8(2)(m) of the Privacy Act
  • Privacy corporate reporting
Proactive Disclosure Unit, Corporate Secretariat, DM Office
  • 2 employees
Responsibilities
  • Proactive publication of ministerial briefing products pursuant to ATIA, Part II, s. 74 and 88

The three divisions report directly to the Director General Access and Privacy Management Branch and Chief Privacy Officer within the Corporate Services and Chief Human Resources Officer Sector.

At the end of the reporting period, the ATIP program comprised of 181 full-time employees. In addition to the employees who are responsible for applying the ATIP legislation, there are 268 ATIP liaison officers throughout the Department who support the ATIP program by gathering records and providing recommendations. While these officers are essential to the administration of the program, they are funded by other program areas.

The Proactive Disclosure Unit (PDU), which falls within the newly created Corporate Secretariat (CS) in the Deputy Minister’s Office, is not part of the ATIP program’s funding but supports the Government of Canada’s commitment to open government and transparency. The PDU has 2 employees who are responsible for coordinating and tracking ministerial briefing material through various stages of proactive disclosure. Other units and sectors within IRCC also share responsibility for the proactive publication of information relating to their areas of responsibilities. For more on IRCC’s proactive publications, refer to Proactive publication under Part 2 of the ATIA.

During the reporting period, IRCC had no service agreements under section 96 of the Access to Information Act.

Delegation order

The Minister of IRCC is responsible for administering requests made to the Department under the ATIA and the PA. In accordance with section 95(1) of the ATIA and section 73 of the PA, the Minister delegates authority to departmental senior management, including the ATIP Coordinator, to carry out the Minister’s powers, duties, or functions under the Acts in relation to ATIP requests.

For more information, refer to Annex A: Copy of the signed delegation order in effect March 31, 2024 and Annex B: Copy of the Delegation of Authority under the Access to Information Act and Regulations in effect March 31, 2024.

II. Performance

IRCC received 182,907 requests under the ATIA in 2023-2024, a small decrease of less than 1% from the previous year. As Table 1 shows, the vast majority of requests come from the private sector (43%), primarily immigration lawyers and consultants, followed by the public (39%).

Table 1: Sources of Requests
Source Number of requests Percentage
Media 348 0.2%
Academia 7,770 4.2%
Business (private sector) 79,927 43.7%
Organization 6,466 3.5%
Public 72,381 39.6%
Declined to Identify 16,015 8.8%
Total 182,907 100%

Compliance and completion times

In response to increasing demands for its services, the IRCC ATIP program realigned its structure and implemented new strategies for processing requests. In addition, the program continued to leverage technological improvements, as well as train and retain human resources in a highly competitive environment.

This approach resulted in marked increases in compliance. Although the volume of ATIP requests received remained high, the IRCC ATIP program still closed 204,762 access to information requests compared to 161,067 in 2022-2023. In total, 5.9M pages of records were processed this reporting period.

The compliance rate (percentage of all requests responded to within legislated timelines) for ATIA requests was 77%. This rate represents a significant increase from the 21.09% obtained in 2022-2023. As illustrated in Table 2, more than 70% of IRCC’s ATIA requests were processed and completed within 30 days.

Table 2: Completion Times for Closed ATIA Requests
Completion time Number of requests closed Percentage of requests closed
1 to 30 Days 146,457 71.5%
31 to 60 Days 17,316 8.5%
61 to 120 Days 5,192 2.5%
121 to 180 days 6,904 3.4%
181 to 365 days 13,549 6.6%
More than 365 days 15,344 7.5%
Total 204,762 100%

Active requests from previous reporting periods

As shown in Table 3, at the end of the reporting period, IRCC had 29,459 open requests from previous reporting periods. Most of the outstanding requests (97.3%) were received within the last two years.

Table 3: Active Requests from Previous Reporting Periods
Fiscal year open ATIA requests were received Open requests that are within legislated timelines as of March 31, 2024 Open requests that are beyond legislated timelines as of March 31, 2024 Total
2023-2024 42 9,506 9,548
2022-2023 0 19,146 19,146
2021-2022 0 802 802
2020-2021 0 5 5
Total 42 29,459 29,501

Active complaints from previous reporting periods

Despite the high volume of open and active requests under the ATIA, the number of active complaints significantly decreased during the reporting period. As Table 4 demonstrates, at the end of 2023-2024, IRCC carried 180 active ATIA complaints from previous reporting periods. This number represents a decrease of 68% compared to 2022-2023.

Table 4: Active Complaints from Previous Reporting Periods
Reporting period Number of complaints
2023-2024 146
2022-2023 21
2021-2022 7
2020-2021 3
2019-2020 0
2018-2019 2
2017-2018 or earlier 1
Total 180

Reasons for extensions

During the reporting period, IRCC invoked section 9 of the ATIA a total of 2,989 times. Section 9 of the ATIA permits the statutory time limits to be extended if the request involves a large volume of records that cannot be processed within the original time limit without unreasonably interfering with the operations of the Department, or if consultations are necessary in order to complete the processing of a request.

When necessary, IRCC undertakes consultations, particularly for (but not limited to) requests that may involve litigation, investigations, or security concerns. The details of extensions claimed by IRCC in accordance with section 9 are as follows:

Consultations received from other government departments and organizations

Other government departments and organizations consulted IRCC 112 times under the ATIA. Table 5 provides the number of days IRCC took to complete these consultations. Overall, IRCC responded to 89 consultations (79%) within 60 days.

Table 5: Completion Times for Consultations Received
Completion times Number of requests
1 to 15 Days 36
16 to 30 Days 23
31 to 60 Days 30
61 to 120 Days 16
121 to 180 Days 3
181 to 365 Days 4
More than 365 Days 0
Total 112

Disposition of completed requests

As shown in Table 6, IRCC released records in their entirety for 35% of completed ATIA requests. The Department claimed one or more exemptions for 115,731 requests (57% of the requests). Only 9 requests were completed with the disposition “All exempted” and 20 requests were closed with the disposition “All excluded.” The remaining requests were abandoned, transferred, had no existing records, or the existence of records could neither be confirmed nor denied as doing so could reveal information that is protected under the ATIA.

Table 6: Disposition of Completed Requests
Disposition Requests Percentage
All disclosed 70,984 35%
Disclosed in part 115,731 57%
All exempted 9 0%
All excluded 20 0%
No records exist 939 0%
Transferred 5 0%
Abandoned 12,633 6%
Neither confirmed nor denied 4,441 2%
Total 204,762 100%

The following exemptions were most frequently used by IRCC:

III. Initiatives to promote awareness, training, and improvements to the ATIP Program

IRCC continues to prioritize learning as a valuable tool for retaining and renewing its workforce and ensuring that the organization can fulfill its mandate while adapting to change. The specialized Training Project and ATIP Support Team within the Access and Privacy Management Branch (APMB) fosters a culture of continuous learning by offering a wide variety of training opportunities to both ATIP and non-ATIP officials.

Training and awareness

The ATIP training and awareness curriculum covers various aspects of the access to information and privacy regimes with an emphasis on security and best practices for handling sensitive information. The “Access to Information” trainings include modules dedicated to the proactive disclosure of information that emphasize the proactive publication responsibilities of the Department. More specific courses and modules focus on responsibilities for safeguarding and managing information, as well as collecting and using personal information.

ATIP course catalogue and sessions given

As shown in Table 7, the ATIP program delivered 133 training sessions to 4,705 employees (including 4,615 non-ATIP employees) via a combination of formal and informal, self-directed and instructor-led sessions. There was an increase in demand for customized trainings tailored for specific units, divisions and areas of responsibility this reporting year.

Table 7: Formal and Informal ATIP Training Sessions and Participants
Course name Platform Access or privacy training Number of sessions Number of participants

Protecting and Giving Access to Information at IRCC (CC5540) Mandatory for all new employees

 Online Both Self-paced 2,521
Total: N/A
Formal training ATIP Privacy Breach (CC4540) In person/ virtual Privacy 16 234
ATIP Training for Middle Managers and Executives (CC4440) Both 8 101
Protect, Secure, and Manage Information (CC4416) Privacy 21 514
Understanding and Managing ATIP Requests (CC4340) Access 17 301
ATIP 101 (CC4425) Both 14 236
Appropriate Access to and Use of Personal Information (CC4426) Privacy 0 0
Privacy 101 (CC4427) Privacy 5 148
Exemptions and Exclusions 101 (CC4429) Access 7 174
Information Sharing (CC4430) Privacy 0 0
Government of Canada Secret Infrastructure (CC4417) Other 2 44
Total: 90 1,752
Informal training One-on-One ATIP Liaison Training/CRCI Administrative Process In person/ virtual Access 18 72
How to fill-out the Response to ATIP Request Form (RAR) Access 0 0
Exemptions and Exclusions 102 Access 1 8
Refresher on “How to provide records to ATIP” Access 3 12
Customized Training (other) Both 21 340
Total: 43  432 
Total formal and informal: 133  2,184 
Total participants trained: 4,705 

Security awareness

The IRCC Protect, Secure, and Manage Information (CC4416) course is comprised of three modules (IT Security, Information Management and ATIP) that are intertwined and complement each other. This training was dispensed jointly by the ATIP program, Information Management and Security experts at IRCC. It highlights various aspects of the risks and responsibilities in managing information of business value as well as client and government information.

Additionally, all ATIP staff requiring access to classified information while performing their duties were mandated to complete the Government of Canada Secret Infrastructure course (CC4417) developed by the IT Operations Branch prior to being granted access to the secure network. The Training Project and ATIP Support Team coordinated and facilitated the successful delivery of this training to ATIP employees.

Policies, guidelines, procedures and initiatives

In May 2021, the Information Commissioner published the results of a systemic investigation into IRCC’s processing of ATIP request which contained five key recommendations. In response, IRCC devised a Management Action Plan (MAP) to address the Commissioner’s recommendations. IRCC has worked on delivering the actions items, most of which have been completed. The ATIP Program continues to collaborate with other IRCC branches to advance and complete the remaining action items on the MAP.

These initiatives, which are described below, aim to anticipate stakeholder needs by providing access, via online platforms and tools, to information IRCC clients most often request through the ATIP system such as application status updates and officers’ notes. Providing direct access to useful and efficient platforms is expected to reduce ATIP volumes and workloads and decrease processing times.

Proactive Release of Officer Decision Notes (ODN)

The ODN project which is part of the IRCC’s Operational Transparency initiative proactively provides officer decision notes to some refused applicants in the Temporary Resident Visa e-application caseload and give clients additional information regarding the reason(s) for their refusal, including a breakdown of the officer’s rationale when finalizing the application.

The first validation exercise that targeted Temporary Resident Visas (TRVs) with the Centralized Network’s Case Processing Centre in Ottawa showed a 57% reduction of ATIP requests received for files that had an ODN released to the client. A second validation exercise for Study Permits was launched this reporting year with support of the Global Network, and IRCC is currently analyzing the impact on ATIP requests.

As of March 31, 2024, IRCC is preparing to transition the ODN project to a steady state, starting with TRVs. Soon after, the project will continue to expand in phases to other lines of businesses to achieve the goals of the Operational Transparency initiative. The ODNs will initially be made available to clients digitally in the new Online Account that will be launched later this year as part of IRCC’s Digital Platform Modernization (DPM) Program and subsequently be available as part of the refusal response package sent to clients.

Client Correspondence Project

The Client Correspondence Project will review IRCC client-facing communications identified as problematic by clients.

The Client Correspondence Unit (CCU) was created as part of this project to draft clearer, more concise written correspondence that will better meet client needs. To date, four key pieces of client correspondence have been revised: Procedural Fairness, Request for Supplementary Information, Temporary Resident Refusal Letter and Study Permit Refusal Letter. The latest revisions based on usability testing with clients and officers were made to the Study Permit Refusal Letter and several Study Permit Refusal Grounds in collaboration with key stakeholders. The revised Letter will be launched later this year.

The CCU, as part of its future work objectives, plans to analyze end-to-end client communications throughout the client journey. The project will focus next on the revision of the Work Permit (WP) Refusal Letter along with the refusal grounds.

Client Experience Platform

This project, which is also part of IRCC’s DPM Program, focuses on implementing a modernized Client Experience Platform (CXP) that will support the delivery of seamless digital services across various channels and devices. It aims to equip support staff with a comprehensive client view, ensuring consistent and efficient assistance through all communication channels (omni-channel approach).

The primary goal is to enhance the overall client experience, emphasizing speed and efficiency. The new CXP will provide clients with a single online window to access IRCC services, with a suite of tools to facilitate the client’s journey to be informed, to apply for programs and services, to receive real-time status of applications, to communicate with IRCC and provide feedback on their experience.

IRCC anticipates a decrease in ATIP requests due to improved client support and IRCC’s enhanced accessibility, reducing pressure on the ATIP regime and streamlining client interactions. As of the end of the reporting period, IRCC continues to advance the procurement process for the new CXP.

Proactive publication under Part 2 of the ATIA

The responsibility for implementing proactive publication requirements at IRCC falls to branches within the following areas and sectors: the Corporate Secretariat in the Deputy Minister’s Office, the Communications Sector, the Chief Financial Officer, Finance Sector, the Settlement, Integration and Francophone Affairs Sector, the Strategic Policy Sector, and the Corporate Services and Chief Human Resources Officer Sector.

Through this structure, executives within each branch have the ability to integrate proactive disclosure requirements into their internal procedures, identify and publish information requiring disclosure as it is generated, and monitor their compliance. Non-ATIP officials are supported by the ATIP program with training and awareness activities held throughout the year that outline the importance of proactive publication under Part 2 of the ATIA.

The paragraphs below describe how IRCC sectors met their proactive publication obligations during the reporting year.

Corporate Secretariat (CS)

The Proactive Disclosure Unit (PDU) is part of the Corporate Secretariat in the Deputy Minister’s Office. PDU is responsible for coordinating and ensuring the proactive publication of briefing material, memoranda titles, Question Period (QP) Notes, committee appearances and transition binder notes. This reporting year, PDU met its proactive publication requirements at a compliance rate of 100%.

Corporate Secretariat (CS)
Legislative requirement Section Publication timeline Links to published proactive publication Compliance Procedures and systems in place to meet proactive publication requirement
IRCC is a Department listed in Schedule I of the Financial Administration Act that is subject to the proactive publication requirements set out in section 88 of the ATIA
Packages of briefing materials prepared for new or incoming deputy heads or equivalent 88(a) Within 120 days after appointment Open Government website 100% Standard Operating Procedures were created for the processing and proactive publication of briefing materials prepared for new or incoming deputy heads. As well, templates of tasking emails were created to facilitate the tasking process within the Department.
Titles and reference numbers of memoranda prepared for a deputy head or equivalent 88(b) Within 30 days after the end of the month received Open Government website 100%

An automated WebCIMS generated report is sent on the first day of every month to the PDU team. This report lists all the BN and memo titles provided to the deputy head for the previous month and helps streamline the publication process of this requirement.

Standard Operating Procedures were created and followed for the processing of BN and memo titles and proactive publication of this requirement on the Open Government Website. As well, templates of tasking emails were created to facilitate the tasking process within the Department.
Packages of briefing materials prepared for a deputy head or equivalent’s appearance before a committee of Parliament 88(c) Within 120 days after appearance Open Government website 100% Standard Operating Procedures were created and followed for the processing and proactive publication of briefing materials prepared for a deputy head’s appearance before a committee of Parliament. As well, templates of tasking emails were created to facilitate the tasking process within the Department.
IRCC is subject to the proactive publication requirements set out in section 74 of the ATIA
Packages of briefing materials prepared by a government institution for new or incoming ministers 74(a) Within 120 days after appointment Open Government website 100% Standard Operating Procedures were created and followed for processing and proactively disclosing briefing materials prepared for new or incoming ministers. As well, templates of tasking emails were created to facilitate the tasking process within the Department.
Titles and reference numbers of memoranda prepared by a government institution for the minister, that is received by their office 74(b) Within 30 days after the end of the month received Open Government website 100%

An automated WebCIMS generated report is sent on the first day of every month to the PDU team. This report lists all the BN and memo titles provided to the Minister for the previous month and helps streamline the processing of this requirement.

Standard Operating Procedures were created and followed for processing and proactively disclosing BN and memo titles on the Open Government website. Templates of tasking emails were created to facilitate the tasking process within the Department.
Package of question period notes prepared by a government institution for the minister and in use on the last sitting day of the House of Commons in June and December 74(c) Within 30 days after last sitting day of the House of Common in June and December Open Government website 100% Standard Operating Procedures created and followed for processing and proactively disclosing packages of question period notes prepared by a government institution for the minister and in use on the last sitting day of the House of Commons in June and December. Templates of tasking emails were created to facilitate the tasking process within the Department.
Packages of briefing materials prepared by a government institution for a minister’s appearance before a committee of Parliament 74(d) Within 120 days after appearance Open Government website 100% Standard Operating Procedures were created and followed for processing and proactively disclosing briefing materials prepared for a minister’s appearance before a committee of Parliament. Templates of tasking emails were created to facilitate the tasking process within the Department.

Communications Sector (COMMS)

The Parliamentary Affairs Unit (PAU) is now part of the Communications Sector (COMMS) following the implementation of IRCC’s new organizational structure. COMMS provides strategic communications advice, messaging, and support to the Minister, the Deputy Ministers, the Department’s senior leadership team, and other federal departments to inform Canadians and IRCC employees about departmental priorities, initiatives, and activities. PAU coordinates IRCC’s obligations and accountabilities to Parliament and oversees the proactive publication of reports that have been tabled to Parliament. The compliance rate for PAU this reporting year was 100%.

Communications Sector (COMMS)
Legislative requirement Section Publication timeline Links to published proactive publication Compliance Procedures and systems in place to meet proactive publication requirement
IRCC is a Government Institution as defined in section 3 of the Access to Information Act (ATIA) and is subject to the proactive publication requirement set out in section 84 of the ATIA
Reports tabled in Parliament 84 Within 30 days after tabling

IRCC page of Canada.ca

Publications and Manuals - Canada.ca

 100% Once a draft report has been developed by the responsible sector and approved by the respective DG, it is received by the Parliamentary Affairs Unit (PAU) to manage its routing through further approvals from relevant ADMs, the DM, the Minister, and Communications, flagging that the report will need to be published publicly upon tabling. Proactive publication is included in the Critical Path for tabling of a report. Once the report is tabled in Parliament, PAU sends a confirmation to Communications, DMO 20, DMO 21, and the drafting sector and branch. This confirmation is an indication to the Communications branch to publish the report on the Government of Canada website.

Chief Financial Officer, Finance Sector (CFO)

The Financial Operations and Procurement Branch (FOPB) is a branch within the Chief Financial Officer, Finance Sector. CFO sector leads departmental financial management, ensuring responsible handling of public resources and facilitating sound decision-making for effective policy and program delivery. It ensures program compliance with legislative, regulatory, and financial authority requirements, spearheads integrated planning, and offers support for procurement, project oversight, and investment management. One of FOPB responsibility is to monitor and proactively publish contracts over $10,000, as well as travel and hospitality expenses. FOPB met its proactive publication requirements at a compliance rate of 100%.

Communications Sector (COMMS)
Legislative requirement Section Publication timeline Links to published proactive publication Compliance Procedures and systems in place to meet proactive publication requirement
IRCC is a Government Institution as defined in section 3 of the Access to Information Act (ATIA) and is subject to the proactive publication requirement set out in sections 82 and 83 of the ATIA
Travel expenses 82 Within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement Open Government website 100%

IRCC centralized travel to ensure increased compliance to the TBS Guide to the Proactive Publication of Travel and Hospitality Expenses, Special Travel Authorities, Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures, and the National Joint Council Travel Directive. Tools and approvals were developed (templates, internal procedures and orientation tools) to facilitate the process, including standardization and automation of some tasks involved with the proactive publication. This can include, but is not limited to using PowerPivot, pivot tables, VBA (Object orientated coding language used by Microsoft application), and formulas to summarize the findings in an organized manner. The report and briefing note (with input from the Communications [Comms] branch) are then sent to the ADM for approval and DM for information.

Some of the notable lessons learned through the proactive publication are tasks can be repetitive, some information pulled from reports is redundant, and human error requires mitigation. To address these lessons learned, the Branch automated as many low-risk tasks as possible, took a lean approach to reports, had frequent verification checks throughout the process and used formulas available in Excel to mitigate human error with calculations.
Hospitality Expenses 83 Within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement Open Government website 100%
IRCC is a Department listed in Schedule I of the Financial Administration Act that is subject to the proactive publication requirements set out in section 86 of the ATIA
Contracts over $10,000 86

Q1-3: Within 30 days after the quarter

Q4: Within 60 days after the quarter

 Open Government website, also posted on Canadabuys. Canada.ca by IRCC and PSPC 100% Data for contracts over $10,000 is extracted from SAP on a quarterly basis. The Procurement Monitoring and Compliance team performs a quality assurance review which is then endorsed by the Director of Procurement and Contract Management and approved by the Senior Designated Official – Procurement (Director General of Financial Operations and Procurement Branch). The report and a briefing note (with Comms input) are then sent to the ADM for approval and the DM for information.
IRCC is subject to the proactive publication requirements set out sections 75, 76, and 77 of the ATIA
Travel Expenses 75 Within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement Open Government website 100% See comments for sections 82-83.
Hospitality Expenses 76 Within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement Open Government website 100%
Contracts over $10,000 77

Q1-3: Within 30 days after the quarter

Q4: Within 60 days after the quarter

 Open Government website, also posted on Canadabuys. Canada.ca by IRCC and PSPC 100% Data for contracts over $10,000 is extracted from SAP on a quarterly basis. The Procurement Monitoring and Compliance team performs a quality assurance review which is then endorsed by the Director of Procurement and Contract Management and approved by the Senior Designated Official – Procurement (Director General of Financial Operations and Procurement Branch). The report and a briefing note (with Comms input) are then sent to the ADM for approval and the DM for information.

Settlement, Integration and Francophone Affairs Sector (SIS)

The Settlement Network (SN) is an operations branch within the Settlement, Integration and Francophone Affairs Sector. The Sector encompasses policy development and program operations for the Settlement Program and Resettlement Assistance Program, facilitating newcomers’ integration and assisting Government-assisted refugees, as well as offering policy guidance on francophone immigration, settlement, and integration. SN proactively publishes grants and contributions over $25,000 that relate to their core activities. The compliance rate for SN this reporting year was 100%.

Communications Sector (COMMS)
Legislative requirement Section Publication timeline Links to published proactive publication Compliance Procedures and systems in place to meet proactive publication requirement
IRCC is a Department listed in Schedule I of the Financial Administration Act that is subject to the proactive publication requirements set out in section 87 of the ATIA
Grants & Contributions over $25,000 87 Within 30 days after the quarter Open Government website 100% SN: Since 2015, IRCC’s Grants and Contributions System (GCS) has allowed Settlement Network to easily pull a report on every grant and contribution agreement that the Department signed in a given quarter. Settlement Network pulls the report for the previous quarter at the beginning of each quarter to have ample time to send it for translation and still meet the publication deadline. Settlement Network has developed standardized language for the Program Purpose and Expected Results fieldsTable Footnote * that can be used for all contribution agreements that are providing similar services (e.g., “Clients improve official language skills”, “Clients increase knowledge of life in Canada”).

Strategic Policy Sector (SPP)

The Research and Data Branch (RDB) led by the Chief Data Officer is part of the Strategic Policy Sector. SPP oversees horizontal linkages and program policy integration through long-term strategic policy development and analysis. The Sector manages levels planning, provides evidence from strategic research, supports engagement with provinces and territories, oversees enterprise-wide governance and strategic data utilization, leads corporate planning and reporting, and serves as a focal point for cabinet and regulatory processes. RDB has responsibility for the proactive publication of grants and contributions over $25,000. This reporting year, RDB did not identify any information requiring proactive publication.

Strategic Policy Sector (SPP)
Legislative requirement Section Publication timeline Links to published proactive publication Compliance Procedures and systems in place to meet proactive publication requirement
IRCC is a Department listed in Schedule I of the Financial Administration Act that is subject to the proactive publication requirements set out in section 87 of the ATIA
Grants & Contributions over $25,000 87 Within 30 days after the quarter Open Government website N/A All information about Grants and Contributions over $25,000 are posted publicly and can be accessed directly at: Grants and Contributions (canada.ca).

Corporate Services and Chief Human Resources Officer Sector (CSS)

The People Management Operations Branch (PMOB) is a branch within the Corporate Services Sector which is led by the Chief Human Resources Officer. CSS offers comprehensive support for people and workplace management, departmental culture, learning, and change management. The sector also ensures compliance with legislation and regulations and Treasury Board policies.

PMOB oversees the proactive publication of information relating to reclassification of positions at IRCC. PMOB’s compliance rate this reporting year is seventy-five percent (75%), an increase from 25% for the last reporting period. This increase is the result of the identification of certain gaps and opportunities for improvement in the processes that lead to the implementation of new procedures. PMOB is expected to fully comply with its proactive publication obligations during the next reporting year.

Corporate Services and Chief Human Resources Officer Sector (CSS)
Legislative requirement Section Publication timeline Links to published proactive publication Compliance Procedures and systems in place to meet proactive publication requirement
IRCC is a Department named in Schedule I of the Financial Administration Act that is subject to the proactive publication requirements set out in section 85 of the ATIA
Reclassification of positions 85 Within 30 days after the quarter Open Government website 75%

The proactive publication responsibilities were transferred to the corporate section of the Organizational Design and Classification (OD&C) Division. Adjustments to the process were made and the up-loads are managed by the Administrative Support team. Monthly extractions are performed, and “Pop-up” reminders are set up to ensure timely publication. An additional Open Government Registry account was requested to allow for monitoring and for back up purposes.

Standard Operating Procedures were also created and shared within the OD&C. All these measures helped improve the compliance rate this reporting year. The information released through the proactive publication process is:

Position number
Decision number
Position title
Previous group and level
New group and level
Effective date
Processing date

IRCC is also subject to the proactive publication requirement of the Minister’s Office expenses set out in section 78 of the ATIA. In order to satisfy this requirement, a consolidated report is currently published by TBS on behalf of all institutions.

Modernization initiatives to improve access to information

IRCC is furthering its initiatives to modernize the delivery of services within the ATIP program, including the expansion of Robotic Process Automation (RPA), migration to the mandated ATIP Online Request Service (i.e., Treasury Board Secretariat’s online platform for the public to file ATIP requests with the Government of Canada) and replacement of the ATIP case management software.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

The RPA performs low-complexity/high-volume tasks such as data entry, file and folder operations, and other non-decision-making processes, allowing IRCC to reallocate resources to focus on decision-based work, while also improving data integrity, timeliness, and end-to-end business processes with minimal disruption in the operations processing.

As part of the RPA, the Department developed a “Bot” during the reporting period to expedite the processing of requests for previously released documents (Informal requests). The Bot monitors a specific email inbox dedicated to these requests and processes them as they are received. This initiative has improved customer service as often requesters will receive the material within minutes of making their requests.

TBS ATIP Online Request Service (ATIP Online)

The Treasury Board Secretariat’s ATIP Online Request Service (ATIP Online) was launched in 2018 to streamline the procedure of submitting ATIP requests to, and obtaining responses from, the federal government. Onboarding to ATIP Online significantly enhances efficiency and accessibility in handling ATIP requests within the federal government.

This reporting year, IRCC ATIP has worked collaboratively with TBS Office of the Chief Information Officer to begin transitioning ATIP requests for corporate records to ATIP Online by April 2, 2024.

To ensure operational efficiency, efforts are underway to reduce ATIP request volumes prior to completing the onboarding of requests for client records to the TBS platform. Until the migration is complete, requesters will continue to submit ATIP requests to IRCC via the IRCC ATIP online request portal.

Replacement of the ATIP case management software

IRCC is diligently advancing the replacement of its current ATIP case management software. Following a thorough assessment of the ATIP Division’s unique business needs and requirements, the Department has opted for the adoption of a TBS-approved modern platform with several upgrades and features.

The new software will interface directly with ATIP Online and it features advanced functionalities that will significantly increase efficiency by reducing the time necessary to complete the review and release of records. Along with improvements in request processing, the new software supports built-in artificial intelligence that can be trained to automate repetitive tasks and has modern business analytics capabilities to enable IRCC to create various reports more effectively. These improvements will mean faster, real-time decisions in response to emerging ATIP trends, faster workflow adjustment, and the development of more in-depth performance management tools.

IRCC ATIP is also collaborating strategically with Shared Services Canada’s Digital Enablement Group to ensure the seamless deployment of the software within a cloud-based environment. This collaboration is part of the Government of Canada’s Application Platform as a Service initiative that aims to deliver common Government of Canada applications using a “Cloud Smart” approach. The Department aims to procure, test, and deploy the new software by late fall 2025.

Summary of key issues and actions taken on complaints

This reporting year, the IRCC ATIP program took concrete measures to address the large volume of complaints filed under the ATIA. These measures, aimed at ensuring a better synergy between the request processing and complaint processing teams, improved file tracking and client service.

To ensure a more streamlined and consistent approach, the complaint process for client records and corporate records was merged to improve efficiency within the ATIP program. The new Complaints Team performed a comparative analysis and reconciliation of complaint files opened in IRCC’s systems with complaints registered and deemed active by the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC). Thereafter, working collaboratively with the OIC, the Complaints Team put in place a Complaints Triage and Early Resolution process where each complaint, regardless of the age of the file, was reviewed and all cases identified as having the potential to be resolved in a reasonably short period of time were processed. Delay complaints represent the vast majority of complaints IRCC receives.

In addition, the ATIP case management software was updated to better track complaint correspondence, file status, follow-ups and discussions held with Offices of Primary Interest and external stakeholders.

The IRCC ATIP program also allocated resources to create a dedicated Client Service Team in an effort to keep the lines of communication with requesters open, identify issues or needs that could be proactively addressed, and possibly limit future ATIP complaints being lodged against IRCC. Although the team does not yet have an official service standard in place, the vast majority of inquiries were responded to within 48 hours and the ATIP phone line voice messages were retrieved on a daily basis.

During the reporting period, IRCC received 747 notices of new complaints, an 82.6% decrease from the previous period. This volume represents 0.41% of access to information requests received compared to 2.3% for the last reporting period. Complaints regarding delays in processing represent 86% of all complaints received.

In total, IRCC responded to 1,382 complaint investigations. Of these, 94.5% were discontinued, not substantiated, or the investigation was ceased. Of the remaining 5.5% where an investigation was carried out:

Together, all the measures and initiatives described above contributed to the reduction in the number of complaints in inventory. At the end of the reporting period, 180 complaints remained outstanding. By comparison, at the end of 2022-2023. IRCC was carrying 571 active complaints under the ATIA.

Reporting on ATI fees for the purposes of the Service Fees Act

The Service Fees Act requires a responsible authority to report annually to Parliament on the fees collected by the institution. With respect to fees collected under the ATIA, the information below is reported in accordance with the requirements of section 20 of the Service Fees Act.

Enabling authority: Access to Information Act

Fees Payable for 2023-2024: $5.00 application fee is the only fee charged for an access to information request

Total revenue: IRCC collected $910,260

Fees waived or refunded: IRCC waived or refunded $0 in fees

Cost of operating the program: $13,450,600

Monitoring compliance

The ATIP program makes use of frequent and comprehensive reporting tools to monitor compliance and maintain accountability, as well as to identify process improvements.

Time taken to process ATI requests

IRCC monitors the time taken to process ATIA requests by retrieving statistics from the ATIP case management software on a daily, weekly, biweekly and quarterly basis. These statistics provide information on ATIP request volumes received and processed, compliance rates, backlog volumes, and feed into various reports intended for various levels of officials: daily updates are shared with managers, weekly reports with directors and the APMB Director General & Chief Privacy Officer, biweekly reports with the Deputy Ministers.

The ATIP program also produced a quarterly report shared with all Assistant Deputy Ministers this reporting year, as well as a monthly report on sector and branch compliance for responding to ATIP taskings.

Although the primary goal of the ATIP program’s statistical reporting is to monitor compliance, IRCC ATIP also relies on these statistics to monitor workflows, address current challenges, and identify trends in ATIP requests.

Inter-institutional consultations

Team leaders and managers within the ATIP program regularly monitor extensions taken, responses to internal tasking reports, and complaints as these identify areas in need of improvement, including consultations and any training needs on the application of the ATIA and proper exercise of discretion.

Review of frequently requested information

The vast majority of IRCC’s ATIP requests are for client immigration records. IRCC is currently developing initiatives to improve clients’ access to their own information through means other than the ATIP program. See the Policies, guidelines, procedures and initiatives section above.

Reflecting right of public access to information in contracts, agreements, and arrangements

All IRCC contracts and contractual arrangements include a clause making contractors responsible to the requirements for the Access to Information Act:

“Records created by the Contractor, and under the control of Canada, are subject to the Access to Information Act. The Contractor acknowledges the responsibilities of Canada under the Access to Information Act and must, to the extent possible, assist Canada in discharging these responsibilities. Furthermore, the Contractor acknowledges that section 67.1 of the Access to Information Act provides that any person, who destroys, alters, falsifies or conceals a record, or directs anyone to do so, with the intent of obstructing the right of access that is provided by the Access to Information Act is guilty of an offence and is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both”.

Accuracy and completeness of proactively published information under Part 2 of the ATIA

Under IRCC’s current delegation, responsibility for proactive publications under sections 82 to 88 is shared by all Assistant Deputy Ministers, as well as the Director General of APMB. Different sectors oversee different proactive publication requirements under the legislation, as outlined above under Proactive publication under Part 2 of the ATIA.

Moving forward

During the reporting period, IRCC continued to deliver ATIP program services through its three dedicated divisions. This year, the emphasis was on modernizing procedures and processes to improve ATIP request and complaint processing and implementing departmental and internal client services initiatives.

Moving forward, IRCC will continue to find ways to provide clients with better access to their own immigration information through other means than the ATIP program, advance the migration to the TBS ATIP Online platform, and complete the procurement of the ATIP case management software.

With significant improvements in key metrics this reporting year (e.g., increased compliance rates and significant decreased complaints), the Department will continue to actively seek opportunities to streamline its ATIP processes and further increase compliance with the ATIA.

IRCC is committed to respecting the right of access to information and continuing its efforts to contribute to initiatives aimed at promoting openness and transparency in government.

Annex A: Copy of the signed delegation order in effect March 31, 2024

Annex B: Copy of the Delegation of Authority under the Access to Information Act and Regulations in effect March 31, 2024

Annex C: Statistical Report on the Administration of the Access to Information Act

Annex D: Supplemental Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act

Annex A: Copy of the signed delegation order in effect March 31, 2024

Image described below
Text version: Signed Delegation

Official Document

Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada

Delegation of Authority

Access to Information Act and Privacy Act

I, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, pursuant to section 95 of the Access to Information Act and section 73 of the Privacy Act, hereby authorize the officer and employee of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship whose position or classification is set out in the attached Schedule to carry out those of my power, duties or functions under the Acts that are set in the Schedule in relation to that officer and employee.

Dated at Ottawa

This 30 day of August 2019

Ahmed Hussen, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Annex B: Copy of the Delegation of Authority under the Access to Information Act and Regulations in effect March 31, 2024

Delegation of Authority under the Access to Information Act and the Access to Information Regulations

The delegation includes acting appointments and assignments to these positions made pursuant to the Public Service Employment Act and regulations.

Full delegation
Position Delegation
Deputy Minister / Associate Deputy Minister Full Authority
Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Management Sector Full Authority
Director General, ATIP & Accountability Branch

Full Authority, except the following sections of the Access to Information Act:

  • 41(2) – seek review of an order of the Information Commissioner by Federal Court
  • Sections 82 to 88 concerning proactive publication of information
Director, ATIP Division

Full Authority, except the following sections of the Access to Information Act:

  • 41(2) – seek review of an order of the Information Commissioner by Federal Court
  • Sections 82 to 88 concerning proactive publication of information
Assistant Directors, ATIP CRCI and OPS

Full Authority, except the following sections of the Access to Information Act:

  • 6.1 – decline to act on a request
  • 20(6) – disclose third party information in the public interest
  • 41(2) – seek review of an order of the Information Commissioner by Federal Court
  • Sections 82 to 88 concerning proactive publication of information
  • 94 – responsibility to prepare an annual report to Parliament

Partial delegation

Access to Information Act – Part 2 only

Proactive Disclosures
Position Delegation
All Assistant Deputy Ministers Full Authority for sections 82 to 88
Director General, Corporate Secretariat Full Authority for sections 82 to 88
Access to Information Act
Description Section ATIP / PM-05 OPS ATIP / PM-05 CRCI ATIP / PM-04 OPS ATIP / PM-04 CRCI ATIP / PM-03 OPS ATIP / PM-03 CRCI
Duty to assist 4(2.1) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Decline to act on request 6.1 No No No No No No
Notice where access requested 7 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Transfer of request 8(1) Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Extension of time limits 9(1) Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Notice of extension to Commissioner 9(2) Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Payment of additional fees 11(2) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Payment of fees for EDP record 11(3) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Deposit 11(4) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Notice of fee payment 11(5) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Waiver or refund of fees 11(6) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Translation 12(2)(b) No No No No No No
Conversion to alternate format 12(3)(b) No No No No No No
Information obtained in confidence 13 Yes Yes Yes No No No
Refuse access: federal-provincial affairs 14 No Yes No No No No
Refuse access: international affairs, defence, subversive activities 15(1) Yes Yes Yes No No No
Refuse access: law enforcement and investigation 16(1) Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Refuse access: security information 16(2) Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Refuse access: policing services for provinces or municipalities 16(3) Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Refuse access: safety of individuals 17 Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Refuse access: economic interests of Canada 18 No Yes No No No No
Refuse access: economic interests of certain institutions 18.1 No Yes No No No No
Refuse access: another person’s information 19(1) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Disclose personal information 19(2) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Refuse access: third party information 20(1) No Yes No No No No
Disclose testing methods 20(2) and (3) No No No No No No
Disclose third party information 20(5) No Yes No No No No
Disclose in public interest 20(6) No No No No No No
Refuse access: advice, etc. 21 No No No No No No
Refuse access: tests and audits 22 Yes Yes No No No No
Refuse access: Audit working papers and draft audit reports 22.1 No Yes No No No No
Refuse access: solicitor-client privilege 23 Yes No Yes No No No
Refuse access: patent or trademark privilege 23.1 No No No No No No
Refuse access: prohibited information 24(1) Yes No No No No No
Severability 25 Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Refuse access: information to be published 26 Yes Yes No No No No
Notice to third parties 27(1) No Yes No No No No
Extension of time limit 27(4) No Yes No No No No
Notice of third party disclosure 28(1)(b) No Yes No No No No
Representation to be made in writing 28(2) No Yes No No No No
Disclosure of record 28(4) No No No No No No
Notice of ceasing to investigate 30(5)(b) No No No No No No
Notice of intention to investigate 32 No No No No No No
Notice to third party 33 No Yes No No No No
Right to make representations 35(2)(b) No Yes No No No No
Access given to complainant 37(4) No Yes No No No No
Seek review of order by Federal Court 41(2) No No No No No No
Notice of court action 43(2) No No No No No No
Notice to person who requested record 44(2) No Yes No No No No
Special rules for hearings 52(2)(b) No No No No No No
Ex parte representations 52(3) No No No No No No
Facilities for inspection of manuals 71(1) No No No No No No
Proactive publication of information: travel expenses 82 No No No No No No
Proactive publication of information: hospitality expenses 83 No No No No No No
Proactive publication of information: reports tabled in Parliament 84 No No No No No No
Proactive publication of information: reclassification of positions 85 No No No No No No
Proactive publication of information: contracts 86 No No No No No No
Proactive publication of information: grants and contributions 87 No No No No No No
Proactive publication of information: Briefing materials 88 No No No No No No
Annual Report to Parliament 94 No No No No No No
Access to Information Regulations
Description Section ATIP / PM-05 OPS ATIP / PM-05 CRCI ATIP / PM-04 OPS ATIP / PM-04 CRCI ATIP / PM-03 OPS ATIP / PM-03 CRCI
Transfer of requests 6(1) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Search and preparation fees 7(2) Yes Yes No No No No
Production and programming fees 7(3) Yes Yes No No No No
Examination of records 8 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Limitations in respect of format 8.1 No No No No No No

Legend

ATIP / PM-05 OPS
Senior ATIP Administrators, ATIP Operations (OPS)
ATIP / PM-05 CRCI
Senior ATIP Administrators, Corporate Records, Complaints and Informals (CRCI)
ATIP / PM-04 OPS
ATIP Administrators, ATIP Operations (OPS)
ATIP / PM-04 CRCI
ATIP Administrators, Corporate Records, Complaints and Informals (CRCI)
ATIP / PM-03 OPS
ATIP Officers, ATIP Operations (OPS)
ATIP / PM–03 CRCI
ATIP Officers, Corporate Records, Complaints and Informals (CRCI)

Annex C: Statistical Report on the Administration of the Access to Information Act

Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act

Name of institute: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Reporting period: 2023-04-01 to 2024-03-31

Section 1: Requests under the Access to Information Act

1.1 Number of requests

Number of Requests
Received during reporting period 182,907
Outstanding from previous reporting periods 72,918

Outstanding from previous reporting periods

 63,764 N/A

Outstanding from more than one reporting period

 9,154 N/A
Total 255,825Table Footnote *
Closed during reporting period 204,762
Carried over to next reporting period 51,191

Carried over within legislated timeline

 16,626

Carried over beyond legislated timeline

 34,565

1.2 Sources of requests

Source Number of Requests
Media 348
Academia 7,770
Business (private sector) 79,927
Organization 6,466
Public 72,381
Decline to Identify 16,015
Total 182,907

1.3 Channels of requests

Channel Number of Requests
Online 180,972
E-mail 984
Mail 951
In person 0
Phone 0
Fax 0
Total 182,907

Section 2: Informal Requests

2.1 Number of informal requests

Number of Requests
Received during reporting period 4,813
Outstanding from previous reporting periods 56

Outstanding from previous reporting periods

 56 N/A

Outstanding from more than one reporting period

 0 N/A
Total 4,869
Closed during reporting period 4,869
Carried over to next reporting period 0

2.2 Channels of informal requests

Channel Number of Requests
Online 4,624
E-mail 189
Mail 0
In person 0
Phone 0
Fax 0
Total 4,813

2.3 Completion time of informal requests

Completion Time (Days) Total
1 to 15 16 to 30 31 to 60 61 to 120 121 to 180 181 to 365 More than 365
4,436 206 93 82 50 2 0 4,869

2.4 Pages released informally

Number of Requests Pages Released
Less than 100 pages released 0 0
100 to 500 pages released 0 0
501 to1,000 pages released 0 0
1,001 to 5,000 pages released 0 0
More than 5,000 pages released 0 0

2.5 Pages re-released informally

Number of Requests Pages Re-released
Less than 100 pages re-released 3,180 81,502
100 to 500 pages re-released 1,212 266,942
501 to 1,000 pages re-released 117 81,769
1,001 to 5,000 pages re-released 225 507,537
More than 5,000 pages re-released 135 2,889,996

Section 3: Applications to the Information Commissioner on Declining to Act on Requests

Number of Requests
Outstanding from previous reporting period 0
Sent during reporting period 0
Total 0
Approved by Information Commissioner during reporting period 0
Declined by Information Commissioner during reporting period 0
Withdrawn during reporting period 0
Carried over to next reporting period 0

Section 4: Requests Closed During the Reporting Period

4.1 Disposition and completion time

Disposition of Requests Completion Time (Days) Total
1 to 15 16 to 30 31 to 60 61 to 120 121 to 180 181 to 365 More than 365
All disclosed 6,599 46,342 5,753 1,729 3,043 6,133 1,385 70,984
Disclosed in part 9,191 75,909 11,143 2,736 3,065 6,216 7,471 115,731
All exempted 2 2 1 0 2 2 0 9
All excluded 6 1 4 2 2 2 3 20
No records exist 190 339 136 88 50 62 74 939
Request transferred 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 5
Request abandoned 5,094 1,238 119 283 183 249 5,467 12,633
Neither confirmed nor denied 1,019 520 160 354 559 885 944 4,441
Declined to act within the approval of the Information Commissioner 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 22,106 124,351 17,316 5,192 6,904 13,549 15,344 204,762

4.2 Exemptions

Section 13 exemptions
Section 13 Number of Requests
13(1)(a) 4,285
13(1)(b) 38
13(1)(c) 26
13(1)(d) 4
13(1)(e) 0
Section 14 exemptions
Section 14 Number of Requests
14 12
14(a) 141
14(b) 17
Section 15 exemptions
Section 15 Number of Requests
15(1) 36,245
15(1) – International Affairs 393
15(1) – Defense of Canada 15
15(1) – Subversive Activities 23
Section 16 exemptions
Section 16 Number of Requests
16(1)(a)(i) 2
16(1)(a)(ii) 2
16(1)(a)(iii) 0
16(1)(b) 288
16(1)(c) 22,592
16(1)(d) 1
16(2) 487
16(2)(a) 6
16(2)(b) 1
16(2)(c) 239
16(3) 0
16.1(1)(a) 10
16.1(1)(b) 4
16.1(1)(c) 14
16.1(1)(d) 0
16.2(1) 0
16.3 0
16.4(1)(a) 0
16.4(1)(b) 0
16.5 0
16.6 0
Section 17 exemptions
Section 17 Number of Requests
17 1,409
Section 18 exemptions
Section 18 Number of Requests
18(a) 0
18(b) 0
18(c) 0
18(d) 2
18.1(1)(a) 0
18.1(1)(b) 0
18.1(1)(c) 0
18.1(1)(d) 2
Section 19 exemptions
Section 19 Number of Requests
19(1) 87,409
Section 20 exemptions
Section 20 Number of Requests
20(1)(a) 2
20(1)(b) 56
20(1)(b.1) 0
20(1)(c) 200
20(1)(d) 8
20.1 0
20.2 0
20.4 0
Section 21 exemptions
Section 21 Number of Requests
21(1)(a) 463
21(1)(b) 552
21(1)(c) 92
21(1)(d) 69
Section 22 exemptions
Section 22 Number of Requests
22 47
22.1(1) 3
Section 23 exemptions
Section 23 Number of Requests
23 319
23.1 1
Section 24 exemptions
Section 24 Number of Requests
24(1) 3
Section 26 exemptions
Section 26 Number of Requests
26 211

4.3 Exclusions

Section 68 exclusions
Section 68 Number of Requests
68(a) 3
68(b) 0
68(c) 0
68.1 0
68.2(a) 0
68.2(b) 0
Section 69 exclusions
Section 69 Number of Requests
69(1) 0
69(1)(a) 2
69(1)(b) 3
69(1)(c) 1
69(1)(d) 1
69(1)(e) 0
69(1)(f) 0
69(1)(g) re (a) 36
69(1)(g) re (b) 0
69(1)(g) re (c) 0
69(1)(g) re (d) 7
69(1)(g) re (e) 8
69(1)(g) re (f) 0
69.1(1) 0

4.4 Format of information released

Format Number of Requests
Paper 0
Electronic

E-record

 186,715

Data set

 9

Video

 0

Audio

 0
Other 0

4.5 Complexity

4.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed for paper, e-record, and dataset formats
Number of pages processed 5,948,942
Number of pages disclosed 5,052,059
Number of requests 203,818
4.5.2 Relevant pages processed per request disposition for paper, e-record, and dataset formats by size of requests
Disposition of Requests Pages Released
Less than 100 101 to 500 501 to 1,000 1,001 to 5,000 More than 5,000
No. of Requests Pages Processed No. of Requests Pages Processed No. of Requests Pages Processed No. of Requests Pages Processed No. of Requests Pages Processed
All disclosed 70,282 1,035,863 650 106,170 18 12,202 18 39,478 16 283,249
Disclosed in part 107,255 2,598,602 8,045 1,355,742 333 224,000 92 155,357 6 60,267
All exempted 8 125 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 15,873
All excluded 20 359 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Request abandoned 12,555 38,690 64 12,785 11 6,625 3 3,555 0 0
Neither confirmed nor denied 4,441 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Declined to act within the approval of the Information Commissioner 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 194,561 3,673,639 8,759 1,474,697 362 242,827 113 198,390 23 359,389
4.5.3 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for audio formats
Number of minutes processed 0
Number of minutes disclosed 0
Number of requests 0
4.5.4 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for audio formats by size of requests
Disposition of Requests Minutes Processed
Less than 60 60 to 120 More than 120
No. of Requests Minutes Processed No. of Requests Minutes Processed No. of Requests Minutes Processed
All disclosed 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disclosed in part 0 0 0 0 0 0
All exempted 0 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0 0
Request abandoned 0 0 0 0 0 0
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0 0
Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0
4.5.5 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for video formats
Number of minutes processed 0
Number of minutes disclosed 0
Number of requests 0
4.5.6 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for video formats by size of requests
Disposition of Requests Minutes processed
Less than 60 60 to 120 More than 120
No. of requests Minutes processed No. of requests Minutes processed No. of requests Minutes processed
All disclosed 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disclosed in part 0 0 0 0 0 0
All exempted 0 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0 0
Request abandoned 0 0 0 0 0 0
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0 0
Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0
4.5.7 Other complexities
Disposition of Requests Consultation Required Legal Advice Sought Other Total
All disclosed 17 0 0 17
Disclosed in part 191 0 0 191
All exempted 0 0 0 0
All excluded 3 0 0 3
Request abandoned 10 0 0 10
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0
Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner 0 0 0 0
Total 211 0 0 221

4.6 Closed requests

4.6.1 Requests closed within legislated timelines
Number of Requests Percentage of Requests
Closed within legislated timelines 157,752 77.042

4.7 Deemed refusals

4.7.1 Reasons for not meeting legislated timelines
Number of Requests
Requests closed past the legislated timelines 47,010
Principal reason

Interference with operations/workload

 47,010

External consultation

 0

Internal consultation

 0

Other

 0
4.7.2 Requests closed beyond legislated timelines (including any extension taken)
Number of Days Past Legislated Timelines Number of Requests Past Legislated Timeline Total
No Extension Taken Extension Taken
1 to 15 5,474 167 5,641
16 to 30 1,290 55 1,345
31 to 60 1,957 44 2,001
61 to 120 6,051 116 6,167
121 to 180 5,926 168 6,094
181 to 365 11,734 239 11,973
More than 365 12,552 1,237 13,789
Total 44,984 2,026 47,010

4.8 Requests for translation

Translation Requests Accepted Refused Total
English to French 0 0 0
French to English 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0

Section 5: Extensions

5.1 Reasons for extensions and disposition of requests

Disposition of Requests where an Extension was Taken 9(1)(a) Interference with Operations/Workload 9(1)(b) Consultation 9(1)(c) Third-Party Notice
Section 69 Other
All disclosed 20 13 340 0
Disclosed in part 159 35 1,684 2
All exempted 2 0 0 0
All excluded 0 0 4 0
Request abandoned 9 1 654 0
No records exist 5 3 57 1
Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner 0 0 0 0
Total 195 52 2,739 3

5.2 Length of extensions

Length of Extensions (Days) 9(1)(a) Interference with Operations/Workload 9(1)(b) Consultation 9(1)(c) Third-Party Notice
Section 69 Other
30 or less 13 0 117 1
31 to 60 92 52 1,678 1
61 to 120 56 0 387 1
121 to 180 28 0 16 0
181 to 365 6 0 541 0
365 or more 0 0 0 0
Total 195 52 2,739 3

Section 6: Fees

Fee Type Fee Collected Fee Waived Fee Refunded
No. of Requests Amount No. of Requests Amount No. of Requests Amount
Application 182,052 $910,260 790 $3,950 0 $0
Other fees 0 $0 0 $0 0 $0
Total 182,052 $910,260 790 $3,950 0 $0

Section 7: Consultations Received from Other Institutions and Organizations

7.1 Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and other organizations

Consultations Other Government of Canada Institutions Number of Pages to Review Other Organizations Number of Pages to Review
Received during the reporting period 98 3,435 2 56
Outstanding from the previous reporting period 14 1,463 0 0
Total 112 4,898 2 56
Carried during the reporting period 112 4,898 2 56
Carried over within negotiated timelines 0 0 0 0
Carried over beyond negotiated timelines 0 0 0 0

7.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions

Recommendation Completion Time (Days) Total
1 to 15 16 to 30 31 to 60 61 to 120 121 to 180 181 to 365 More than 365
Disclosed entirely 18 12 11 3 1 0 0 45
Disclosed in part 16 10 19 12 2 4 0 63
Exempted entirely 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2
Excluded entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Consult other institutions 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
Total 36 23 30 16 3 4 0 112

7.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations outside the Government of Canada

Recommendation Completion Time (Days) Total
1 to 15 16 to 30 31 to 60 61 to 120 121 to 180 181 to 365 More than 365
Disclosed entirely 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
Disclosed in part 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Exempted entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Excluded entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Consult other institutions 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2

Section 8: Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences

8.1 Requests with Legal Services

Number of Days Pages Processed
Less than 100 100 to 500 501 to 1,000 1,001 to 5,000 More than 5,000
No. of Requests Pages Disclosed No. of Requests Pages Disclosed No. of Requests Pages Disclosed No. of Requests Pages Disclosed No. of Requests Pages Disclosed
1 to 15 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 to 30 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
31 to 60 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
61 to 120 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
121 to 180 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
181 to 365 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
More than 365 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 16 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

8.2 Requests with Privy Council Office

Number of days Pages Processed
Less than 100 100 to 500 501 to 1,000 1,001 to 5,000 More than 5,000
No. of Requests Pages Disclosed No. of Requests Pages Disclosed No. of Requests Pages Disclosed No. of Requests Pages Disclosed No. of Requests Pages Disclosed
1 to 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 to 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
31 to 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
61 to 120 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
121 to 180 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
181 to 365 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
More than 365 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Section 9: Investigations and Reports of Finding

9.1 Investigations

Number
Section 32 notice of intention to investigate 747
Subsection 30(5) ceased to investigate 848
Section 35 formal representations 1

9.2 Investigations and Reports of finding

  Number
Section 37(1) Initial Reports

Received

 6

Containing recommendations issued by the Information Commissioner

 0

Containing an intent to issue an order by the Information Commissioner

 0
Section 37(2) Final Reports

Received

 0

Containing recommendations issued by the Information Commissioner

 0

Containing orders issued by the Information Commissioner

 0

Section 10: Court Action

10.1 Court actions on complaints

Number
Section 41

Complainant (1)

 0

Institution (2)

 0

Third Party (3)

 0

Privacy Commissioner (4)

 0
Total 0

10.2 Court actions on third party notifications under paragraph 28(1)(b)

  Number
Section 44 – under paragraph 28(1)(b) 0

Section 11: Resources Related to the Access to Information Act

11.1 Allocated costs

Expenditures Amount
Salaries $12,514,659
Overtime $748,380
Goods and Services $187,561

Professional services contracts

 $0 N/A

Other

 $187,561
Total $13,450,600

11.2 Human resources

Resources Person Years Dedicated to Access to Information Activities
Full-time employees 84.845
Part-time and casual employees 72.187
Regional staff 0.000
Consultants and agency personnel 0.000
Students 0.000
Total 157.032

Annex D: Supplemental Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act

Supplemental Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act

Name of institute: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Reporting period: 2023-04-01 to 2024-03-31

Section 1: Open Requests and Complaints under the Access to Information Act

1.1 Number of open requests that are outstanding from previous reporting periods

Fiscal Year Received Within Legislated Timelines as of March 31, 2024 Beyond Legislated Timelines as of March 31, 2024 Total
2023-2024 42 9,506 9,548
2022-2023 0 19,146 19,146
2021-2022 0 802 802
2020-2021 0 5 5
2019-2020 0 0 0
2018-2019 0 0 0
2017-2018 0 0 0
2016-2017 0 0 0
2015-2016 0 0 0
2014-2015 or earlier 0 0 0
Total 42 29,459 29,501

1.2 Number of open complaints with the Information Commissioner of Canada that are outstanding from previous reporting periods

Fiscal Year Open Complaints Were Received by Institution Number of Open Complaints
2023-2024 146
2022-2023 21
2021-2022 7
2020-2021 3
2019-2020 0
2018-2019 2
2017-2018 1
2016-2017 0
2015-2016 0
2014-2015 or earlier 0
Total 180

Section 2: Open Requests and Complaints under the Privacy Act

2.1 Number of open requests that are outstanding from previous reporting periods

Fiscal Year Received Within Legislated Timelines
as of March 31, 2024		 Beyond Legislated Timelines
as of March 31, 2024		 Total
2023-2024 8,029 3,201 11,230
2022-2023 0 5,193 5,193
2021-2022 0 96 96
2020-2021 0 1 1
2019-2020 0 0 0
2018-2019 0 0 0
2017-2018 0 0 0
2016-2017 0 0 0
2015-2016 0 0 0
2014-2015 or earlier 0 0 0
Total 8,029 8,491 16,520

2.2 Number of open complaints with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada that are outstanding from previous reporting periods

Fiscal Year Open Complaints Were Received by Institution Number of Open Complaints
2023-2024 22
2022-2023 24
2021-2022 1
2020-2021 0
2019-2020 0
2018-2019 0
2017-2018 0
2016-2017 0
2015-2016 0
2014-2015 or earlier 0
Total 47

Section 3: Social Insurance Number

Has your institution begun a new collection or a new consistent use of the Social Insurance Number in 2023-2024?

No

Section 4: Universal Access under the Privacy Act

How many requests were received from foreign nationalsFootnote * outside of Canada in 2023-2024?

41,565

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