Ekrem is a Turkish citizen. She recently applied for permanent residency of Canada under the Federal Self-employed Program. Ekrem later received an email from the immigration authorities and linked her application to an online account. She recently visited her online profile, but she is unsure if she understands the information on the account.

The government of Canada is trying to modernize the immigration system. Of course, they need to go online as part of this move. Consequently, you may apply for many immigration and visa options online. If the online application is unavailable, you may submit your request in paper and link it to an online profile later. However, the content of an online profile could confuse some people. This article explains the different elements of online Canadian immigration or visa profiles.

Applicant Information

You may find this section on the upper-right side of the profile.

• Principal Applicant – Every PR application has a principal applicant. Therefore, you see the full name of the principal applicant here. If there are other people in the application, a hyperlink appears at the bottom of this section with their names and UCIs.
• Unique Client Identifier (UCI) – When you interact with IRCC they assign a unique number to you. This number consists of either ten digits such as 01-2345-6789 or eight figures such as 1234-5678. The UCI belongs to a person. So if you have multiple applications IRCC can link you to all of them quickly.
• Application Number – This number usually begins with one or more letters followed by nine digits. For example,
  • E123456789 for economic immigration,
  • V123456789 for TRV or eTA,
  • S123456789 for the study permit,
  • W123456789 for the work permit,
  • H123456789 for Humanitarian and Compassionate considerations,
  • L123456789 for refugee claimants,
  • D123456789 for TRP applications,
  • RHB123456780 for rehabilitation,
  • F123456789 for family reunification, and
  • EP12345678 for PNP applications.
• Date Received – Shows the time IRCC received the application. Needless to say, the receipt date is essential for specific situations (e.g. locking the age of the children), or particular applications (e.g. for the qualifying period for self-employed applicants).
• Biometrics – Almost everyone needs to give biometrics for immigration, work permit, study permit, or TRP to Canada. Nevertheless, the US citizens are exempt from biometrics for visiting, working, or studying in Canada.

Review your personal information. If you notice any mistakes contact IRCC and ask them to resolve the issue.

Application Status

A brief explanation about the status of the application appears in this section.

This section is self-explanatory. However, keep in mind the content could be vague. Make sure to view the rest of the online profile for clarification.

Estimated Processing Time

The newest addition to online profiles is a progress bar that shows the estimated processing time of the application.

Some online profiles do not show this bar. The estimated time is not necessarily accurate. Take the information with a grain salt. Regardless, use the opportunity to prepare any additional documents you need to avoid further delays or reduce the chances of the refusal.

Details about Your Application Status

This section is probably the most useful section of the online profile.

• Review of eligibility shows if you qualify for the selected visa or immigration option. Of course, you still need to pass medical and background tests.
• Review of medical results indicates if you are inadmissible due to medical issues. The officers expect you to undergo a medical examination for all immigration options. They may waive medical examinations for a temporary visa or permit applications.
• Review of additional documents applies when the officer asks for more documents from you.
• The Interview line reflects the outcome of your interview with the officer. Luckily, officers rarely interview applicants these days.
• The Biometrics line shows whether you need to give biometrics or not. Sometimes, they do not mention it initially, but they issue a biometrics letter later on.
• Background check refers to the steps IRCC takes to make sure you are not inadmissible to Canada. Sometimes IRCC refuses applicants not because of the eligibility but due to inadmissibility.
• The final decision shows if you meet all the requirements.

If you click the question mark next to each line, you will see more information about it.

Messages about Your Application

Take this section seriously as it posts crucial messages about your application. The messages appear in PDF format.

Some typical messages include any of the following request letters,

• Biometrics
• Medical examination
• Additional documents
• Passports

You will also see the refusal or approval letters in this section. When IRCC uploads a message to this section, you will receive an email from them. Nonetheless, check out your profile from time to time. Some emails could end up in your spam folder and you ignore them.

Authorized Representatives and the Online Profile

Most immigration lawyers and consultants use an exclusive IRCC portal to create and manage immigration and visa applications. Since they use a centralized system, they are not able to share the online profile with you directly. However, you may ask your representative to share a PDF printout of the profile with you. Alternatively, you may check out the status of your application via the eCAS system.

Assuming you wish to visit or move to Canada or have encountered any issues with the immigration authorities. In that case, you may fill out our free assessment form or book a consultation session to assess your potential opportunities or offer you immigration, visa, or citizenship advice.