Get your GCMS notes yourself. All 24 steps.

Step by step

The whole request, screen by screen.

The portal walks through five stages — Requester Information, Act Selection, Records Selection, Attach Documents, Review and Validate. Screens verified 14 August 2026; the sample data shown is fictional.

1. Step 1 of 24 · Start

   Open the ATIP Online Request page

   Go to the Government of Canada ATIP Online Request service. On the landing page, choose "Submit a request for information with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)". The second option — the Treasury Board ATIP Online Request Service — is for corporate records and IRCC policy documents, not for your own application file.

   Do not pay a third-party site to reach this form. The Government of Canada page is free to open and the Privacy Act request itself costs nothing.

   

2. Step 2 of 24 · Start

   Acknowledge that ATIP is not a status-check tool

   The next screen states plainly that ATIP is not intended for checking the status of an immigration or citizenship application, and that an ATIP request will not get you faster status updates. Tick "I acknowledge that I have read and understand these steps" and continue.

   

3. Step 3 of 24 · Start

   Read and agree to the Privacy Notice

   The Privacy Notice explains that your information is collected under the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act, that departments may use automation to process the request, and that you have the right to complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. Tick the agreement box and continue.

   

4. Step 4 of 24 · Start

   Choose "Application/Personal Information"

   You are then asked what kind of information you are seeking. The first block lists exactly what you want — the reasons for refusal, copies of documents submitted, correspondence with IRCC, and other information in your immigration file. Click "Application/Personal Information". The "Corporate Records" block below it is for briefing notes, manuals and data sets.

   

5. Step 5 of 24 · Requester Information

   Start the Requester Information stage

   The five-stage wizard begins: Requester Information → Act Selection → Records Selection → Attach Documents → Review and Validate. Enter the requester's surname, given names and street address exactly as they appear on the identity document you will upload later.

   The requester is the person filing the request. If you are requesting your own file, that is you — a Canadian relative is not required for a Privacy Act request.

   

6. Step 6 of 24 · Requester Information

   Set your right of access correctly

   The category dropdown offers Canadian Citizen, Permanent Resident of Canada, Corporation present in Canada, Foreign National present in Canada, and Foreign National outside of Canada. An applicant in India selects "Foreign National outside of Canada".

   This choice decides which Act you may use. Only citizens, permanent residents and people or corporations present in Canada can file under the Access to Information Act — but anyone, anywhere, can file under the Privacy Act for their own personal information. That is the route in this guide.

   

7. Step 7 of 24 · Requester Information

   Add address, phone and email

   Complete city, province/state, country, postal code and telephone number, then your email address twice. IRCC warns on this screen that its emails are not encrypted and that by giving an email address you authorise IRCC to send you records containing your personal information that way.

   Use an email account you personally control and will still have access to in two months. The release package lands in this inbox — not in your IRCC account.

   

8. Step 8 of 24 · Requester Information

   Answer "on your own behalf?"

   A Yes/No dropdown asks whether you are requesting information on your own behalf. Choose Yes if the file is yours. Choose No if you are requesting someone else's file — which then requires their signed consent.

   

9. Step 9 of 24 · Requester Information

   Read the third-party consent rule, then set category and delivery

   If the records contain information about another person — a spouse, common-law partner, or children aged 16 or older — a signed consent form must be included, or IRCC will strip out everything relating to them. For a minor, all legal guardians must consent. Then set "Select the category that best describes you" (an ordinary applicant is "Member of the Public") and how you want the records delivered.

   Choose Email delivery unless you have a reason not to. Postal delivery to India adds weeks to a request that already takes about a month.

   

10. Step 10 of 24 · Act Selection

    Submit under the Privacy Act — not the Access to Information Act

    The Act Selection screen explains the difference. The Privacy Act gives everyone the right to their own personal information held by IRCC, there is no fee, you can apply regardless of status, and no representative is needed. The Access to Information Act carries a $5.00 application fee and is limited to citizens, permanent residents and people present in Canada. For your own visa file, select Privacy Act.

    IRCC states on this very screen that you receive the same information under the Privacy Act as you would under the Access to Information Act in relation to your personal information. Paying the $5 buys you nothing here.

    

11. Step 11 of 24 · Act Selection

    Choose the language of the records

    Select the language in which you want to receive the requested records — English or French — and continue. GCMS notes for an Indian application are recorded in English.

    

12. Step 12 of 24 · Records Selection

    Choose the type of records

    The Records Selection stage opens with "Which type of records do you wish to request?" — Immigration/Citizenship Application Records, or Passport (Canada) Prior to 2002. Choose Immigration/Citizenship Application Records.

    

13. Step 13 of 24 · Records Selection

    Confirm the record type is set

    With Immigration/Citizenship Application Records selected, a second dropdown appears: "What Program would you like to request from?"

    

14. Step 14 of 24 · Records Selection

    Pick the program your application was filed under

    The program list covers the full range: Citizenship, Confirmation of Permanent Residence, Electronic Travel Authorization, Family Class, Landing Records, Medical, Permanent Residence, Permanent Resident Card, Pre-Removal Risk Assessment, Refugee streams, Rehabilitation, Temporary Residence — Study Permit, Temporary Residence — Visitor Permit, Temporary Residence — Work Permit, and Temporary Resident Permit. A refused visitor visa is "Temporary Residence - Visitor Permit"; a refused study permit is "Temporary Residence - Study Permit".

    Pick the program you actually applied under, not the one you wish you had. The wrong program can return the wrong file — or nothing.

    

15. Step 15 of 24 · Records Selection

    Choose how much of the file you want

    "What specific records are you looking for?" offers three options: Decision Note / Refusal Reason (the officer's final decision recorded on the application), Application Summary (an electronic overview including processing notes), and Complete Application File (the summary report, all submitted documents, supporting materials and correspondence with IRCC).

    If you are rebuilding a refused application, the Complete Application File is usually the one worth having — it shows what was actually submitted on your behalf, which is often not what the applicant believes was submitted. The Decision Note alone tells you the conclusion, not the file it was drawn from.

    

16. Step 16 of 24 · Records Selection

    Enter the application identifiers

    Fill in the application number, then the surname, given names and date of birth of the person whose file it is, plus the Unique Client Identifier (UCI) in the ####-#### or ##-####-#### format. The Alias field is optional. Everything must match the application exactly.

    The application number and UCI are on your refusal letter and in your IRCC account. A single wrong digit is the most common reason a request comes back with no records found.

    

17. Step 17 of 24 · Records Selection

    Review the generated request text

    The portal writes your request sentence for you from the details above and shows it in green — the record type, the program, the applicant name, application number, UCI and date of birth. Read it once, carefully. You can also add free-text scope information here; for a standard notes request you do not need to.

    

18. Step 18 of 24 · Attach Documents

    Attach the consent form where one is required

    If the records concern anyone other than you, a signed and dated consent form (IMM 5744) must be attached for every individual listed. IRCC shows a completed sample on this screen. Only original handwritten signatures in blue ink are accepted, and consent for a minor must come from all legal guardians, including separated or divorced parents.

    IRCC names the two mistakes that delay requests most: a missing date of birth, and a signature that is not an original handwritten one.

    

19. Step 19 of 24 · Attach Documents

    Understand the identity requirement

    Identity documents must be included to validate the identity and signatures of the requester and everyone referenced in the request. The document must be government-issued (Canadian or foreign) and show full name, date of birth, photograph and signature — a passport biodata page, driving licence, health card or certificate of identity. It is required for the requester and for each individual whose information is being requested.

    IRCC states that failing to include the identity documents may result in the request being deemed incomplete or delayed. This is the single most common own-goal.

    

20. Step 20 of 24 · Attach Documents

    Upload proof of identity (and anything else that helps)

    Upload one document proving identity, then optionally up to five further documents. Each file must be 2 MB or smaller, in PDF, JPG, TIFF, PNG, DOC or DOCX. Only one file is allowed per document type — so all passport pages must be scanned into a single file.

    To get under 2 MB: scan at a lower DPI, crop the empty space, and save images as JPG rather than TIFF or PNG. A blurry scan to save space is a false economy — unclear documents cause processing delays.

    

21. Step 21 of 24 · Review and Validate

    Check the requester summary

    The review stage replays everything back to you: department, name, mailing address, telephone, email, whether you are requesting on your own behalf, requester category, right of access and delivery method. Each block has a Modify button.

    Changing something here can require you to re-verify later stages or re-upload documents, so read carefully before you edit.

    

22. Step 22 of 24 · Review and Validate

    Check the Act, records and attachments

    The remaining blocks confirm the Act and language, the full records selection with the generated request text, and the files you attached. Verify the application number, UCI and date of birth one final time against your refusal letter.

    

23. Step 23 of 24 · Review and Validate

    Certify and continue

    Tick "I certify that the information provided is true and wish to submit this request", then continue. This is a declaration to a federal institution — the certification is not a formality.

    

24. Step 24 of 24 · Review and Validate

    Save your tracking number

    The confirmation screen gives you a request tracking number. A new number is assigned once the request is registered. Both Acts allow a legal response time of 30 calendar days from receipt, extendable for specific reasons set out in section 9 of the Access to Information Act and section 15 of the Privacy Act. Questions go to IRCC.ATIP-AIPRP.IRCC@cic.gc.ca.

    Screenshot this page. The tracking number is how you chase a late response — and requests do run past 30 days.

    

FAQs

Is it free to request your own GCMS notes?

Yes. A request under the Privacy Act for your own personal information held by IRCC carries no fee. Only a request under the Access to Information Act has a $5.00 application fee — and IRCC states you receive the same information about yourself under either Act. Anyone charging you a "government fee" for a Privacy Act request is not passing on a real cost.

Can I apply from India, or do I need a Canadian citizen to file for me?

You can file it yourself from India. Under the Privacy Act, Canadians and foreign nationals, regardless of where they are located, can request their own personal information held by federal institutions — the portal has a "Foreign National outside of Canada" right-of-access option. A Canadian citizen or permanent resident requester is only needed for an Access to Information Act request.

How long do GCMS notes take to arrive?

Both Acts set a legal response time of 30 calendar days from receipt of the request. Extensions are allowed for specific reasons set out in section 9 of the Access to Information Act and section 15 of the Privacy Act — for example when a large volume of records has to be searched, or consultations are needed. In practice most requests land in roughly 30 to 45 days.

Should I request the Decision Note or the Complete Application File?

The Decision Note gives you the officer's final decision on the application. The Complete Application File gives you the summary report plus everything submitted, the supporting materials and the correspondence with IRCC. If you are rebuilding a refused case — especially one an agent filed for you — the complete file is usually worth having, because it shows what was actually submitted rather than what you were told was submitted.

What documents do I need to attach?

A government-issued identity document showing full name, date of birth, photograph and signature — a passport biodata page is the usual choice — for the requester and for each person whose information is being requested. If the records concern anyone other than you, you also need a signed and dated consent form (IMM 5744) with an original handwritten signature. Each file must be 2 MB or smaller.

Do I still need a consultant if I can file this myself?

Not to file it. Filing is a form. The part that is hard is reading forty pages of officer shorthand, working out which concerns are answerable and which are not, and deciding honestly whether to reapply, wait or change pathway. That is what we charge for — and if you have already pulled your own notes, bring them to us and skip the retrieval tier entirely.

Screens and rules verified against the live IRCC ATIP portal on 14 August 2026. The Government of Canada redesigns this service periodically — if a screen no longer matches, follow the on-screen wording, not ours. Educational information, not legal advice.

Refused and still working out why? Read the 50 reasons a Canadian visitor visa gets refused →