The Documentation Standards in the Field Operations Support System (FOSS)
Once the authorities have rendered a decision on an application for permanent residence, the officers would need to ensure that they document this decision properly. The officers would need to document the decision properly on the physical file. In addition, they would need to do this in the Field Operations Support System (FOSS) as well.
The Field Operations Support System (FOSS) is the Department’s permanent record of an inland immigration decision. This is especially so once the authorities have destroyed the paper files. Typically, the authorities would destroy the paper files according to the departmental file retention policy. However, the Department might need to refer back to a decision in some cases, after the authorities have destroyed the paper file for various reasons. These reasons could include:
- Possible legal challenges
- Subsequent sponsorship applications or,
- Subsequent citizenship applications
In scenarios such as this, the physical file might no longer be available. As such, the officers of the Department would have no other recourse other than relying on the notes available in the Field Operations Support System (FOSS).
The Field Operations Support System (FOSS) notes would typically represent a complete record of all the action taken in any given case. As such, officers would need to ensure that there should be no information that appears only on the paper file as far as possible. In addition, the officers would need to ensure that any notes that appear in the Field Operations Support System (FOSS) are accurate, complete and consistent. This is especially so when one compares these notes with the documentation and decisions found in the paper file. In particular, the notes in the Field Operations Support System (FOSS) must not undermine or contract the written decision.
As such, it is a given that officers might need to access the record of decision in the Field Operations Support System (FOSS). Therefore, officers would need to exercise appropriate care when documenting their notes in the Field Operations Support System (FOSS). On reading the notes, the readers would need to be able to clearly understand the basis and the reasons for an officer arriving at a specific decision. This would include knowing whether the applicant met the eligibility criteria or the requirements of a class.
Tracking the Application
The Field Operations Support System (FOSS) tracks the processing of applications for permanent residence through the Case Processing Support (CPS) module.
The staff at the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville, Alberta (CPC-V) would need to:
- Enter applications in the Case Processing Support (CPS) module when they arrive at the Case Processing Centre (CPC)
- Enter the names of family members residing abroad in the ‘Remarks’ section
- This includes completing the Y (Yes) or N (No) box once the visa office provides the results of overseas examination
- Indicate if the authorities have provisionally approved the principal applicant in the ‘Approved in Principle’ field once the authorities make the eligibility decision and,
- Enter the results and the date when the applicant meets the eligibility requirements
Once the applicant meets all the prescribed requirements, the officers at the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville, Alberta (CPC-V) would need to:
- Enter the granting of permanent resident status and,
- Enter the details of the closest inland office of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to the client’s residence as the office of issue for permanent residence documents
According to local procedures, the inland office of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) would need to:
- Print the permanent residence documents as required and,
- Send a call-in notice or letter to the applicant
