SECU – Immigration Processing - Before Entering Canada – August 28, 2024
Key Facts and Figures
Immigration applications processed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have steadily increased, with 3.7M in 2017 to over 7.1M in 2023. For 2023, over 90% represented temporary residents.
All applications are screened for eligibility and admissibility (including security) to Canada. Applications that meet certain indicators are referred by IRCC to Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) for Comprehensive Security Screening.
In 2023, less than 1% of the applications referred to CBSA and CSIS for Comprehensive Security Screening were returned to IRCC with non-favourable recommendations.
IRCC officers make the final determination on all applications, and may request further information from applicants to address any concerns on an individual’s eligibility or admissibility.
Key Messages
The Government of Canada takes all threats to Canada very seriously. It is a top priority to protect the health, safety and security of Canadians.
Everyone who submits an application to IRCC for temporary or permanent residence is subject to a security assessment, which includes a review of departmental databases and risk-based indicators.
We continuously review and update indicators of fraud, abuse, risk, and threat so our officers have up-to-date information on the latest trends.
To determine if a person may pose a potential security threat, we assess their personal information and history against a set of security screening risk indicators. We also verify their identity, and assess admissibility by checking their personal data, such as fingerprints and/or biographic information, against Royal Canadian Mounted Police holdings, as well as information held by our international partners .
CSIS and CBSA also play an integral role in the security screening program, which is a critical function of Canada’s national security, as they both provide security information and advice on immigration and citizenship applicants. These partners use all information available to them to make an informed security assessment.
Security screening is one of the first lines of defense against admitting threats to Canada and Canadians through any of our immigration pathways. IRCC and its partners screen for terrorism, espionage, organized crime, and other serious threats.
Reasons a person might be deemed inadmissible to Canada can include a history of criminal activities or human rights violations, concerns related to national security, or misrepresenting themselves.
Even after a visa has been issued, CBSA officers can identify individuals that may pose a risk, before they board an aircraft destined to Canada. IRCC can also cancel visas if new information exposes issues before the person arrives in Canada.
Supplementary Information
If pressed on application processing:
An individual may be found inadmissible, denied a visa, an electronic travel authorization, or refused entry to Canada for multiple reasons, including criminality, misrepresentation, human rights violations and national security concerns.
Each case is decided on its own merits. Applications are assessed by highly trained officers who carefully and systematically assess each application against the criteria set out in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
In cases where there are inadmissibility concerns, the officer may interview the applicant, request additional documentation and refer the case for comprehensive security screening.
If pressed on the security screening process:
Security screening of foreign nationals is a collaboration between IRCC, CBSA, and CSIS and is an important part of the overall application process to determine whether a person is admissible to Canada.
Applicant data, such as employment history, education, fingerprints and/or biographic information, is screened against IRCC and partner databases in Canada, as well as immigration data held by our international partners, to verify the identity of applicants and assess their inadmissibility to Canada.
