CSIS Notes

CSIS Notes refers to information related to your visa or citizenship application obtained from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Requesting your CSIS Notes only makes sense if your application has been referred to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. If so, you can request records from CSIS relating to your immigration or citizenship security screening.

Unlike IRCC and CBSA, CSIS communicates via postal mail only at this time and it takes an average of 40 days to receive the information.

Like IRCC, CBSA also uses the GCMS (Global Case Management System) software system. As a result, GCMS Notes and CBSA Notes look similar, with the exception, that in most CBSA Notes the security details are not redacted. CBSA Notes also contain all the information available about your file with CBSA including the travel history for entry/exit history in Canada.

The CSIS Notes on the other hand disclose when your file was received, and when the processing was completed, along with all the information CSIS has pertaining to your file. PR applicants can check the status of their security/background check with CSIS.