Process
How long do GCMS notes take? (processing time, 2026)
The 30-day rule, extensions, IRCC's own past figures, and what to do if IRCC is late. No average is promised: the law sets the clock.
Short answer
If you ask IRCC for your own records under the Privacy Act, IRCC has 30 days from receiving your request to reply. To take longer, IRCC must send you a notice within those 30 days. IRCC can then add up to 30 more days, or a reasonable time for translation or an accessible format.
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How many days does IRCC have to reply?
IRCC has 30 days. For a request for your own records, a Canadian law called the Privacy Act sets this limit.
The Privacy Act lets you see the records the Canadian government keeps about you. Your GCMS notes are part of those records. Many people still call them CAIPS notes.
The 30 days run from when IRCC receives your request.
Within 30 days, IRCC must tell you in writing whether you will get all or part of your records. If you will, IRCC must also give them to you in that time.
“Where access to personal information is requested under subsection 12(1), the head of the government institution to which the request is made shall, subject to section 15, within thirty days after the request is received,
(a) give written notice to the individual who made the request as to whether or not access to the information or a part thereof will be given; and
(b) if access is to be given, give the individual who made the request access to the information or the part thereof.”
IRCC may hold back some parts. The law lists exceptions, which it calls exemptions.
If IRCC holds anything back, it must name the section of the law it used. It must also tell you that you can complain to the Privacy Commissioner. (Privacy Act, section 16(1) (opens in a new tab))
Anyone, anywhere in the world, can make this request. It has been open to everyone outside Canada since 13 July 2022 (Extension Order No. 3 (opens in a new tab)). IRCC's own page says so: “Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and foreign nationals, regardless of where they are located, can request access to their personal information held by federal government institutions under the Privacy Act.”
It is free. IRCC says: “There are no fees involved with the processing of a request under this Act.” You can apply online (opens in a new tab).
Can IRCC take more than 30 days?
For a request you made yourself under the Privacy Act: yes, but only for set reasons. And IRCC must tell you first.
Extra time is called an extension. The law allows it only here:
- Up to 30 more days if replying on time would unreasonably interfere with IRCC's work.
- Up to 30 more days if IRCC must consult others and cannot finish in time.
- A reasonable extra time if the records must be translated.
- A reasonable extra time to put the records in a special format. This is for people with a sight or hearing disability.
IRCC must send you a notice within the first 30 days. The notice must say how long the extension is. It must also say you can complain to the Privacy Commissioner about it.
No notice in the first 30 days? Then the deadline is still 30 days.
“The head of a government institution may extend the time limit set out in section 14 in respect of a request for
(a) a maximum of thirty days if
(i) meeting the original time limit would unreasonably interfere with the operations of the government institution, or
(ii) consultations are necessary to comply with the request that cannot reasonably be completed within the original time limit, or
(b) such period of time as is reasonable, if additional time is necessary for translation purposes or for the purposes of converting the personal information into an alternative format,
by giving notice of the extension and the length of the extension to the individual who made the request within thirty days after the request is received, which notice shall contain a statement that the individual has a right to make a complaint to the Privacy Commissioner about the extension.”
Did someone else ask for you?
Then ask them which law they used. Someone asking for you may use a different law, the Access to Information Act.
The first 30 days are the same under both laws (Access to Information Act, section 7 (opens in a new tab)). The rules for extra time are not.
Under the Access to Information Act, IRCC can extend for set reasons, for “a reasonable period of time”. There is no 30-day cap.
If that extension is longer than 30 days, IRCC must also tell the Information Commissioner of Canada.
Under either law, the extension notice names the commissioner you can complain to.
“(1) The head of a government institution may extend the time limit set out in section 7 or subsection 8(1) in respect of a request under this Part for a reasonable period of time, having regard to the circumstances, if …
by giving notice of the extension and, in the circumstances set out in paragraph (a) or (b), the length of the extension, to the person who made the request within thirty days after the request is received, which notice shall contain a statement that the person has a right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner about the extension.
(2) Where the head of a government institution extends a time limit under subsection (1) for more than thirty days, the head of the institution shall give notice of the extension to the Information Commissioner at the same time as notice is given under subsection (1).”
What does the law allow at each step?
The table puts the two laws side by side: a request you made yourself for your own records (the Privacy Act), and a request someone else made for you, which may fall under the Access to Information Act. Each cell names the section it comes from; every one is quoted in full elsewhere on this page.
| Step | Your own request (Privacy Act) | A request made for you (if under the Access to Information Act) |
|---|---|---|
| First reply due | 30 days after IRCC receives the request: written notice whether access is given, and the records if so. (Privacy Act s.14 (opens in a new tab)) | 30 days after IRCC receives the request. (Access to Information Act s.7 (opens in a new tab)) |
| Extension | Up to 30 more days (interference with operations, or consultations); a reasonable time for translation or an alternative format. Notice within the first 30 days, stating the length and the right to complain. (Privacy Act s.15 (opens in a new tab)) | “A reasonable period of time”, with no 30-day cap. Notice within the first 30 days; if the extension is over 30 days, the Information Commissioner is told too. (Access to Information Act s.9 (opens in a new tab)) |
| Late reply | Deemed a refusal of access. (Privacy Act s.16(3) (opens in a new tab)) | Deemed a refusal of access. (Access to Information Act s.10(3) (opens in a new tab)) |
| Complaint | To the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, in writing: about a refusal (a late reply counts) or an extension you consider unreasonable. (Privacy Act ss.29(1)(b), (d) and 30 (opens in a new tab)) | To the Information Commissioner of Canada: by the person who made the request, or someone they authorise. (Access to Information Act s.30(1)–(2) (opens in a new tab)) |
| Court | Federal Court, within 45 days after the Commissioner reports the result of the complaint, or such further time as the Court allows. (Privacy Act s.41 (opens in a new tab)) | Federal Court, within 30 business days after IRCC receives the Commissioner's report. (Access to Information Act s.41(1) (opens in a new tab)) |
The table is the law, not a forecast. It gives no average and no typical time, because the only figures that exist are IRCC's own past ones, in the next section.
A request we file for you: the first 30 days are the same under both laws. The law gives IRCC 30 days from receiving a request to reply, and lets it extend that by sending a notice.
How long does IRCC really take?
IRCC reports on its Privacy Act requests every year. Its report for 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 counts 98,367 closed requests.
More than 3 in 4 were answered within 30 days. The report says “more than 75% of IRCC's PA requests were processed and completed within 30 days.” (PA means Privacy Act.)
87 in 100 were answered within the legal time. That means 30 days, or longer with an extension. The report says: “The compliance rate for PA requests, measured as the proportion of requests responded to within the legislated timeframes, was 87%.”
12,379 were answered late. The main reason IRCC gives is “Interference with operations/workload”.
| Days taken | Requests | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 15 | 2,846 | 2.9% |
| 16 to 30 | 71,308 | 72.5% |
| 31 to 60 | 17,717 | 18.0% |
| 61 to 120 | 1,426 | 1.4% |
| 121 to 180 | 449 | 0.5% |
| 181 to 365 | 324 | 0.3% |
| More than 365 | 4,297 | 4.4% |
| Total | 98,367 | 100% |
These are past figures for all IRCC Privacy Act requests. They cannot tell you how long your own request will take.
How do I track my GCMS notes request?
If you asked IRCC yourself
Did you apply online with an ATIP Online account? Then check that account. ATIP means Access to Information and Privacy.
The Government of Canada says the account lets you “see all your requests” and “get real-time status updates”. You can also “communicate with your ATIP officer”. It emails you when the status of your request changes.
Write down the date you sent your request. Keep every email from IRCC. An extension notice will tell you how long the extension is.
If we asked IRCC for you
Use our Track page. Enter your order ID and the email address your order is under.
The order ID looks like CNA-YYYY-NNNNN. It is in the email we send when we file your request. Cannot find it? Ask us on WhatsApp.
The Track page has four steps. A finished step shows the date it happened. The step you are on shows “Since” and the date it began.
- Payment received: the day your payment came in.
- Request filed with IRCC: the day we sent your request to IRCC.
- Awaiting IRCC response, “Since” the day we filed. When IRCC answers, this step changes to IRCC replied, with the day IRCC's reply reached us.
- Delivered: the day we sent the records to you.
We never show a guessed delivery date or a place in a queue. We also email you when we file, when IRCC replies and when we deliver.
We send you a screenshot of IRCC's confirmation with your request number when we file.
What can I do if IRCC is late?
For a request you made yourself under the Privacy Act, follow the steps below. Did someone else ask for you? See the end of this section.
IRCC is late if 30 days have passed and no extension notice came. It is also late if the extended date has passed.
The law then treats IRCC's silence as a refusal. This is called a “deemed refusal”.
“Where the head of a government institution fails to give access to any personal information requested under subsection 12(1) within the time limits set out in this Act, the head of the institution shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to have refused to give access.” (subsection 16(3))
What you can do, step by step:
- Check for a notice. Look in your email and your ATIP Online account for any message from IRCC.
- Ask IRCC first. Contact IRCC's ATIP office. With an ATIP Online account, you can message your ATIP officer there. The Privacy Commissioner's office advises this: “your first step should generally be to try to resolve the issue directly with the institution.” ( The Privacy Act in brief (opens in a new tab))
- Complain to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. Its office lists this as a reason to complain: “you feel there was an unreasonable delay in getting access to your personal information” (same page). Complaints are made in writing. You can use the Commissioner's online complaint form (opens in a new tab).
- Go to court, if needed. After the Commissioner reports the result of your complaint, you can ask the Federal Court to review IRCC's refusal. A late reply counts as a refusal. You have 45 days from the report, or more if the Court allows it. For this step, talk to a lawyer in Canada. We are not lawyers.
You can also complain if you think an extension is too long.
The Privacy Act, word for word
- A late reply counts as a refusal, and the Commissioner receives complaints “from individuals who have been refused access to personal information requested under subsection 12(1)” (section 29(1)(b) (opens in a new tab)).
- Extensions: complaints from people whose time limit was extended “where they consider the extension unreasonable” (section 29(1)(d)).
- “A complaint under this Act shall be made to the Privacy Commissioner in writing unless the Commissioner authorizes otherwise.” (section 30 (opens in a new tab))
- Court: “Any individual who has been refused access to personal information requested under subsection 12(1) may, if a complaint has been made to the Privacy Commissioner in respect of the refusal, apply to the Court for a review of the matter within forty-five days after the time the results of an investigation of the complaint by the Privacy Commissioner are reported to the complainant … or within such further time as the Court may, either before or after the expiration of those forty-five days, fix or allow.” (section 41 (opens in a new tab))
Did someone else ask for you?
Ask them which law they used. It decides who can complain, and to whom.
If they used the Privacy Act, the steps above apply.
If they used the Access to Information Act, a late reply also counts as a refusal. But complaints go to the Information Commissioner of Canada, not the Privacy Commissioner.
Under that law, the person who made the request can complain. So can someone they authorise.
The court deadline is also different. It is 30 business days after IRCC receives the Commissioner's report. Talk to a lawyer in Canada for this step.
The Access to Information Act, word for word
- A late reply: IRCC “shall, for the purposes of this Part, be deemed to have refused to give access.” (section 10(3) (opens in a new tab))
- “the Information Commissioner shall receive and investigate complaints (a) from persons who have been refused access to a record requested under this Part or a part thereof; … (c) from persons who have requested access to records in respect of which time limits have been extended pursuant to section 9 where they consider the extension unreasonable” (section 30(1) (opens in a new tab))
- Complaints may be “submitted by a person authorized by the complainant to act on behalf of the complainant” (section 30(2)).
- Court: a complainant who receives the report “may, within 30 business days after the day on which the head of the government institution receives the report, apply to the Court for a review of the matter that is the subject of the complaint.” (section 41(1) (opens in a new tab))
How long does it take if we file for you?
There are two clocks. Ours is short. IRCC's is set by law.
Our clock
We file within 24 hours of receiving your payment, documents and signed consent form (1 hour on Priority Complete, during office hours). For a file without its application number there is no set hour, because it can need extra steps first.
IRCC's clock
The law gives IRCC 30 days from receiving a request to reply, and lets it extend that by sending a notice.
Our Priority Complete service changes only our clock. One hour is our filing time. IRCC takes as long to reply as it does for every other service.
If IRCC is late on a request we filed, we follow it up with IRCC.
If a complaint is needed, we can help with it. It goes to the commissioner for the law the request was made under. See Did someone else ask for you? above.
100% refund if your notes are not delivered within 75 days of filing. The full terms are on our refund policy page.
Can anyone make IRCC reply faster?
Not before its legal deadline. No one can make IRCC reply sooner than the law requires, including us. Anyone who promises you a date is guessing.
If IRCC misses the deadline, a complaint is the route. If needed, the Federal Court comes after that. See What can I do if IRCC is late? above.
This page is general information about the law. It is not legal advice on your case.
Sources
Checked against these official pages. Privacy Act and Access to Information Act text: current to 3 September 2026. Page last edited (title and the statutory-clock table; no claim was added).
- Privacy Act, section 14 (opens in a new tab)https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/P-21/section-14.html
- Privacy Act, section 15 (opens in a new tab)https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/P-21/section-15.html
- Privacy Act, section 16 (opens in a new tab)https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/P-21/section-16.html
- Privacy Act, section 29 (opens in a new tab)https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/P-21/section-29.html
- Privacy Act, section 30 (opens in a new tab)https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/P-21/section-30.html
- Privacy Act, section 41 (opens in a new tab)https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/P-21/section-41.html
- Access to Information Act, section 7 (opens in a new tab)https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/A-1/section-7.html
- Access to Information Act, section 9 (opens in a new tab)https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/A-1/section-9.html
- Access to Information Act, section 10 (opens in a new tab)https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/A-1/section-10.html
- Access to Information Act, section 30 (opens in a new tab)https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/A-1/section-30.html
- Access to Information Act, section 41 (opens in a new tab)https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/A-1/section-41.html
- Privacy Act Extension Order, No. 3 (SOR/2021-174) (opens in a new tab)https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2021-174/FullText.html
- IRCC: Request your personal information under the Privacy Act (opens in a new tab)https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/transparency/access-information-privacy/request-privacy-act.html
- IRCC: 2024-2025 Annual Report on the Privacy Act (opens in a new tab)https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/privacy-act-2024-2025.html
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: The Privacy Act in brief (opens in a new tab)https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/privacy-laws-in-canada/the-privacy-act/pa_brief/
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: Accessing your personal information – federal government (opens in a new tab)https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/accessing-personal-information/api_gov/
- Government of Canada: Track and receive your response (ATIP Online) (opens in a new tab)https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/services/access-information-privacy/access-information/request-information/track-receive-your-response.html
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