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Access to Information Act, Privacy Act, Annual Report 2015-2016

Table of Contents

Part One—Access to Information Act

Introduction

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is pleased to present to Parliament its 22nd annual report on the administration of the Access to Information Act.The report describes the activities that support compliance with the Access to Information Act for the fiscal year commencing April 1, 2015, and ending March 31, 2016.

The purpose of the Access to Information Act is to provide a right of access to information in records under the control of a government institution. The Act maintains that government information should be available to the public, that necessary exceptions to the right of access should be limited and specific, and that decisions on the disclosure of government information should be reviewed independently of the government.

Section 72 of the Act requires the head of every federal government institution to submit an annual report to Parliament on the administration of the Act during the fiscal year. This report outlines IRCC’s accomplishments in carrying out its access to information responsibilities and obligations during the 2015–2016 reporting period.

About Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

On November 5, 2015, through a statement from the Privy Council Office, it was confirmed that Citizenship and Immigration Canada would be renamed Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. This change in title represents the responsibilities of the new Minister and recognizes Canada’s long-standing and significant tradition of helping refugees.

IRCC was established in 1994 to link citizenship registration and immigration services, to promote the unique ideals all Canadians share and to help build a stronger nation. Canada has a proud tradition of welcoming immigrants. Our immigration and refugee systems and our vast network of organizations that help newcomers settle and integrate are among the best in the world. On July 2, 2013, primary responsibility for the Passport Program (previously Passport Canada) and the administration of the Canadian Passport Order and the Order Respecting the Issuance of Diplomatic and Special Passports were transferred from Global Affairs Canada to IRCC.

IRCC’s mandate comes from the shared jurisdiction of section 95 of the Constitution Act,1867, the Citizenship Act, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Canadian Passport Order and the Order Respecting the Issuance of Diplomatic and Special Passports.

IRCC’s work encompasses a broad range of activities such as:

  • facilitating the arrival of people and their integration into Canadian life in a way that maximizes their contribution to the country while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians;
  • maintaining Canada’s humanitarian tradition by protecting refugees and other people in need of protection;
  • enhancing the values and promoting the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship;
  • administering the Canadian Passport Order; and
  • advancing global migration policies in a way that supports Canada’s immigration and humanitarian objectives.

Access to Information and Privacy Division

The Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Division is part of the Corporate Affairs Branch in the Corporate Services Sector at IRCC. The Division administers the Access to Information Act and is led by a director, who acts as the ATIP coordinator for the Department. Three units carry out the Division’s work: Operations; Complex Cases and Issues; and Privacy, Policy and Governance. Each unit’s manager reports to the director.

The ATIP Division receives, coordinates and processes requests for information under the Access to Information Act, providing high-quality and timely service to requesters. The Division also coordinates requests made under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty.

IRCC maintains a network of 34 ATIP Liaison Officers, who represent the branches and regions of the Department. The ATIP Liaison Officers provide assistance by performing searches, collecting records and presenting recommendations related to requests.

Activities and Accomplishments

I. Performance

Yet again, IRCC has received more Access to Information (ATI) requests than any other federal institution. Specifically, a total of 41,660 ATI requests were received in the 2015–2016 fiscal year, which represents a marked increase of 22 percent from the previous year. As a result, it was another record-breaking year for IRCC. Despite such a substantial increase in volume, the Department processed 40,107 requests and maintained a high compliance rate of 87.49 percent.

II. Initiatives

During the 2015–2016 fiscal year, IRCC undertook the following initiatives to improve internal processes and client service under the Access to Information Act:

  • implemented a monthly performance report aimed at reducing the amount of time it takes IRCC branches to respond to requests for corporate records;
  • restructured ATIP’s business workflow to better organize and decrease the processing time for submitted requests; and
  • actively monitored the intake and processing of files on a weekly and monthly basis, regularly reassessed priorities and redistributed workloads to maintain a high compliance rate.

Additionally, through formal and informal consultations, IRCC continues to collaborate and share best practices with numerous institutions, such as the Canada Border Services Agency, the Canada Revenue Agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Public Services and Procurement Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and Global Affairs Canada.

These best practices in improving and modernizing ATIP operations will continue in 2016–2017 and beyond.

III. Promotion, Awareness and Training

During the reporting period, the ATIP Division continued to promote ATIP awareness through a variety of approaches and mediums. The ATIP Division:

  • distributed promotional messages throughout the Department via Today@IRCC, the Department’s internal electronic newsletter;
  • reviewed its processes, which culminated in the creation of a new, three-hour training course entitled Understanding and Managing ATIP Requests. This course is geared to ATIP Liaison Officers and anyone directly involved in the ATIP process. The course was designed to provide a greater understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the ATIP Division, the Liaison Officers as well as various departmental officials in the processing of an ATIP request. Approximately 165 IRCC employees attended the course given in 12 sessions; and
  • launched the newly mandatory online course Protecting and Giving Access to Information at IRCC for all employees. The course addresses how the Acts affect the Department’s operations, how to protect the privacy of individuals as well as the roles and responsibilities of the ATIP Division and departmental employees. Over the course of the fiscal year, 2,919 employees took this course

Overall, in 2015–2016, the ATIP Division trained (in-class and online) approximately 3,084 IRCC employees across Canada and abroad.

Statistical Overview

I. Requests Received Under the Access to Information Act

IRCC remains the most accessed federal institution, receiving an unmatched 41,660 requests under the Access to Information Act between April 1, 2015, and March 31, 2016. This total represents an increase of nearly 22 percent from the previous reporting period. The number of requests received by the Department has more than doubled in the past five years. The majority of ATI requests received were for case files. In an effort to address the significant increase in volume, IRCC continues to improve efficiencies to respond to requests within the legislative time frame. This also includes a concerted effort department- to provide improved client service in various program areas, thereby reducing the number of ATI requests received.

Access to Information Requests Received and Completed, described below.
Text version: Access to Information Requests Received and Completed
Access to Information Requests Received and Completed
Year Received Completed
2009-2010 16,647 16,556
2010-2011 18,862 18,070
2011-2012 20,575 20,891
2012-2013 25,010 26,020
2013-2014 29,281 27,407
2014-2015 34,066 33,524
2015-2016 41,660 40,107

As the number of requests continues to grow exponentially, the volume and complexity of the information being considered continues to grow as well. In 2015–2016, IRCC reviewed over 2,145,173 pages, representing a 33 percent increase since last fiscal year.

Pages Reviewed, described below.
Text version: Pages Reviewed
Pages Reviewed
Year Pages Reviewed
2015-2016 2,145,173
2014-2015 1,615,772
2013-2014 1,241,427
2012-2013 1,471,572
2011-2012 1,359,642

II. Sources of Requests

The business sector (primarily made up of immigration consultants and lawyers) is still the largest source of requests, accounting for 55 percent of all requests. The general public accounts for 32 percent of requests. Requests derived from media, academia and other organizations account for nine percent. The remaining four percent represents requesters who declined to identify themselves.

Sources of Access to Information Requests, described below.
Text version: Sources of Access to Information Requests
Sources of Access to Information Requests
Business 22,906
Public 13,337
Media, Academia and Organizations 3,691
Declined to Identify 1,726

III. Disposition of Completed Requests

In 2015–2016, IRCC completed 40,107 requests. The ATIP Division utilized various measures, including weekly briefing sessions with senior management, with the goal of monitoring the intake of requests and ensuring that requests are processed within the legislative time frame.

In 10,650 cases (27 percent), IRCC provided all the information requested. In 26,559 requests (66 percent), the Department invoked exemptions. Of the remaining 2,898 requests (seven percent), either no records existed or the request was transferred, abandoned or IRCC could neither confirm nor deny the existence of these records.

IV. Exemptions Invoked

The majority of exemptions invoked by IRCC fell under the following three sections of the Access to Information Act:

  • subsection 19(1), which protects personal information and was used in 18,388 cases (46 percent);
  • subsection 15(1), which covers international relations, defence and subversive activities and was used in 8,885 cases (22 percent); and
  • subsection 16(1), which addresses law enforcement and criminal investigations and was used in 7,865 cases (20 percent).

It should be noted that more than one section can be applied to a specific request.

V. Consultations

In addition to processing requests received directly under the Access to Information Act, IRCC was consulted by other federal government institutions in 270 cases in which the records under the control of these institutions related to IRCC activities.

VI. Extensions

Section 9 of the Access to Information Act allows the statutory time limits to be extended if consultations are necessary or if the request is for a large volume of records, and processing it within the original time limit would unreasonably interfere with the operations of the Department.

IRCC invoked a total of 954 extensions during the 2015–2016 reporting period. Extensions were required in 332 instances when IRCC consulted with other federal institutions prior to responding. Extensions were required in 593 instances to search through a large volume of records and/or to respond to the influx of requests, which interfered with operations. The Department also invoked 29 extensions to conduct third-party notifications.

VII. Completion Time

IRCC responded to 28,306 requests (71 percent) within 30 days or fewer and a further 10,130 requests (25 percent) within 31 to 60 days. The Department completed 987 requests (two percent) within 61 to 120 days, and 684 requests (two percent) required 121 days or more to complete.

Access to Information Requests Completion Time, described below.
Text version: Access to Information Requests Completion Time
Access to Information Requests Completion Time
Within 30 days or fewer 71
31 to 60 days 25
61 to 120 days 2
121 days or more 2

VIII. Complaints

During the 2015–2016 reporting period, the Department was notified of 185 complaints received by the Office of the Information Commissioner. This represents less than half of a percent of all requests completed during this period. The majority of complaints were related to processing times, extensions and exemptions.

During the reporting period, 110 complaint investigations were completed. Of these, 47 complaints were abandoned, discontinued or deemed to be unfounded, and the remaining 63 complaints were resolved to the satisfaction of the requester.

IX. Appeals to the Federal Court

No appeals to the Federal Court were filed against IRCC regarding the Access to Information Act during the 2015–2016 reporting period.

X. Informal Access Requests

In 2015–2016, IRCC received 900 informal access requests for corporate records, which were previously released on the Government of Canada’s Open Data website under the category of Proactive Disclosure.

Appendix A: IRCC’s Report on the Access to Information Act

Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act

Name of institution: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Reporting period: 01/04/2015 to 31/03/2016

Part 1 – Requests Under the Access to Information Act
1.1 Number of requests
Requests Number of Requests
Received during reporting period 41660
Outstanding from previous reporting period 3662
Total 45322
Closed during reporting period 40107
Carried over to next reporting period 5215
1.2 Sources of requests
Source Number of Requests
Media 268
Academia 1539
Business (Private Sector) 22906
Organization 1884
Public 13337
Decline to Identify 1726
Total 41660
1.3 Informal requests
Completion Time
1 to 15 days 16 to 30 days 31 to 60 days 61 to 120 days 121 to 180 days 181 to 365 days More than 365 days Total
186 303 137 206 52 2 14 900

Note: All requests previously recorded as “treated informally” will now be accounted for in this section only.

Part 2 – Requests closed during the reporting period
2.1 Disposition and completion time
Disposition of requests Completion Time
1 to 15 days 16 to 30 days 31 to 60 days 61 to 120 days 121 to 180 days 181 to 365 days More than 365 days Total
All disclosed 78 7830 2512 166 30 23 11 10650
Disclosed in part 94 17731 7363 792 165 148 185 26478
All exempted 2 5 4 4 1 3 0 19
All excluded 37 19 4 0 1 1 0 62
No records exist 515 439 181 10 13 15 11 1184
Request transferred 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 20
Request abandoned 1319 216 65 15 3 10 64 1692
Neither confirmed nor denied 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2
Total 2066 26240 10130 987 213 200 271 40107
2.2 Exemptions
Section Number of requests
13(1)(a) 1528
13(1)(b) 25
13(1)(c) 22
13(1)(d) 26
13(1)(e) 0
14 25
14(a) 59
14(b) 12
15(1) 0
15(1) - I.A.Table note a 799
15(1) - Def.Table note b 711
15(1) - S.A.Table note c 7375
16(1)(a)(i) 7
16(1)(a)(ii) 4
16(1)(a)(iii) 5
16(1)(b) 85
16(1)(c) 7763
16(1)(d) 1
16(2) 929
16(2)(a) 2
16(2)(b) 0
16(2)(c) 22
16(3) 0
16.1(1)(a) 0
16.1(1)(b) 1
16.1(1)(c) 20
16.1(1)(d) 0
16.2(1) 1
16.3 0
16.4(1)(a) 0
16.4(1)(b) 0
16.5 0
17 100
18(a) 0
18(b) 0
18(c) 0
18(d) 1
18.1(1)(a) 0
18.1(1)(b) 0
18.1(1)(c) 0
18.1(1)(d) 1
19(1) 18388
20(1)(a) 5
20(1)(b) 66
20(1)(b.1) 0
20(1)(c) 21
20(1)(d) 12
20.1 0
20.2 0
20.4 0
21(1)(a) 202
21(1)(b) 218
21(1)(c) 62
21(1)(d) 49
22 204
22.1(1) 4
23 110
24(1) 9
26 62
2.3 Exclusions
Section Number of requests
68(a) 43
68(b) 0
68(c) 0
68.1 43
68.2(a) 43
68.2(b) 0
69(1) 4
69(1)(a) 3
69(1)(b) 1
69(1)(c) 0
69(1)(d) 2
69(1)(e) 4
69(1)(f) 3
69(1)(g) re (a) 12
69(1)(g) re (b) 12
69(1)(g) re (c) 12
69(1)(g) re (d) 12
69(1)(g) re (e) 12
69(1)(g) re (f) 12
69.1(1) 12
2.4 Format of information released
Disposition Paper Electronic Other formats
All disclosed 272 10378 0
Disclosed in part 419 26058 0
Total 691 36436 0
2.5 Complexity
2.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed
Disposition of requests Number of pages processed Number of pages disclosed Number of requests
All disclosed 380116 367399 10650
Disclosed in part 1742990 1534572 26478
All exempted 2236 0 19
All excluded 780 0 62
Request abandoned 19051 7478 1692
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 2
2.5.2 Relevant pages processed and disclosed by size of requests
Disposition Up to 100 pages processed 101-500 pages processed 501-1000 pages processed 1001-5000 pages processed More than 5000 pages processed
Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed
All disclosed 10112 260857 521 85391 12 6622 4 7317 1 7212
Disclosed in part 22897 816858 3304 545465 224 111239 49 55160 4 5850
All exempted 12 0 5 0 2 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 61 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
Request Abandoned 1664 2896 19 2065 5 936 4 1581 0 0
Neither confirmed nor denied 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 34748 1080611 3849 632921 244 118797 57 64058 5 13062
2.5.3 Other complexities
Disposition Consultation required Assessment of fees Legal advice sought Other Total
All disclosed 98 0 0 4 102
Disclosed in part 445 3 0 27 475
All exempted 9 0 0 2 11
All excluded 2 0 0 2 4
Abandoned 25 3 0 1 29
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0
Total 579 6 0 36 621
2.6 Deemed refusals
2.6.1 Reasons for not meeting statutory deadline
Number of requests closed past the statutory deadline Principal Reason
Workload External consultation Internal consultation Other
4328 4085 126 117 0
2.6.2 Number of days past deadline
Number of days past deadline Number of requests past deadline where no extension was taken Number of requests past deadline where an extension was taken Total
1 to 15 days 2746 63 2809
16 to 30 days 402 26 428
31 to 60 days 339 26 365
61 to 120 days 206 32 238
121 to 180 days 114 22 136
181 to 365 days 78 47 125
More than 365 days 167 60 227
Total 4052 276 4328
2.7 Requests for translation
Translation Requests Accepted Refused Total
English to French 0 0 0
French to English 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0
Part 3 – Extensions
3.1 Reasons for extensions and disposition of requests
Disposition of requests where an extension was taken 9(1)(a) Interference with operations 9(1)(b) Consultation 9(1)(c) Third party notice
Section 69 Other
All disclosed 100 0 26 4
Disclosed in part 437 4 269 22
All exempted 6 0 5 0
All excluded 3 0 2 0
No records exist 18 0 12 1
Request abandoned 29 1 13 2
Total 593 5 327 29
3.2 Length of extensions
Length of extensions 9(1)(a) Interference with Operations 9(1)(b) Consultation 9(1)(c) Third-Party Notice
Section 69 Other
30 days or less 48 1 89 0
31 to 60 days 480 1 122 17
61 to 120 days 32 1 103 8
121 to 180 days 21 2 11 0
181 to 365 days 12 0 2 4
365 days or more 0 0 0 0
Total 593 5 327 29
Part 4 - Fees
Fee Type Fee Collected Fee Waived or Refunded
Number of Requests Amount Number of Requests Amount
Application 39814 $199,345 125 $760
Search 3 $375 1 $225
Production 0 $0 0 $0
Programming 0 $0 0 $0
Preparation 0 $0 0 $0
Alternative format 0 $0 0 $0
Reproduction 0 $0 0 $0
Total 39817 $199,720 126 $985
Part 5 - Consultations received from other institutions and organizations
5.1 Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and organizations
Consultations Other government institutions Number of pages to review Other organizations Number of pages to review
Received during reporting period 260 12255 11 654
Outstanding from the previous reporting period 10 675 0 0
Total 270 12930 11 654
Closed during the reporting period 248 9945 11 654
Pending at the end of the reporting period 22 2985 0 0
5.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions
Recommendation Number of Days Required to Complete Consultation Requests
1 to 15 days 16 to 30 days 31 to 60 days 61 to 120 days 121 to 180 days 181 to 365 days More than 365 days Total
Disclose entirely 76 39 16 3 0 0 0 134
Disclose in part 27 28 25 4 0 0 0 84
Exempt entirely 7 5 3 1 0 0 0 16
Exclude entirely 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 5
Consult other institution 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other 6 2 0 1 0 0 0 9
Total 118 75 46 9 0 0 0 248
5.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations
Recommendation Number of Days Required to Complete Consultation Requests
1 to 15 days 16 to 30 days 31 to 60 days 61 to 120 days 121 to 180 days 181 to 365 days More than 365 days Total
Disclose entirely 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 4
Disclose in part 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 6
Exempt entirely 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Exclude entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Consult other institution 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 4 3 4 0 0 0 0 11
Part 6 - Completion time of consultations on Cabinet confidences
6.1 Requests with Legal Services
Number of Days Fewer than 100 Pages Processed 101-500 pages processed 501-1000 pages processed 1001-5000 pages processed More than 5000 pages processed
Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed
1 to 15 2 49 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 to 30 0 0 1 108 0 0 0 0 0 0
31 to 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
61 to 120 1 36 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
121 to 180 0 0 1 202 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 3 85 2 310 0 0 0 0 0 0
6.2 Requests with Privy Council Office
Number of Days Fewer than 100 Pages Processed 101-500 pages processed 501-1000 pages processed 1001-5000 pages processed More than 5000 pages processed
Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed Number 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
Part 7 - Complaints and Investigations
Section 32 Section 35 Section 37 Total
185 12 0 197
Part 8 - Court Action
Section 41 Section 42 Section 44 Total
0 0 0 0
Part 9 - Resources related to the Access to Information Act
9.1 Costs
Expenditures Amount
Salaries $2,666,947
Overtime $74,520
Goods and Services
  • Professional services contracts ($60,957)
  • Other ($28,671)
 $89,628
Total $2,831,095
9.2 Human Resources
Resources Person Years Dedicated to Access to Information Activities
Full-time employees 26.40
Part-time and casual employees 16.30
Regional staff 0.00
Consultants and agency personnel 0.00
Students 0.03
Total 42.73

Appendix B: Delegation Order

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

Access to Information Act - Position / Title Footnote *
Descriptions Section 1 - DM 2 - ADM-CS / DG-CA 3 - ATIP / DIRECTOR 4 - ATIP / ASSISTANT DIRECTORS 5 - ATIP / PM-05 OPS 6 - ATIP / PM-05 CCI 7 - ATIP / PM-04 OPS 8 - ATIP / PM-04 CCI 9 - ATIP / PM-03 OPS 10 - ATIP / PM-03 CCI
Notice where access granted 7 yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Transfer of request 8(1) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Extension of time limits 9(1) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Notice of extension to Commissioner 9(2) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Notice where access refused 10(1) and (2) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Payment of additional fees 11(2) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Payment of fees for EDP record 11(3) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Deposit 11(4) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Notice of fee payment 11(5) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Waiver or refund of fees 11(6) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Translation 12(2) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Conversion to alternate format 12(3) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Information obtained in confidence 13 yes yes yes yes yes no yes no no no
Refuse access: federal-provincial affairs 14 yes yes yes yes yes no no no no no
Refuse access: international affairs, defence 15(1) yes yes yes yes yes no yes no no no
Refuse access: law enforcement and investigation 16(1) yes yes yes yes yes no yes no yes no
Refuse access: security information 16(2) yes yes yes yes yes no yes no yes no
Refuse access: policing services for provinces or municipalities 16(3) yes yes yes yes yes no yes no yes no
Refuse access: safety of individuals 17 yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no yes no
Refuse access: economic interests of Canada 18 yes yes yes yes yes no no no no no
Refuse access: another person’s information 19(1) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Disclose personal information 19(2) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Refuse access: third party information 20(1) yes yes yes yes yes no no no no no
Disclose testing methods 20(2) and (3) yes yes yes yes yes no no no no no
Disclose third party information 20(5) yes yes yes yes yes no no no no no
Disclose in public interest 20(6) yes yes yes yes yes no no no no no
Refuse access: advice, etc. 21 yes yes yes yes yes no no no no no
Refuse access: tests and audits 22 yes yes yes yes yes no no no no no
Refuse access: solicitor-client privilege 23 yes yes yes yes yes no yes no no no
Refuse access: prohibited information 24(1) yes yes yes yes yes no no no no no
Disclose severed information 25 yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no no no
Refuse access: information to be published 26 yes yes yes yes yes no no no no no
Notice to third parties 27(1) yes yes yes yes yes yes no no no no
Extension of time limit 27(4) yes yes yes yes yes yes no no no no
Notice of third party disclosure 28(1) yes yes yes yes yes yes no no no no
Representation to be made in writing 28(2) yes yes yes yes yes yes no no no no
Disclosure of record 28(4) yes yes yes yes yes no no no no no
Disclosure on Commissioner’s recommendation 29(1) yes yes yes yes yes no no yes no no
Notice of intention to investigate 32 yes yes yes yes yes no no yes no no
Notice to third party 33 yes yes yes yes yes no no yes no no
Right to make representations 35(2) yes yes yes yes yes yes no yes no no
Findings and recommendations of the Information Commissioner 37(1)(b) yes yes yes yes yes no no yes no no
Access given to complainant 37(4) yes yes yes yes yes no no no no no
Notice to third party of court action 43(1) yes yes yes yes yes no no no no no
Notice to person who requested record 44(2) yes yes yes yes yes no no no no no
Special rules for hearings 52(2) yes yes yes yes no no no no no no
Ex parte representations 52(3) yes yes yes yes yes no no no no no
Exempt information may be excluded 71(2) yes yes yes yes yes no no no no no
Access to Information Regulations - Position / Title
Descriptions Section 1 - DM 2 - ADM-CS / DG-CA 3 - ATIP / DIRECTOR 4 - ATIP / ASSISTANT DIRECTORS 5 - ATIP / PM-05 OPS 6 - ATIP / PM-05 CCI 7 - ATIP / PM-04 OPS 8 - ATIP / PM-04 CCI 9 - ATIP / PM-03 OPS 10 - ATIP / PM-03 CCI
Transfer of requests 6 yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Examination of records 8 yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes

Delegation

Legend
DM
Deputy Minister
ADM-CS / DG-CA
ADM, Corporate Services / Director General, Corporate Affairs
ATIP / DIRECTOR
Director, Access to Information and Privacy (EX-01)
ATIP / ASSISTANT DIRECTORS
Assistant Director, ATIP Operations (OPS) (PM-06) / Assistant Director, Complex Cases and Issues (CCI) (PM-06)
ATIP / PM-05 OPS
Senior ATIP Administrators, ATIP Operations (OPS)
ATIP / PM-05 CCI
Senior ATIP Administrators, ATIP Complex Cases and Issues (CCI)
ATIP / PM-04 OPS
ATIP Administrators, ATIP Operations (OPS)
ATIP / PM-04 CCI
ATIP Administrators, ATIP Complex Cases and Issues (CCI)
ATIP / PM-03 OPS
ATIP Officers, ATIP Operations (OPS)
ATIP / PM-03 CCI
ATIP Officers, ATIP Complex Cases and Issues (CCI)

Part Two—Privacy Act

Introduction

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is pleased to present to Parliament its 22nd annual report on the administration of the Privacy Act. The report describes the activities that support compliance with the Privacy Act for the fiscal year commencing April 1, 2015, and ending March 31, 2016.

The purpose of the Privacy Act is to extend the present laws of Canada that protect the privacy of individuals with respect to personal information about themselves held by a government institution and to provide individuals with a right of access to that information. The Act protects an individual’s privacy by preventing others from having unlawful access to personal information as well as permits an individual specific rights regarding the collection, use and disclosure of this information.

Section 72 of the Act requires the head of every federal government institution to submit an annual report to Parliament on the administration of the Act during the fiscal year. This report outlines IRCC’s accomplishments in carrying out its privacy responsibilities and obligations during the 2015–2016 reporting period.

About Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

On November 5, 2015, through a statement from the Privy Council Office, it was confirmed that Citizenship and Immigration Canada would be renamed Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. This change in title represents the responsibilities of the new Minister and recognizes Canada’s long-standing and significant tradition of helping refugees.

IRCC was established in 1994 to link citizenship registration and immigration services, to promote the unique ideals all Canadians share and to help build a stronger nation. Canada has a proud tradition of welcoming immigrants. Our immigration and refugee systems and our vast network of organizations that help newcomers settle and integrate are among the best in the world. On July 2, 2013, primary responsibility for the Passport Program (previously Passport Canada) and the administration of the Canadian Passport Order and the Order Respecting the Issuance of Diplomatic and Special Passports were transferred from Global Affairs Canada to IRCC.

IRCC’s mandate comes from the shared jurisdiction of section 95 of the Constitution Act, 1867, the Citizenship Act, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), the Canadian Passport Order and the Order Respecting the Issuance of Diplomatic and Special Passports.

IRCC’s work encompasses a broad range of activities such as:

  • facilitating the arrival of people and their integration into Canadian life in a way that maximizes their contribution to the country while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians;
  • maintaining Canada’s humanitarian tradition by protecting refugees and other people in need of protection;
  • enhancing the values and promoting the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship;
  • administering the Canadian Passport Order; and
  • advancing global migration policies in a way that supports Canada’s immigration and humanitarian objectives.

Access to Information and Privacy Division

The Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Division is part of the Corporate Affairs Branch in the Corporate Services Sector at IRCC. The Division administers the Privacy Act and is led by a director, who acts as the ATIP coordinator for the Department. Three units carry out the Division’s work: Operations; Complex Cases and Issues; and Privacy, Policy and Governance. Each unit’s manager reports to the director.

At its National Headquarters in Ottawa, IRCC processes privacy requests, including requests from investigative bodies as well as requests made under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty.

IRCC maintains a network of 34 ATIP Liaison Officers, who represent the branches and regions of the Department. The ATIP Liaison Officers provide assistance by performing searches, collecting records and presenting recommendations related to requests.

Activities and Accomplishments

I. Performance

In the 2015−2016 fiscal year, IRCC received 15,292 privacy requests, representing nearly an 11 percent increase from the previous reporting period.

II. Initiatives

During the fiscal year, IRCC undertook the following initiatives to improve internal processes and client service under the Privacy Act:

  • created the new role of Chief Privacy Officer to provide strategic leadership and direction on privacy work as well as to raise awareness about privacy within the Department;
  • developed the Privacy Framework to meet departmental privacy obligations and to foster a coherent approach to privacy protection. The framework enhances IRCC’s ability to protect the privacy of individuals by safeguarding and securing personal information held under its control;
  • overhauled the Privacy Impact Assessment Guidelines in order to provide policy guidance and practical advice on how to conduct a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) at IRCC. These guidelines demonstrate the Department’s commitment and ongoing effort to mitigate risk in the handling of the public’s personal information;
  • conducted an extensive review and update of IRCC’s Personal Information Banks;
  • updated the Guidelines on Privacy Breach at IRCC to deal with and effectively respond to privacy breaches. The document outlines the roles and responsibilities of various parties with the Department as well as the notification requirements for material privacy breaches; and
  • actively monitored the intake and processing of files on a weekly and monthly basis, regularly reassessed priorities and redistributed workloads to maintain a high compliance rate.

Additionally, through formal and informal consultations, IRCC continues to collaborate and share best practices with numerous institutions, such as the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Canada Revenue Agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Public Services and Procurement Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) and Global Affairs Canada.

These best practices in improving and modernizing ATIP operations will continue in 2016–2017 and beyond.

III. Promotion, Awareness and Training

During the reporting period, the ATIP Division continued to promote ATIP awareness through a variety of approaches and mediums. The ATIP Division:

  • distributed promotional messages about privacy throughout the Department via Today@IRCC, the Department’s internal electronic newsletter;
  • launched the newly mandatory online course Protecting and Giving Access to Information at IRCC for all employees. The course addresses how the Acts affect the Department’s operations, how to protect the privacy of individuals, and the roles as well as responsibilities of the ATIP Division and departmental employees. Over the course of the fiscal year, 2,919 employees took this course;
  • promoted and celebrated Data Privacy Day on January 28, 2016, by hosting an information booth to raise awareness about the importance of privacy and protecting personal information; and
  • provided ad hoc workshop presentations and awareness sessions to reinforce and increase knowledge and understanding of privacy and personal information.

Overall, in 2015–2016, the ATIP Division trained (in-class and online) approximately 3,084 IRCC employees across Canada and abroad.

Statistical Overview

I. Requests Received Under the Privacy Act

Between April 1, 2015, and March 31, 2016, IRCC received 15,292 requests under the Privacy Act. This represents an increase of nearly 11 percent from the previous reporting period.

II. Disposition of Completed Requests

The number of requests received and completed has increased significantly - more than tripling over the past five years. In 2015–2016, IRCC completed 15,077 requests. The ATIP Division put in place various measures, such as weekly briefing sessions with senior management, with the goal of monitoring the intake of requests and ensuring that requests were processed within the legislative time frame.

In 2,810 cases (19 percent), IRCC provided all the information requested. For 9,785 requests (65 percent), the Department invoked exemptions. Of the remaining 2,482 requests (16 percent), either no records existed or the request was transferred, abandoned or IRCC could neither confirm nor deny the existence of these records.

Privacy Requests Received and Completed, described below.
Text version: Privacy Requests Received and Completed
Privacy Requests Received and Completed
Year Received Completed
2009-2010 4,948 4,615
2010-2011 4,609 4,574
2011-2012 4,817 5,058
2012-2013 5,114 5,486
2013-2014 9,961 9,225
2014-2015 13,778 13,082
2015-2016 15,292 15,077

III. Exemptions Invoked

The majority of exemptions invoked by IRCC fell under the following three sections of the Privacy Act:

  • section 26, which protects personal information and was used in 6,549 cases (43 percent);
  • section 21, which covers international relations, defence and subversive activities and was used in 5,394 cases (36 percent); and
  • paragraph 22(1)(b), which addresses law enforcement and criminal investigations and was used in 2,820 cases (19 percent).

It should be noted that more than one section can be applied to a specific request.

IV. Disclosure of Personal Information Under Subsection 8(2)

In accordance with subsection 8(2) of the Privacy Act, under certain circumstances, a government institution may disclose personal information under its control without the consent of the individual to whom the information relates.

During this reporting period, IRCC disclosed personal information under subsection 8(2) in responding to 4,837 requests from investigative bodies under paragraph 8(2)(e).

In addition, eight requests were received under paragraph 8(2)(m) of the Privacy Act, with six of these resulting in the disclosure of personal information:

  • A request was received from Global Affairs Canada (GAC) to release the personal information of two individuals to allow GAC to contact authorities in a circumstance where the safety and security of a child was at risk. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) was notified after the disclosure of the information took place due to the urgency of the situation.
  • A second request was received from GAC to obtain the contact information of guarantors on two individuals’ passport applications in order to inform the guarantors of the death of two Canadians overseas. The OPC was notified at the same time as the disclosure to GAC, due to the urgency of the situation.
  • In another request, the Minister of IRCC released information about an individual. This information included the name, immigration status and the reasons for the immigration status. The OPC was notified at the same time of the status. The information was released to protect the safety and security of Canadians.
  • In one request, IRCC provided the contact information of an individual to the Ontario Public Guardian and Trustee in order for them to contact this individual who was the only remaining next of kin.
  • Two requests were received from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). In one case, the agency requested the contact information (such as address, phone number or any other method of contact) of individuals who were in close proximity to a person with a communicable disease. In another case, PHAC requested the names, dates of birth, city of destination and immigration file numbers of individuals who were in close contact with another individual who had a communicable disease. In the first case, the OPC was notified of the release at the same time as the disclosure of the PHAC. In the second case, the OPC was notified after the release of the information, due to the urgency of the situation.
  • The remaining two requests did not meet the criteria of paragraph 8(2)(m).

V. Consultations

In addition to processing requests received directly under the Privacy Act, IRCC was consulted by other federal government institutions in 46 cases in which the records under their control related to IRCC activities.

VI. Extensions

Section 15 of the Privacy Act allows the statutory time limits to be extended if consultations are necessary, if translation is required or if the request is for a large volume of records, and processing it within the original time limit would unreasonably interfere with the operations of the Department.

IRCC invoked a total of 157 extensions during the 2015–2016 reporting period. Of these, 39 were deemed necessary because IRCC needed to consult with other federal institutions prior to responding. Extensions were required in a further 118 instances to search for or through a large volume of records and/or to respond to the influx of requests, which interfered with operations. The Department did not invoke any extensions for translation purposes.

VII. Completion Time

While managing a significant increase in requests, IRCC completed a majority of requests within 30 days. IRCC responded to 10,465 requests (69 percent) within 30 days or fewer and a further 4,080 requests (27 percent) within 31 to 60 days. The Department completed 303 requests (two percent) within 61 to 120 days, and 229 requests (two percent) required 121 days or more to complete.

Privacy Requests Completion Time, described below.
Text version: Privacy Requests Completion Time
Privacy Requests Completion Time
Within 30 days or fewer 69
31 to 60 days 27
61 to 120 days 2
121 days or more 2

VIII. Complaints

During the 2015–2016 reporting period, the Department was notified of 14 privacy complaints received by the OPC. This represents less than half a percent of all requests completed during this period. The majority of complaints were related to processing times.

During the reporting period, 17 complaint investigations were completed. Of these six were deemed not well-founded or discontinued, while 11 were resolved to the satisfaction of the requester.

IX. Privacy Breaches

In 2015–2016, IRCC notified the OPC and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) of 55 material privacy breaches. Many of these breaches involved misdirected mail or email. IRCC monitors these privacy breaches closely and puts in place notification and remedial measures, as information about an individual’s case file could be used improperly, including potential identity theft.

The program area notified and sent apology letters to the affected individuals. The ATIP Division provided advice and guidance on containment and mitigation strategies to improve the protection of personal information. In addition, senior officials were notified of all material breaches to facilitate communication within the Department and raise awareness of issues that could hinder the public’s right to privacy.

X. Appeals to the Federal Court

One appeal to the Federal Court was filed against IRCC regarding the Privacy Act during the 2015–2016 reporting period. A decision was rendered in IRCC’s favour, and thus, the appeal was dismissed.

XI. Privacy Impact Assessments

To fulfil its mandate and effectively deliver its programs and services, IRCC collects, uses and discloses personal information. In accordance with the TBS policy, the Department regularly undertakes PIAs to determine whether privacy risks are present in new or existing departmental programs, initiatives or projects that collect and retain personal information.

During the 2015–2016 fiscal year, IRCC completed seven PIAs. Their executive summaries are provided below.

Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act

A PIA was conducted for the implementation of the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act (SCCA), which received Royal Assent in June 2014, with final provisions coming into force on June 11, 2015. Representing the first major overhaul of Canada’s Citizenship Act in over 30 years, the primary objectives of the SCCA are to reinforce the value of citizenship, strengthen program integrity, combat fraud and increase efficiency.

The purpose of the PIA was to identify and assess potential privacy impacts associated with the introduction of the SCCA on IRCC’s Citizenship Program. It included a review of new information-sharing authorities enabled under the SCCA and the new and amended Citizenship Regulations and Citizenship Regulations No. 2, as well as a review of the collection and use of personal information in IRCC’s updated citizenship application process.

The PIA found that the privacy risks related to the introduction of the SCCA are assessed as moderate to low, with all privacy risks identified in the PIA being effectively managed through the use of departmental controls. In summary, individuals are notified of the purposes for which personal information is to be collected prior to collection, and all personal information collected, used, disclosed or retained by IRCC is limited to that which is authorized under the SCCA and its supporting regulations.

Educational Credential Assessment

The Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) requirement was first introduced as part of the modernization of the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) in May 2013 and has since been broadened to other economic immigration program and pilots. ECA reports attesting to the equivalency of an immigration applicant’s completed foreign credential to a completed educational credential in Canada and to its authenticity are issued by organizations designated by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. As part of the Express Entry application system that was introduced on January 30, 2015, applicants for the FSWP required to submit their ECA results and ECA report reference number as part of their online profile.

Given that the ECA report is a new minimum requirement that involves third-party organizations, a PIA was conducted to identify any privacy risks to personal information and the appropriate mitigation measures. To provide the ECA service, designated organizations collect personal information from potential applicants, such as educational credential documentation, and work on a case-by-case basis to authenticate foreign educational credentials and determine their equivalent value in Canada. Once individuals submit their application to IRCC for a program that either requires an ECA or a program for which an ECA is considered, IRCC officers have secure online access to the designated organizations’ databases to verify and validate applicants’ ECA reports. The results of this PIA indicate that mechanisms put in place by IRCC, such as service agreements with the organizations designated by the Minister, provide the necessary protection to personal information. The two risks relating to access to and security of personal information, identified as part of the PIA analysis, were rated as low since appropriate mitigation measures are in place that reduce the likelihood of their occurrence.

Electronic Travel Authorization

The Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is a new entry requirement that Canada introduced as a means to improve the security of the North American perimeter. Under this initiative, citizens from countries that do not need a visa to enter Canada (excluding United States citizens and other limited exempted groups) need an eTA to fly to or through Canada. However, until September 29, 2016, travelers who do not have an eTA can board their flight as long as they have appropriate travel documents, such as a passport.

The objectives of the PIA report were to identify and outline mitigating measures required to address any privacy risks associated with the management of personal information collected from eTA applicants. The PIA was also conducted to ensure that personal information collected under the eTA program is the minimal amount necessary for assessing eligibility and admissibility to Canada.

GCDOCS

The objective of the GCDOCS PIA is to identify any privacy risks associated with the implementation of GCDOCS. The PIA provides recommendations in the form of mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate these risks. GCDOCS is the Government of Canada’s standard Electronic Document and Records Management Solution and will be IRCC’s single corporate repository, replacing Records, Documents and Information Management System and shared drives. GCDOCS will support IRCC’s effort to become compliant with the TBS Directive on Recordkeeping. The long-term objective is for GCDOCS to be the only repository to manage unstructured information within IRCC.

In the process of performing a privacy impact analysis for the implementation of GCDOCS, some privacy issues have been identified—all of which have a low to medium risk level. This PIA was focused on the collection, accuracy, use, disclosure, retention and disposition of any personal information that may be stored in GCDOCS. Certain privacy risks were identified as well as mitigation strategies to address these risks.

Passport Program Transition

On July 2, 2013, primary accountability for the Passport Program (previously Passport Canada) was transferred from the Minister of GAC, formerly the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, to the Minister of IRCC, formerly Citizenship and Immigration Canada with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) serving as the delivery agent for the majority of domestic passport services on behalf of IRCC. ESDC’s service delivery responsibilities for the Passport Program are restricted to its Service Canada initiative.

Pursuant to this transfer, IRCC assumed accountability for the Passport Program, including program policy, decisions on passport eligibility, refusal and revocation, and management of service fees through the Revolving Fund. ESDC became responsible for the bulk of domestic service delivery, including in-person and mail application intake, examination and processing, document printing and call centres. GAC continues to provide passport services through its network of points of service abroad.

The objective of the Passport Program PIA was to identify the business processes that would have been governing the program as of April 1, 2014. The scope of the PIA is to explain the work flows that have changed, explain the work flows that require additional or expanded exchanges of information between the three departments, and explain how the three departments work together in delivering the Passport Program.

Many of the risks initially identified in the PIA in early 2014 were also identified in prior PIAs of Passport Canada. These, as well as any other additional risks that were anticipated as a consequence of the transition, were deemed to be low. These risks have recently been re-examined to ensure that they have been adequately mitigated or that mitigation strategies are in place.

Negative Discretion Authority

Under section 22.1 of the IRPA, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship may declare that a foreign national may not become a temporary resident for up to three years if the individual raises public policy concerns. This authority, referred to as “negative discretion” came into force on August 30, 2013.

Guidelines available on the Department’s website provide examples of behaviours and activities that may attract the Minister’s attention for consideration under the authority, such as promoting terrorist activity or inciting hatred that is likely to lead to violence against vulnerable groups.

A PIA report was completed to determine if the use of the negative discretion authority is compliant with privacy principles, to determine if there are any associated privacy risks, and to provide recommendations for the mitigation or elimination of these risks.

The PIA report identified a few privacy risks that will be mitigated or eliminated by modifying existing personal information banks. IRCC and the Canada Border Services Agency are modifying their relevant personal information banks to reflect the identified new consistent use of personal information and to incorporate sharing of personal information with transporters for the purpose of enforcing the IRPA and its Regulations.

Canada-United Kingdom Case-By-Case Annex

The annex concerns the exchange of information on a case-by-case basis under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency with the United Kingdom Secretary of State for the Home Department acting through the Home Office regarding the exchange of information.

On September 9, 2015, Canada signed an updated information-sharing arrangement with the United Kingdom that enables the exchange of immigration and citizenship information on a case-by-case basis to assist in the administration and enforcement of each country’s immigration and citizenship laws. The updated information-sharing arrangement reflects modernized privacy protections.

A detailed PIA was carried out in 2015 to ensure that the case-by-case annex reflected Canadian privacy requirements, including the Privacy Act and related policies.

The updated arrangement contains provisions that protect personal information to a high standard consistent with both countries’ domestic laws.

Specific measures that will be employed to protect privacy include:

  • ensuring that procedures related to retention and disposal of information are clearly established;
  • requiring robust mechanisms to track and audit information sharing to ensure compliance with data security and privacy requirements;
  • using encryption and other security tools to protect files that are shared;
  • conducting regular reviews and quality assurance checks to ensure information safeguards are working;
  • consulting the organization in each country responsible for oversight of privacy as appropriate;
  • ensuring individuals subject to information sharing have access to their information and the ability to correct erroneous information; and
  • implementing measures to ensure exchanges are necessary, relevant and proportionate, including the designation of officials authorized to exchange information.

Mitigation strategies will be implemented in respect to risks identified in the PIA, which include documenting roles and responsibilities, naming program custodians, designating officials authorized to exchange information, improving notation processes, detailing procedures for the correction of inaccurate information and updating relevant Personal Information Banks.

Appendix C: Report on the Privacy Act

Statistical Report on the Privacy Act

Name of institution: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Reporting period: 01/04/2015 to 31/03/2016

Part 1 – Requests Under the Privacy Act
1.1 Number of requests
  Number of Requests
Received during reporting period 15292
Outstanding from previous reporting period 1731
Total 17023
Closed during reporting period 15077
Carried over to next reporting period 1946
Part 2 – Requests Closed During the Reporting Period
2.1 Disposition and completion time
Disposition of requests Completion Time
1 to 15 days 16 to 30 days 31 to 60 days 61 to 120 days 121 to 180 days 181 to 365 days More than 365 days Total
All disclosed 18 1938 796 37 11 6 4 2810
Disclosed in part 40 6189 3148 250 66 48 36 9777
All exempted 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 5
All excluded 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 3
No records exist 367 159 86 10 3 0 10 635
Request abandoned 1558 187 48 6 1 1 43 1844
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 3
Total 1986 8479 4080 303 81 55 93 15077
2.2 Exemptions
Section Number of requests
18(2) 0
19(1)(a) 420
19(1)(b) 21
19(1)(c) 5
19(1)(d) 18
19(1)(e) 0
19(1)(f) 0
20 1
21 5394
22(1)(a)(i) 2
22(1)(a)(ii) 0
22(1)(a)(iii) 0
22(1)(b) 2820
22(1)(c) 9
22(2) 0
22.1 0
22.2 0
22.3 1
23(a) 0
23(b) 0
24(a) 0
24(b) 0
25 10
26 6549
27 31
28 1
2.3 Exclusions
Section Number of requests
69(1)(a) 0
69(1)(b) 0
69.1 0
70(1) 0
70(1)(a) 0
70(1)(b) 0
70(1)(c) 0
70(1)(d) 0
70(1)(e) 0
70(1)(f) 0
70.1 0
2.4 Format of information released
Disposition Paper Electronic Other formats
All disclosed 384 2426 0
Disclosed in part 376 9401 0
Total 760 11827 0
2.5 Complexity
2.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed
Disposition of requests Number of pages processed Number of pages disclosed Number of requests
All disclosed 87183 81458 2810
Disclosed in part 687067 619210 9777
All exempted 319 0 5
All excluded 110 0 3
Request abandoned 3373 1966 1844
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 3
Total 778052 702634 14442
2.5.2 Relevant pages processed and disclosed by size of requests
Disposition Up to 100 pages processed 101-500 pages processed 501-1000 pages processed 1001-5000 pages processed More than 5000 pages processed
Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed
All disclosed 2607 50773 199 28331 3 1290 1 1064 0 0
Disclosed in part 8446 313380 1198 211881 97 51136 36 42813 0 0
All exempted 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Abandoned 1836 1189 8 777 0 0 0 0 0 0
Neither confirmed nor denied 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 12899 365342 1406 240989 100 52426 37 43877 0 0
2.5.3 Other complexities
Disposition Consultation required Assessment of fees Legal advice sought Other Total
All disclosed 12 0 0 0 12
Disclosed in part 103 2 0 0 105
All exempted 2 0 0 0 2
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0
Abandoned 0 0 0 0 0
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0
Total 117 2 0 0 119
2.6 Deemed refusals
2.6.1 Reasons for not meeting statutory deadline
Number of requests closed past the statutory deadline Principal Reason
Workload External consultation Internal consultation Other
2111 2087 24 0 0
2.6.2 Number of days past deadline
Number of days past deadline Number of requests past deadline where no extension was taken Number of requests past deadline where an extension was taken Total
1 to 15 days 1314 28 1342
16 to 30 days 283 1 284
31 to 60 days 193 8 201
61 to 120 days 93 10 103
121 to 180 days 43 4 47
181 to 365 days 36 6 42
More than 365 days 79 13 92
Total 2041 70 2111
2.7 Requests for translation
Translation Requests Accepted Refused Total
English to French 0 0 0
French to English 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0
Part 3 - Disclosures Under Subsection 8(2) and 8(5)
Paragraph 8(2)(e) Paragraph 8(2)(m) Subsection 8(5) Total
4837 5 5 4847
Part 4 – Requests for Correction of Personal Information and Notations
Disposition for Correction Requests Received Number
Notation attached 1
Requests for correction accepted 4
Total 5
Part 5 – Extensions
5.1 Reasons for extensions and disposition of requests
Disposition of Requests Where An Extension Was Taken 15(a)(i) Interference With Operations 15(a)(ii) Consultation 15(b) Translation or Conversion
Section 70 Other
All disclosed 13 0 0 0
Disclosed in part 86 0 39 0
All exempted 0 0 0 0
All excluded 0 0 0 0
Requests for correction accepted 5 0 0 0
Requests for correction accepted 14 0 0 0
Total 118 0 39 0
5.2 Length of Extensions
Disposition of Requests Where An Extension Was Taken 15(a)(i) Interference With Operations 15(a)(ii) Consultation 15(b) Translation or Conversion
Section 70 Other
1 to 15 days 1 0 0 0
16 to 30 days 117 0 39 0
Total 118 0 39 0
Part 6 – Consultations Received From Other Institutions and Organizations
6.1 Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and other organizations
Consultations Other government institutions Number of pages to review Other organizations Number of pages to review
Received during reporting period 45 635 0 0
Outstanding from the previous reporting period 1 22 0 0
Total 46 657 0 0
Closed during the reporting period 43 559 0 0
Pending at the end of the reporting period 3 98 0 0
6.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions
Recommendation Number of Days Required to Complete Consultation Requests
1 to 15 days 16 to 30 days 31 to 60 days 61 to 120 days 121 to 180 days 181 to 365 days More than 365 days Total
All disclosed 21 2 4 0 1 0 0 28
Disclose in part 5 2 3 2 1 0 0 13
All exempted 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Consult other institution 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
Total 27 5 7 2 2 0 0 43
6.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations
Recommendation Number of Days Required to Complete Consultation Requests
1 to 15 days 16 to 30 days 31 to 60 days 61 to 120 days 121 to 180 days 181 to 365 days More than 365 days Total
Disclose entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disclose in part 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Exempt entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Exclude entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Consult other institution 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Part 7 – Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences
7.1 Requests with Legal Services
Number of Days Fewer than 100 Pages Processed 101-500 pages processed 501-1000 pages processed 1001-5000 pages processed More than 5000 pages processed
Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed Number 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
7.2 Requests with Privy Council Office
Number of Days Fewer than 100 Pages Processed 101-500 pages processed 501-1000 pages processed 1001-5000 pages processed More than 5000 pages processed
Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed Number of requests Pages disclosed Number 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
Part 8 – Complaints and Investigations Notices Received
Section 31 Section 33 Section 35 Court action Total
14 0 0 0 14
Part 9 – Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs)
Number of PIA(s) completed 7
Part 10 – Resources Related to the Privacy Act
10.1 Costs
Expenditures Amount
Salaries $1,313,571
Overtime $36,704
Goods and Services
  • Professional services contracts ($30,023)
  • Other ($14,122)
 $44,145
Total $1,394,420
10.2 Human Resources
Resources Person Years Dedicated to Privacy Activities
Full-time employees 13.00
Part-time and casual employees 8.10
Regional staff 0.00
Consultants and agency personnel 0.00
Students 0.00
Total 21.10

Appendix D: Delegation Order

Delegation of Authority under the Privacy Act and the Privacy Regulations

Privacy Act - Position / Title Footnote *† 
Descriptions Section 1 - DM 2 - ADM-CS / DG-CA 3 - ADM-SPP / DG-RE 4 - ATIP / DIRECTOR 5 - ATIP / ASSISTANT DIRECTORS CCI 6 - ATIP / ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OPS / ATIP / PM-05 OPS 7 - ATIP / PM-05 CCI 8 - ATIP / PM-04 OPS 9 - ATIP / PM-04 CCI 10 - ATIP / PM-03 OPS 11 - ATIP / PM-03 CCI
Disclosure to investigative bodies 8(2)(e) yes yes no yes no yes no yes no yes no
Disclosure for research and statistics 8(2)(j) yes yes yes no no no no no no no no
Disclosure in public interest clearly outweighs any invasion of privacy 8(2)(m)(i) yes no no no no no no no no no no
Disclosure in public interest, benefit of individual 8(2)(m)(ii) yes no no no no no no no no no no
Record of disclosure for investigations 8(4) yes yes no yes no yes no no no no no
Notify Privacy Commissioner of 8(2)(m) 8(5) yes yes no yes no no no no no no no
Record of consistent uses 9(1) yes yes no yes no no no no no no no
Notify Privacy Commissioner of consistent uses 9(4) yes yes no yes no no no no no no no
Personal information in banks 10(1) yes yes no yes no no no no no no no
Notice where access is granted 14 yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Extension of time limits 15 yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Notice where access is refused 16 yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Decision regarding translation 17(2)(b) yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Conversion to alternate format 17(3)(b) yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Refuse access: exempt bank 18(2) yes yes no yes yes yes yes no no no no
Refuse access: confidential information 19(1) yes yes no yes yes yes no yes no no no
Disclose confidential information 19(2) yes yes no yes yes yes no yes no no no
Refuse access: federal-provincial affairs 20 yes yes no yes yes yes no no no no no
Refuse access: international affairs, defence 21 yes yes no yes yes yes no yes no no no
Refuse access: law enforcement and investigation 22 yes yes no yes yes yes no yes no yes no
Refuse access: security clearance 23 yes yes no yes yes yes no yes no yes no
Refuse access: person under sentence 24 yes yes no yes yes yes no no no no no
Refuse access: safety of individuals 25 yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes no yes no
Refuse access: another person’s information 26 yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Refuse access: solicitor-client privilege 27 yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes no no no
Refuse access: medical record 28 yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes no no no
Receive notice of investigation 31 yes yes no yes yes yes no no yes no no
Representation to Privacy Commissioner 33(2) yes yes no yes yes yes yes no yes no no
Response to findings and recommendations of the Privacy Commissioner within a specified time 35(1)(b) yes yes no yes yes yes no no yes no no
Access given to complainant 35(4) yes yes no yes yes yes no no no no no
Response to review of exempt banks 36(3)(b) yes yes no yes no no no no no no no
Response to review of compliance 37(3) yes yes no yes yes yes no no no no no
Request of court hearing in the National Capital Region 51(2)(b) yes yes no yes yes no no no no no no
Ex parte representation to court 51(3) yes yes no yes yes yes no no no no no
Privacy Regulations - Position / Title
Descriptions Section 1 - DM 2 - ADM-CS / DG-CA 3 - ADM-SPP / DG-RE 4 - ATIP / DIRECTOR 5 - ATIP / ASSISTANT DIRECTORS CCI 6 - ATIP / ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OPS / ATIP / PM-05 OPS 7 - ATIP / PM-05 CCI 8 - ATIP / PM-04 OPS 9 - ATIP / PM-04 CCI 10 - ATIP / PM-03 OPS 11 - ATIP / PM-03 CCI
Examination of records 9 yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Correction of personal information 11(2) yes yes no yes yes yes yes no no no no
Notification of refusal to correct personal information 11(4) yes yes no yes yes yes yes no no no no
Disclosure: medical information 13(1) yes yes no yes yes no no no no no no
Disclosure: medical information – examine in person, in the presence of a duly qualified medical practitioner 14 yes yes no yes yes no no no no no no

Delegation

Legend
DM
Deputy Minister
ADM-CS / DG-CA
ADM, Corporate Services / Director General, Corporate Affairs
ADM-SPP / DG-RE
Associate ADM, Strategic and Program Policy / Director General, Research and Evaluation
ATIP / DIRECTOR
Director, Access to Information and Privacy (EX-01)
ATIP / ASSISTANT DIRECTORS CCI
Assistant Director, Complex Cases and Issues, CCI, (PM-06)
ATIP / ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OPS /
ATIP / PM-05 OPS
Assistant Director, ATIP Operations, OPS, (PM-06)
Senior ATIP Administrators, ATIP Operations (OPS)
ATIP / PM-05 CCI
Senior ATIP Administrators, ATIP Complex Cases and Issues (CCI)
ATIP / PM-04 OPS
ATIP Administrators, ATIP Operations (OPS)
ATIP / PM-04 CCI
ATIP Administrators, ATIP Complex Cases and Issues (CCI)
ATIP / PM-03 OPS
ATIP Officers, ATIP Operations (OPS)
ATIP / PM-03 CCI
ATIP Officers, ATIP Complex Cases and Issues (CCI)

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