GCMS Notes
GCMS notes are the notes kept on your immigration file, and you can get a copy of yours by asking for them under Canada's access-to-information law. It costs $5.00, and there are some rules around who may ask and how the fee gets paid.
Who Can Send a Request?
Not everyone can ask. To send a request, you must either hold Canadian citizenship or permanent residency, or be a person or business present in Canada right now. The government's rules set this out. If you are abroad without Canadian status, the request cannot come from you.
Order GCMS Notes
One option is a paper application. The form used here, TBC/CTC 350-57, comes from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. Here is how to use it:
- Fill out form TBC/CTC 350-57, which puts your request in the official format.
- Include the $5.00 fee along with your completed form.
- Submit the request so it matches your payment method, if you used a cheque or money order, send it by regular mail.
Paying the $5.00 Fee
Whatever option you choose, the fee stays $5.00. Each way of paying just carries its own conditions.
| Payment method | Details |
|---|---|
| Cheque or money order | $5.00 CAN, written out to the Receiver General for Canada, and mailed by regular mail. |
| Prepaid credit card | Hold on to the card for 18 months or more after payment, since it makes refunds simpler. |
| Credit card | The receipt shows the cardholder's name, but your application does not need to carry that same name. |
| Debit through INTERAC® Online | It has to come from a Canadian bank, and your account must be set up for banking online at that bank. |
If you want to check these rules yourself, you can find them on the government's information-request page and through IRCC's help centre.
Requests About Passport Files
Along with immigration files, IRCC keeps some older passport records. These cover Canadian passport applications, travel papers issued to stateless and protected persons in Canada, and any passport investigation records from before 2002. For any of these, you must provide a document that proves who you are.
Wondering how this applies to your own profile? Call 1-888-217-8101