Global Launch of Electronic Applications (e-Apps) for Temporary Residents

Colin R. Singer
September 11, 2014

Operational Bulletin 486 – December 17, 2012

Global Launch of Electronic Applications (e-Apps) for Temporary Residents

Summary

The Electronic Applications (e-Apps) would enable clients across the world to have an additional alternative for submitting an application for:

A Temporary Resident Visa
A Study Permit or,
A Work Permit

Clients could submit applications for these programs using the:

Come to Canada Wizard and,
MyCIC portal

Readers might need to refer to the descriptions of the Come to Canada Wizard and MyCIC. For this, they would need to go through the details listed in Appendix A, at the end of this document.

The Electronic Applications (e-Apps) register all the information submitted with an application. Thereafter, the Electronic Applications (e-Apps) converts all the information submitted into an electronic format.

Having all data in an electronic format helps officers in the Department to transfer temporary resident applications electronically. Officers transfer these applications electronically to offices within the global network, which have the existing capacity. This enables officers of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to manage their workload more efficiently.

Issue

The global launch of Electronic Applications (also called e-Apps or Online Submission of Applications [OSAP]) for Temporary Resident programs took place on December 15, 2012. This Operational Bulletin (OB) provides information on the changes and procedures for:

In-Canada offices abroad and,
Visa offices abroad

Background

The authorities deployed the Global Case Management System (GCMS) Release 4.0 for e-Apps on December 15, 2012. This enabled applicants – whether they were in Canada or abroad – to submit their applications electronically for:

A Temporary Resident Visa
A Visitor Extension
A Study Permit or,
A Work Permit

Applicants could use the Electronic Applications (e-Apps) for:

Making payments online
Submitting their applications online and,
Uploading their supporting documents

Currently, applicants for other lines of business do not possess the eligibility for applying online. These lines of business include:

Permanent Residence
Permanent Resident Travel Documents and,
Temporary Resident Permits

The new Electronic Applications (e-Apps) is not mandatory. All clients still have the freedom to submit paper applications to a:

Case Processing Centre (CPC)
Visa office or,
Visa Application Centre (VAC)

The rollout of Electronic Applications (e-Apps) complements the global rollout of the GCMS. It enables the CIC to leverage the global network of offices and decision makers, thereby making the CIC more:

Efficient
Cost effective and,
Innovative

The rollout of Electronic Applications (e-Apps) will provide clients access to consistent information too. This information would help clients to complete their applications correctly. This would help in standardising the process. The implementation of this standardisation would help in reducing errors. Errors in applications typically result in processing delays. Therefore, by minimising the chances of errors, the rollout of Electronic Applications (e-Apps) would help the Department achieves it service standard goals.

Since 2009, in-Canada applicants have been able to apply online for:

Study Permits
Work Permits and,
Extending Visitor Status

For this, in-Canada applicants needed to use the current e-Application system. This system had a direct feed into the CPC System.

In addition, the Visa Exempt Study Permit Abroad (VESPA) program has been available to applicants from 14 visa-exempt and medically exempt countries. This has been the case since 2011. The authorities plan to phase out the former version of e-apps by introducing the new global Electronic Applications (e-Apps) program. With the rollout of the new Electronic Applications (e-Apps) program, applicants from all countries would have the option of applying using the new online system. Therefore, the rollout of the new Electronic Applications (e-Apps) program would effectively conclude the Visa Exempt Study Permit Abroad (VESPA) pilot program.

The Transition Process

The old system enabled officers to process original e-Apps and upload them to the CPC system. The authorities plan to phase out the former version of e-apps by introducing the new global Electronic Applications (e-Apps) program. Therefore, after December 14, 2012, clients would not be able to initiate a new application in the current form. Instead, they would need to complete and submit an application they started, prior to the release of the new Electronic Applications (e-Apps) program. They would have a 60-day timeline for this.

As mentioned earlier, after December 14, 2012, individual clients would not be able to initiate a new application in the current form. This is because they would no longer have any access to the old electronic system after December 14, 2012.

However, authorised paid representatives would be able to continue accessing the old system. They would be able to do so until the new Third Party Portal becomes fully operational. In due course of time, the authorities would phase out the new portal.

Note:

This transition does not apply to the Electronic Notification System (ENS)
Clients who wish to apply for an Off-Campus Work Permit (OCWP) would need to continue submitting the Eligibility Verification Number (EVN) requests to the Designated Institutional Representatives using the Electronic Notification System (ENS)
The Designated Institutional Representatives would approve the Eligibility Verification Number (EVN) requests in due course of time
Thereafter, clients would need to go through the Come to Canada Wizard and MyCIC
This is the only way for these clients to submit their Off-Campus Work Permit (OCWP) application electronically

The Requirements for Clients to Use the New e-Apps

The applicants would need to meet certain requirements for using the Electronic Applications (e-Apps). To use the Electronic Applications (e-Apps), applicants would need to:

Be able to pay the application fee via the e-Payment system

They can make payments via credit card only
They cannot make payments at any financial institutions
Some countries do not permit their citizens to use a credit card for making an international transaction for the fee
The citizens of these countries would need to have someone pay on their behalf
If these individuals do not have anyone who could pay on their behalf, these individuals would need to submit a paper application:

Via mail or,
Through a Visa Application Centre (VAC)

Have a valid e-mail address
Have access to a scanner or camera for making electronic images of their documents

This would enable them to upload these electronic images of their documents to their computer
Clients could scan documents that have a maximum permissible size of up to 4 MB per file
Clients could scan documents in the following file formats:

DOC
DOCX
JPEG
PDF or,
PNG

The online instructions to the client also state these requirements

Submit information for only up to six family members in one MyCIC submission

This is because the Electronic Applications (e-Apps) can only support up to six family members in one MyCIC submission
Families that have more than six members would need to:

Make two submissions via the MyCIC or,
Apply on paper

Complete online applications only in English or in French

The authorities would refuse to accept any application, submitted in any other language
Situations might arise where applicants need to submit documentation issued in any other language other than Canada’s official languages i.e. English or French
In these situations, applicants would need submit these documents along with an official English or French translation

Have a parent or a legal guardian submit the online application on their behalf via the Parent or Legal Guardian’s MyCIC Account (in case the applicant is below 16 years of age and wants to use the online application)

The e-Application system would:

Record the signature and,
Insert the signature into the Notes area of the GCMS under the client’s application

The 2 Dimensional (2D) Bar Code application form contains the child’s personal information
Therefore, the authorities would issue the Temporary Resident Visa or the Study Permit based on this information

Note:

Situations could arise where certain applicants do not meet the requirements for applying online
In such circumstances, these applicants would need to refer to the Come to Canada Wizard
The Come to Canada Wizard would direct these applicants to apply on paper to the appropriate office
Applicants, who require a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) are not eligible for using the Electronic Applications (e-Apps) currently
This is because the Electronic Applications (e-Apps) do not support this line of business as yet
The authorities estimate that Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) applicants would be able to apply online via a future GCMS Release

The Steps for Online Processing

The steps concerning an applicant’s process for online processing include:

The clients will complete a series of questions given in the Come to Canada Wizard

The Wizard would analyse the responses given by the clients and determine the categories under which the clients are eligible for applying
The applicants would need to answer various specific questions, which will generate a tailored, streamlined document checklist
The applicants would need to follow this checklist when they submit an online or a paper application
The document checklist would require applicants to provide:

A digital ID photo and,
A scan of their passport (including the bio-data page and all the non-blank pages)
Supporting documents concerning the category under which they are applying

The applicants would also have the option of providing one additional document, if required

The system would ask the applicant to confirm that they meet the prescribed minimum requirements for submitting their documents online

The system would provide clients with a Personal Checklist Code (PCC)
The system would only provide this Personal Checklist Code (PCC) to clients who are able to submit an online application
The system permits families to apply together, using one MyCIC account
However, families can only submit information for up to six family members in one MyCIC submission
This is because the Electronic Applications (e-Apps) can only support up to six family members in one MyCIC submission
Families that have more than six members would need to:

Make two submissions via the MyCIC or,
Apply on paper

Delegations cannot apply together using Electronic Applications (e-Apps) because only individuals can hold online accounts
Delegations would typically include groups of:

Visitors
Performing artists
Business associates
Sporting personnel and,
Other associated groups

Groups that are eligible for a group fee, are eligible for applying on paper

The system would direct clients submitting an online application for the first time to register and log in using the secure “GCKey” or “Sign-in Partner” (also known as Secure Concierge

Only after doing this would the system allow clients to enrol in their MyCIC account
For accessing the MyCIC account subsequently, clients would only need to log into GCKey or Sign-in Partner
Readers could find more details on MyCIC, GCKey and Sign-in Partner in Appendix A, subsequently in this document

In the first step of this list, the system would generate a streamlined document checklist

Applicants would need to refer to this checklist for completing and uploading the application forms and supporting documents to CIC
In certain situations, applicants might not be able to complete the application at the same time
In this scenario, applicants would have a 60-day timeframe for:

Completing their applications and,
Submitting all the required documents

Once they complete their application, applicants would need to provide their credit card information

This would be useful for paying the applicable fees to the Receiver General of Canada portal
Thereafter, the system would automatically direct applicants back to their MyCIC account
Certain clients could bypass the e-Payment step if they:

Are fee exempt and,
Can upload documents that prove why they are fee exempt i.e. an explanation

The system would generate a confirmation of receipt instantly once clients submit their applications

The system would provide clients with an automatic acknowledgement of receipt generated by the GCMS
This acknowledgement of receipt would contain the application numbers of the clients
The system would highlight the date and time of transmission of the client’s application
This date and time of transmission would be the date and time that the CIC receives the online application in Eastern Standard Time (EST)

The system would send the online application form along with the 2D barcode information directly to the appropriate fields within the GCMS, once the applicant submits the e-Application

This would help in minimising the date entry required at offices

The GCMS would save and record all documents, letters and final decisions

Therefore, no one would create any paper files for these online applications

Frequently Asked Questions

What should clients do if they encounter technical problems when completing their online applications?

Clients, who face technical difficulties, would need to contact the CIC from within the secure environment (MyCIC)
They could do this by clicking on the “Share with CIC” link, in case they are facing problems with their online submission

What happens if visa offices receive an unsolicited passport?

At the beginning of the processing of their applications, the system would instruct applicants not to send their passports until the CIC explicitly requests for them
On the website, the applicants would be able to find instructions as to where they need to send their passports
The website would also provide instructions to the applicants that they need to print the letter that instructs them to send their passport
Applicants would thus, need to send their passports and the letter that asks them to send their passports
Situations could arise where a visa office receives an unsolicited passport
In this scenario, the visa office would return the passport to the applicant
The client would need to prepay the courier charges to enable the visa office to return the passport to the applicant

Can groups apply together submitting one application through the new Electronic Applications (e-Apps)?

As mentioned earlier, only a maximum of six family members can apply together using one MyCIC account
Independent groups are not eligible for applying together through the Electronic Applications (e-Apps)
Such groups include:

Seasonal agricultural workers
Tourist groups
Sporting groups and,
Musical groups

These groups would need to apply by paper applications (as applicable) to the:

CIC or,
The Visa Application Centre (VAC)

The individuals within these groups could apply individually by the Electronic Applications (e-Apps), if they wish that the authorities assess them on an individual basis

Why are the authorities not asking all applicants to use the Electronic Applications (e-Apps)?

The authorities are not asking all applicants to use the Electronic Applications (e-Apps) because:

Some countries do not allow clients to pay online
In some countries, clients cannot pay online because the internet infrastructure is not robust enough to make it practical

The Treasury Board also has policies that require departments to offer access to government programs for persons who have special needs

What about Visa Exempt Study Permit Abroad (VESPA) applicants? Will these applicants follow a special process?

As mentioned earlier, applicants from 14 designated countries (visa exempt and medically exempt) have been using the original e-Apps for processing their applications
This has been the scenario since May 2011
With the rollout of the new Electronic Applications (e-Apps), applicants from all countries would have the option of applying by using the new online system
This would also mean that the Visa Exempt Study Permit Abroad (VESPA) pilot program will effectively conclude with the rollout of the new Electronic Applications (e-Apps)

Online Resources for Clients

The online resources clients could refer to include:

CIC’s Online Help Centre
CIC’s Online Services
The Come to Canada (C2C) Wizard

This is available within MyCIC or on the CIC website
This Wizard simplifies the application process by helping applicants:

Decide which CIC programs they are eligible to apply for and,
Decide which documents they need to submit

The Wizard accomplishes this by asking applicants a series of questions
Based on the answers entered, the Wizard provides the best options available to the applicants, including a checklist of information and documents that the applicants need to submit
The Wizard also explains the process of submission
The Wizard also acts as a gateway into the online application, for clients who can apply online

GCKey and the Secure Key Concierge

When offering certain services over the internet, the CIC focuses on ensuring the security and protection of confidential client information
The Government of Canada has therefore, introduced a new service called Sign-in Partner (or the Secure Key Concierge)
The Sign-in Partner (or the Secure Key Concierge) allows users to use their online banking credentials for accessing Government services online
Therefore, users can now use either the GCKey or the Sign-in Partner (or the Secure Key Concierge) for accessing online services
To achieve this, the CIC has enhanced its procedures which allow users to access secure online services
Readers could refer to the CIC website for obtaining overviews of:

How to register for a Government of Canada secure credential and,
The Secure Key Concierge

MyCIC

This is the interface that enables CIC clients to submit applications electronically via a secure channel using the new Electronic Applications (e-Apps)
Users can use their personalised portal for:

Making payments online
Submitting their applications online
Uploading their supporting documents, which they have scanned and,
Receiving information from the CIC that concerns their online applications

The MyCIC would be the point for contact during the processing timeframe for:

Communicating with the client

Acknowledgement of Receipt and,
Processing times

Requesting documentation

Passport submissions

In case the reviewing officer requires additional information, the client would receive the request through the MyCIC account
When applicable, the client would also receive the decision via the MyCIC account