Free. From India. Without any representative in Canada. Every screen pictured, 24 steps, about 20 minutes.
Most websites will charge you ₹999 to ₹3,000 to get your GCMS notes. We are going to show you how to do it yourself, for free, in about 20 minutes. Every screen is pictured below. Nothing is hidden.
You do not have to take our word for any of that. Here is the Government of Canada's own page, which you will see with your own eyes at Step 10 below. Read the highlighted lines:
So why do people pay? Because the notes arrive about a month later, written in officer shorthand and code numbers that almost nobody can read. That is a real problem — and we talk about it honestly at the end of this guide. But the filing part, you can absolutely do yourself. Let us show you how.
This is the one thing that confuses everybody, so let us settle it in ten seconds.
| Law | Who can use it | Fee | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Privacy Act | Anyone in the world, asking for their own information | Free | Your GCMS notes. This is your route. |
| Access to Information Act | Only Canadian citizens, PRs, or people currently in Canada | $5 CAD | Government records that are not about you |
The $5 fee and the “you need a Canadian” rule both belong to the second law — and you do not need that law. You want your own file, so you use the Privacy Act, which is free and open to everyone. The portal even tells you the information you get is the same either way.
V1234567 for a visitor visa or S/W for study and work permits. It is on your refusal letter and on every IRCC email.1234-5678 or 12-3456-7890. Also on your refusal letter.Search your email inbox for “IRCC” or “Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada”. Every acknowledgement email and your refusal letter carry both numbers near the top.
Stage 1 of 6
Open this link: atip-aiprp.apps.gc.ca
On that page, click the blue link that says “Submit a request for information with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)”.
There are many fake and paid websites with similar names. The real one is a .gc.ca address — that is the Government of Canada. If the website is asking you for money, you are on the wrong website.
The page shows you two boxes. Look at the first box — it lists things like “The reasons for refusal for your immigration/citizenship application”. That is exactly what you want.
Click the link at the bottom of that first box: Application/Personal Information.
A long legal notice appears. It simply explains how the government will use your information. Scroll to the bottom, tick the box that says “I have read, understand and agree with the above Privacy Notice”, then click Continue.
The next screen reminds you that this system is not for checking whether your visa is approved — for that you use your IRCC account. You are here for the officer's notes, so that is fine.
Tick “I acknowledge that I have read and understand these steps” and click Continue.
Stage 2 of 6
If the refused application was yours, choose Yes.
Choose No only if you are applying on behalf of somebody else — for example a parent requesting for their child. In that case you will also need their signed consent form (we cover this in Step 20).
This is the box that scares people. It should not. If you are sitting in India, Punjab, Delhi, Dubai — anywhere outside Canada — you simply choose:
Foreign National outside of Canada
The government put this option in the list on purpose. It exists precisely so that people like you can apply directly. Anybody who tells you a foreigner cannot apply has not looked at this screen.
Now type your details. The fields marked with a star * must be filled.
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
| Surname | Your family name, exactly as on your passport — for example Chahal |
| Given Name(s) | Your first and middle names, exactly as on your passport |
| Street Number | Your house number only — for example 12 |
| Street Name | Your road name — for example Bhupindra Road |
Your name must match your passport letter for letter. If your passport says “Harpreet Singh”, do not write “Harpreet”. A mismatch is the number one reason requests get delayed or rejected.
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
| City | Your city — for example Patiala |
| Province/State | Your state — for example Punjab |
| Country | Choose India from the dropdown list |
| Postal/Zip | Your PIN code — for example 147001 |
| Telephone No. | Your 10-digit mobile number |
| Fax Number | Leave empty. Nobody uses fax. |
| E-mail Address | Your own email — this is where your notes will be sent |
Your complete immigration file will be sent to this address. Whoever controls this email controls your private information. Put your own email here, always.
Two more dropdowns near the bottom:
Member of the Public. (Choose this even if you are a student or working. It just means you are not a journalist, researcher or business.)Email. Post from Canada to India can take months.Then click Continue.
Stage 3 of 6
This is the most important screen in the whole process. Read the blue box — the government explains it plainly:
In the box marked “Submit my request under”, choose Privacy Act.
That one costs $5 and is only for people inside Canada. You would be paying money for exactly the same information. The portal says so itself.
Under “In which language do you wish to receive the requested records?” choose English (unless you read French).
Check that the first box still says Privacy Act, then click Continue.
Stage 4 of 6
The question is “Which type of records do you wish to request?” Choose Immigration/Citizenship Application Records.
Your screen should now look like this, with a new question appearing underneath: “What Program would you like to request from?”
Pick the option that matches the visa you applied for. The most common ones for Indian applicants:
| You applied for | Choose this |
|---|---|
| Student visa | Temporary Residence - Study Permit |
| Tourist / visitor visa | Temporary Residence - Visitor Permit |
| Work permit | Temporary Residence - Work Permit |
| PR / Express Entry | Permanent Residence |
| Spouse sponsorship | Family Class, Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class |
This single dropdown decides how much you get. There are three choices:
| Option | What you get |
|---|---|
| Decision Note | Only the officer's final decision. Very short. |
| Application Summary | An overview with processing notes. Better. |
| Complete Application File | Everything — the summary, all officer notes, every document you submitted, and all correspondence with IRCC. |
It is the same free request and the same waiting time, but you get many times more information. This is the single most valuable tip in this guide. Most paid services quietly request only the Decision Note — which is why people complain they received “just two pages”.
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
| Application Number | From your refusal letter — for example V1234567 |
| Surname | The applicant's family name (yours) |
| Given Name(s) | The applicant's first name(s) |
| Date of Birth | As printed on the passport |
| Unique Client Identifier (UCI) | Format 1234-5678 or 12-3456-7890 |
| Alias | Leave empty unless you have applied under a different name before |
One wrong number and IRCC cannot find your file. They will either write back asking for corrections — adding weeks — or reply that no records exist.
The website writes your request for you and shows it in green. Read it slowly. Check your name, your application number, your UCI and your date of birth are all correct.
For “Would you like to add any additional information?” you can safely choose No. The generated text is enough.
Then click Continue.
Stage 5 of 6
IRCC must be sure it is really you asking. So you upload one government document that shows all four of these:
For Indian applicants, your passport's first page (biodata page) is the best choice — it has all four. A driving licence also works if it shows your signature.
Aadhaar has no signature and PAN has no date of birth in the required format. Use your passport — it is the document IRCC already has on your file, so it matches perfectly.
Under Proof of Identity, click Choose File and select the scan or photo of your passport page.
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Maximum size | 2 MB per file. Phone photos are often bigger — compress it or reduce the quality first. |
| Allowed types | PDF, JPG, TIFF, PNG, DOC, DOCX |
| Multiple pages | Must be combined into one single file, not uploaded separately |
| Quality | Clear and readable. A blurred photo will delay your request. |
Other Documents is optional. You may attach your refusal letter here if you wish, but it is not required.
If you are applying for yourself and your file has nobody else in it, you can skip this. You do not need a consent form.
You DO need a signed consent form if:
↓ Download the IMM 5744 consent form (PDF)
Signatures must be handwritten in blue ink — typed or digital signatures are rejected. The date of birth must be filled in. And for a child under 16, both legal guardians must sign, or IRCC will not release anything.
Stage 6 of 6
The website now shows you everything you typed. Check carefully:
If anything is wrong, press Modify to go back and fix it.
Scroll down and confirm:
Tick “I certify that the information provided is true and wish to submit this request” and click Continue.
That is it. Your request is submitted, and you paid nothing.
The page shows a tracking number. Write it down, screenshot it, and save it. You will need it if you have to follow up later.
You will also get a confirmation email. Keep that email safely.
There is a short satisfaction survey at the bottom. You can click Exit and skip it — it does not affect your request.
After you submit
By law IRCC must reply within 30 calendar days. In practice, most Indian applicants receive their notes in 25 to 40 days. IRCC can legally extend this if your file is large or needs consultation — if they do, they will email you to say so.
Your notes arrive as a PDF attached to an email. It is usually somewhere between 5 and 60 pages.
You can also create a free ATIP online account to track your request and receive documents more securely. This is optional.
If more than 30 days pass with no reply, email IRCC at IRCC.ATIP-AIPRP.IRCC@cic.gc.caand quote your tracking number. You can also read IRCC's own help page on ATIP requests.
Nearly every delayed request we see comes from one of these six things:
We are a licensed immigration consultancy in Patiala. We could have hidden all of this and charged you for it. We did not, because you would have found out eventually — and because we would rather you trust us.
But here is what the free guide cannot do for you. In about a month, a PDF lands in your inbox written in officer shorthand — code numbers like R179(b) and A40, abbreviations, and half-sentences typed by a visa officer for other visa officers. It will tell you exactly why you were refused. Most people cannot read a word of it.
We decoded all of them for free — look up any code from your notes here, with the exact law quoted beside each one.
That is the part we actually sell. When your notes arrive, send them to us. We will tell you — in plain English — what the officer doubted, which specific weakness sank your application, and what has to change before you apply again.
| If you | We do | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Followed this guide | Nothing — you did it yourself | Free |
| Already have your notes | Read them and tell you what to fix | ₹1,999 |
| Want it all handled | File it, read it, and tell you what to fix | ₹2,499 |
Both prices include GST. Nothing is added at the payment screen. And if you decide to do everything yourself and never pay us a rupee — genuinely, good luck. We hope this helped.
Found this useful? Share it with anyone whose Canadian visa was refused. They are probably about to pay somebody for something they can do themselves in twenty minutes.