GCMS Notes stand for "Global Case Management System" notes. They are an applicants detailed immigration case file that includes correspondence to and from IRCC, documents received by the applicant, detailed notes from the officer reviewing the case, and other relevant information such as the officers placeholder code. GCMS notes are considered to be the only option for applicants to get the most accurate and exhaustive view of their immigration file.
GCMS notes can be obtained by applicants for temporary residence (visitor visas, study permits, work permits) or permanent residence (Express Entry, Provincial Nomination Program, Family Sponsorship, etc.) from Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), available under the Access to Information Act (ATI) . The GCMS is IRCC’s global internal system for managing and evaluating applications. It is also used by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) .
Applicants can request a GCMS note as soon as their application has surpassed the R10 completeness check, which is the amount of time the processing office takes to assess whether all necessary documents are included in the application. The notes can span over more than 200 pages, the number of pages depending on the complexity/duration of the processing of the application. The notes can be split into 17 sections, as summarized below:
- APPLICATION
- IDENTITY AND RELATIONSHIPS
- EDUCATION
- LANGUAGE
- WORK EXPERIENCE
- FINANCIAL
- TRAVEL HISTORY
- MEDICAL
- CRIMINALITY
- SECURITY
- FAMILY
- REFUGEE PROTECTION
- APPEALS
- NOTES
- CORRESPONDENCE
- DECISIONS
- DOCUMENTS
GCMS notes can contain information including (but not limited to) the correspondence to and from IRCC, the detailed notes of the IRCC immigration officers who reviewed the application, and the actual refusal reasons of a refused application.
To request GCMS notes, applicants must be either a Canadian citizen, a Canadian permanent resident, or an individual or corporation present in Canada. If applicants are not eligible, they can still get their notes, but they will have to go through a representative that is either a permanent resident or a Canadian citizen. The processing fee is around 5 CAD to 25 CAD based on the country the applicant is applying from.
GCMS notes can take up to 30 days to process, but it may also take up to 5 to 50 days depending on the complexity/duration of the processing of the application. Obtaining GCMS notes can provide applicants with a valuable advantage, as they contain personal notes from the visa officer who refused the application, offering more detailed insights into the reasons for refusal. By gaining a better understanding of why their application was refused, applicants can develop a more strategic approach when re-applying in the future.
