2013

Interim Global Case Management System (GCMS) Biometric Exemption Codes and the Places Where Missions Could Deposit the Biometric Fees

Colin R. Singer
February 4, 2015

Operational Bulletin 549 – September 10, 2013

Interim Global Case Management System (GCMS) Biometric Exemption Codes and the Places Where Missions Could Deposit the Biometric Fees

Summary

This Operational Bulletin (OB) provides various instructions and directives to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) field offices. It notifies them of the fact that the authorities have not established some of the:

Biometric exemption codes in the Global Case Management System (GCMS) and,
Biometric fee exemption codes in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)

Given this backdrop, this OB advises Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) field offices to use the codes given subsequently in this document in the interim. Once the authorities established the revised codes in the Global Case Management System (GCMS), they will provide further instructions.

In addition, this OB also provides guidance to missions. It notifies them of the places where they could deposit the biometric fees.

Background

The authorities have made biometrics a mandatory requirement for nationals from:

Colombia
Haiti and,
Jamaica

Issues to this regard came into circulation in OB 520-A, which the authorities published on September 03, 2013. Biometrics will become a mandatory requirement for other nationalities on October 23, 2013 and December 11, 2013.

The authorities plan to revise the:

Biometric exemption codes and,
Biometric fee exemption codes

Once they have revised these codes, the authorities will include the new codes in the Global Case Management System (GCMS) for release 5.0. At present, the authorities believe that Global Case Management System (GCMS) release 5.0 will be ready for release in November 2013. By that time, the requirement to provide biometric information will come into force for the third group of affected countries.

As an interim measure, the authorities have established interim codes. These interim codes will help Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) officers to code biometric exemptions and biometric fee exemptions. The authorities plan to align the revised codes (available November 2013) with the:

Regulated exemptions and,
Biometric Procedures manual (BP-1)

Officers might need to refer to the complete list of affected nationalities and the coming into force date of the corresponding biometric requirements. For this, they would need to consult the list available online.

The Instructions

The Interim Biometric Exemption Codes

The table below describes the interim biometric exemption codes available in the Global Case Management System (GCMS). The officers would need to note that in future releases of the Global Case Management System (GCMS), the authorities would be providing specific exemption codes for:

Refugee claimants and,
Public policy exemptions

Value	Code	Use
Exempt – Age	05	Officers would need to use this for applicants under 14 and over 80 years of age
Exempt – In Transit	04	Officers would need to use this for applicants holding a valid United States entry visa and who are applying for a visa to transit through Canada for less than 48 hours, directly to or from the United States
Exempt – Diplomat	06	Officers would need to use this for properly accredited diplomats, consular officers, representatives or officials and their families travelling to Canada on official business
Exempt – National Interest	07	Officers do not need to use this code
Exempt – Other	08	Officers would need to use this for refugee claimants and protected persons applying in Canada for a work permit or a study permit Officers would need to use this for exemptions for public policy reasons, including: Persons lawfully admitted and present in Canada who have the authority to make, and are making an application for a temporary resident visa to a Case Processing Pilot Office in Canada Persons lawfully admitted and present in Canada who have the authority to make and are making an application to an office in Canada for a work permit under R199 or a study permit under R215 and, Persons who have the authority to make and are making an application at a port of entry for a work permit under R198 or a study permit under R214 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR)
Override	09	Officers would need to use this to prevent other officers from entering a final decision in the Global Case Management System (GCMS) until the Biometric Assessment Unit has provided their assessment of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police match Officers would need to use this when they have a Fingerprint System number in advance of obtaining the search results

The Interim Biometric Fee Exemption Codes

The table given below described the interim biometric fee exemption codes present in the Global Case Management System (GCMS). The authorities plan to replace the generic 999 exemption codes with new fee exemption codes in future releases of the Global Case Management System (GCMS).

Officers would need to provide an explanation of the fee exemption in the Notes field, if they use the generic code 999.

Exemption	Code	Notes
A properly accredited diplomat, consular officer, representative or official of a country other than Canada, of the United Nations or any of its agencies or of any intergovernmental organisation of which Canada is a member, the members of the suite of such a person and the family members of such a person	999	Officers would need to explain the reason for the exemption in the Notes field In the next release of the Global Case Management System (GCMS), the authorities will replace this code with B01
A member of the armed forces of a country that is a designated state for the purposes of the Visiting Forces Act, including a person who has received the designation as a civilian component of that visiting force under paragraph 4 (c) of that Act, and their family members	999	Officers would need to explain the reason for the exemption in the Notes field In the next release of the Global Case Management System (GCMS), the authorities will replace this code with B02
A person who is seeking to enter Canada: For the purpose of attending a meeting hosted by the Government of Canada, an organisation of the United Nations or the Organisation of American States as a participant For the purpose of attending a meeting as a representative of the Organisation of American States or the Caribbean Development Bank or, For the purpose of attending a meeting hosted by the Government of Canada, an organisation of the United Nations or the Organisation of American States, at the invitation of the Government of Canada	999	Officers would need to explain the reason for the exemption in the Notes field In the next release of the Global Case Management System (GCMS), the authorities will replace this code with B03
A person who is seeking to enter Canada as a competitor, coach, judge, team official, medical staff member or member of a national or international sports organising body participating in the Pan-American Games, when held in Canada, or as a performer participating in a festival associated with any of those Games	999	Officers would need to explain the reason for the exemption in the Notes field In the next release of the Global Case Management System (GCMS), the authorities will replace this code with B04
A person who is seeking to enter Canada for a period of less than 48 hours and is: Travelling by a transporter’s vehicle to a destination other than Canada or, Transiting through or stopping over in Canada for refuelling or for the continuation of their journey in another transporter’s vehicle	999	Officers would need to explain the reason for the exemption in the Notes field In the next release of the Global Case Management System (GCMS), the authorities will replace this code with B05
If the application is an application for a study permit or a work permit The family members of a person in Canada who has made a refugee claim that the Refugee Protection Division has not yet determined The family members of a person in Canada on whom the authorities have conferred refugee protection and, The family members of a person who is a member of the Convention refugees abroad class or a member of a humanitarian-protected persons abroad class, if the application is an application for a study permit or a work permit	999	Officers would need to explain the reason for the exemption in the Notes field In the next release of the Global Case Management System (GCMS), the authorities will replace this code with B06
A person whose work in Canada would create or maintain reciprocal employment for Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada in other countries and who is a family member of an officer of a foreign government sent, under an exchange agreement between Canada and one or more countries, to take up duties with a federal or a provincial agency	999	Officers would need to explain the reason for the exemption in the Notes field In the next release of the Global Case Management System (GCMS), the authorities will replace this code with B07

(3) The total amount of fees payable under subsection (1) is:
In relation to an application for a temporary resident visa, $170, if the applicant and their family members submit their applications at the same time and place	BFM AND / OR B11	The officers will code the Head of Family as BFM, while they will code all the other family members as B11, until the authorities revise the existing exemption codes. Once the authorities revise the exemption codes, the authorities will replace the B11 code with the B08 code for all the remaining family members. As an interim measure, the officers would need to explain the reason for the exemption in the Notes field.
In relation to an application for a work permit, $255, if the applicants are a group of three or more persons, consisting of performing artists and their staff, who submit their applications at the same time and place	BFX AND / OR B10	The officers will code the head of the group as BFX, while they will code all the other family members as B10, until the authorities revise the existing exemption codes. Once the authorities revise the exemption codes, the authorities will replace the B10 code with the B09 code for all the remaining family members. As an interim measure, the officers would need to explain the reason for the exemption in the Notes field.

Where Should Missions Deposit the Biometric Fees?

The missions would typically be responsible for collecting the biometric fees. They would need to deposit the fees collected in the same bank account as other immigration fees. However, they would need to treat the biometric fees as a separate line of business. Therefore, they would also need to report on the biometric fees they collect separately.

To facilitate this, the missions would need to add three new lines of business in the Point of Service System (POS+). The table given below illustrates the POS+ codes that the missions would need to add. The authorities have already added these General Ledger codes to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development financial system.

21965	Biometrics	Données biométriques
21972	Biometrics – Family Rate	Biométrie – Taux de famille
21973	Biometrics – Group of Performing Artists	Biométrie – Groupe d’artistes

Contacts

Situations could arise where officers might have enquiries, questions and concerns related to the new biometric program. They would need to send these queries by e-mail to the new Biometric Operational Support Unit (BOSU). The authorities have created the Biometric Operational Support Unit (BOSU) in the Query Response Centre (QRC). Officers would need to send all their questions, concerns and enquiries to the Biometric Operational Support Unit (BOSU), regardless of their nature.

Officers might also receive requests from visa application centres or visa offices. These requests could typically concern issues like:

Technical support and,
Questions about operational procedures

Thereafter, the Biometric Operational Support Unit (BOSU) would route these enquiries to the appropriate Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Headquarters division, as required.

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)