Seminar ID

BC-2025-11-13

Date and time

Thursday, November 13, 2025 at 13:00 EST see it in calendar

Attendance

• recording

Languages

• in English

CPD hours

Venue

Description

Summary: Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) and its use for Immigration practitioners. We will discuss who can access this information, what and when to request the ATIP, and how it can be useful. This will include a discussion on how to read the notes received from IRCC to extrapolate the useful information for the clients and draw conclusions to help decide on the recommendation for the best course of action for your clients. It will also focus on tips to allow a better triage and understanding of the important parts of the ATIP notes from the IRCC Officer.

Course Outline:

1.    Intro and overview

·      What is an ATIP request?

·      What information is available under the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act?

·      Whatcan be exempted from the ATIP by the decision-maker?

2.    Fundamentals of ATIP

·      Who can request the Access to Information Act

·      How to request it?

·      What is the processing fee for an atip?

·      How long does the government usually take to respond?

3.    Why is the ATIP (Officer’s notes) useful?

·      Examples of appropriate reasons to request an ATIP

·      Importance of the timing of the request

4.    Reading and interpreting the notes received from IRCC

·      How do I interpret these ATIP notes?

·      Concrete examples of notes to help understand the format of GCMS notes

·      Tips on how to triage what is important from the notes

5.    Getting the most out of the ATIP notes you received

·      Explanation on how to extrapolate the useful information for you and for the clients

·      Drawing conclusions to help decide on the best course of action for the client

·      Finding indications/evidence of an error in law or a breach of procedural fairness

6.    Lodging a complaint related to the Access to Information Act

·      How to file a complaint with the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada

·      Language issues

·      Realistic expectations

7.    Questions and Answers