Waiting for IRCC security screening can be one of the less transparent parts of a Canadian immigration application. You may see other stages moving forward while security-related checks continue, with little indication of how much longer the process will take.

Security screening forms part of Canada’s immigration admissibility process. IRCC officers assess temporary and permanent residence applications and work with federal public-safety partners when further review is necessary. Some applications require more in-depth screening than others, so there is no single timeline that applies to every case.

A longer review does not, by itself, mean that IRCC has found a problem or that your application will be refused.

What Is IRCC Security Screening?

IRCC security screening helps Canadian authorities determine whether an applicant may be inadmissible to Canada on security or related grounds.

IRCC officers assess applications using departmental databases and risk indicators. They can work with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) as part of the wider assessment of admissibility.

Security assessment is different from an IRCC eligibility review. Eligibility concerns whether you satisfy the requirements of the immigration program you applied under. Security screening concerns whether security-related admissibility issues need to be considered.

How Does Security Screening Differ From a Background Check?

How IRCC checks admissibility is broader than security screening.

IRCC’s application status tracker uses the term “Background verification” and explains that this section is used to check an applicant’s background to make sure they are admissible to Canada. The tracker lists background verification separately from eligibility, medical exams and biometrics.

Security screening is one specific aspect of assessing admissibility. Criminality and security should not be treated as identical either, as Canadian immigration law contains separate grounds of inadmissibility.

This distinction is useful when you encounter terms such as background verification, criminality and security while following an application.

Which Agencies Conduct Canada Immigration Security Screening?

Canada’s Immigration Security Screening Program involves IRCC, CBSA and CSIS. IRCC may refer applications to CBSA and CSIS when comprehensive security screening is required.

Their roles are different.

IRCC assesses immigration applications and makes decisions within its authority. CSIS provides security advice and information, while CBSA also contributes to comprehensive screening and provides recommendations on referred cases.

This means CSIS does not take over an immigration application or independently decide whether IRCC should approve it.

What Is Checked During a Security Review?

The purpose of the review is to determine whether security or related inadmissibility concerns apply.

IRCC states that its officers work with public-safety partners to help ensure applicants are not inadmissible on grounds involving security, human or international rights violations, or organized criminality.

Information relevant to the assessment can vary according to the application and circumstances. Authorities may have access to information provided through immigration forms, identity information and other records used during processing.

Applicants should therefore provide complete and truthful information and ensure that dates and details are consistent across their application.

When Is Comprehensive Security Screening Required?

Not every application requires the same depth of additional review.

IRCC conducts an initial security assessment, and certain applications may be referred to CBSA and CSIS for a more in-depth assessment known as comprehensive security screening. The Government of Canada describes this as a risk-based process, with IRCC officers using indicators developed with CBSA and CSIS to determine when referral may be appropriate.

Comprehensive screening can assess possible inadmissibility under sections 34, 35 and 37 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, relating respectively to security, human or international rights violations and organized criminality.

Being referred for further assessment does not, on its own, establish wrongdoing or mean that an application will be refused.

Why Can IRCC Security Screening Take Longer?

There is no universal timeframe for IRCC security screening.

Applications do not all require the same assessment. Some can be processed through the initial review, while others require more extensive examination involving additional government partners. This makes individual timelines difficult to predict.

Applicants should therefore be cautious about online claims that security screening always takes a particular number of weeks or months. Another person’s timeline may not reflect what will happen with your application.

IRCC also advises that its Client Support Centre agents cannot provide more case-status information than is available online or tell applicants exactly how much longer processing will take.

A lengthy review alone does not reveal whether the eventual decision will be positive or negative.

Can Travel History Affect Security Screening?

An applicant’s personal and travel history can form part of the information available during immigration processing.

For certain permanent residence applications, IMM 5669 Schedule A collects detailed background information, including parts of an applicant’s personal history. Depending on the application, information about previous employment, education, addresses and other activities may also be required.

Similarly, IMM 5562 Travel History is used in certain applications to collect information about international travel.

Accuracy is important. Dates, locations and other details should be consistent across immigration forms and supporting evidence so that IRCC has the information required to assess the application.

How Do Biometrics Support Immigration Security Checks?

Biometrics are another component of Canada’s immigration screening process.

When biometrics are required, an applicant provides fingerprints and a photograph. These help Canadian authorities establish and confirm identity and perform relevant checks.

However, completing biometrics does not mean that security screening has also been completed. In IRCC’s application status tracker, biometrics and background verification appear as separate sections that can progress independently.

Applicants should therefore avoid assuming that a biometrics update predicts when another part of their application will finish.

Can You Check Your Security Screening Status?

You can check the application information IRCC makes available for your application type, although detailed information about internal security assessment may not appear in your online status.

IRCC provides different status-checking methods depending on what you applied for and, in some cases, how you applied. Online accounts can provide application updates and messages from IRCC.

For applications supported by the status tracker, “Background verification” may appear as Not started, Waiting on you, In progress, Completed or Exempted. “In progress” simply means IRCC is still reviewing that section.

CSIS also states that IRCC is responsible for the status of individual immigration and citizenship files.

Can GCMS Notes Show Security Screening Information?

Applicants sometimes request GCMS notes when they want more information about the processing of their immigration application.

These records may provide additional context beyond the basic status displayed online. However, they should not be treated as a live security-screening tracker, and applicants should not assume that every detail of security-related processing will necessarily be disclosed.

Individuals may also have rights to request personal information held by federal institutions through Canada’s access-to-information and privacy system. CSIS explains that its role in responding to such requests is limited to processing records and that its ATIP section cannot intervene in security-screening processing.

What Should You Do While Security Checks Continue?

For many applicants, there is no special action that will make IRCC security screening finish sooner.

Instead, concentrate on the parts of the application you can control:

• monitor your IRCC account and messages;
• keep your contact information current;
• provide accurate and complete information;
• respond promptly if IRCC asks for documents or clarification;
• follow any deadline contained in an official request;
• avoid sending unnecessary documents simply because your status has not changed.

IRCC provides online options for checking an application, updating information and submitting documents or information when required.

If no action has been requested from you, a period without a visible update does not necessarily mean that processing has stopped.

What Happens After Security Screening?

Completing a security review does not automatically mean the entire application has been approved.

Other requirements may still need to be finalized. For example, IRCC states that a final Express Entry permanent residence decision considers whether the applicant is eligible for the program and admissible based on medical exams, police certificates and background checks.

For a successful permanent residence application, completing the required assessments and receiving final approval can eventually lead to a Confirmation of Permanent Residence.

Applicants should therefore wait for an official decision rather than treating the completion of one processing stage as confirmation of approval.

Common Security Screening Mistakes to Avoid

Uncertainty around the process can cause applicants to draw conclusions that their application status does not support.

Common mistakes include:

• assuming a lengthy review means the application will be refused;
• treating criminality, security and background verification as identical;
• assuming every applicant undergoes the same level of screening;
• comparing your timeline too closely with another applicant’s;
• contacting CSIS expecting an IRCC application decision;
• sending additional documents that have not been requested;
• overlooking an IRCC message or deadline.

Following the instructions for your own application is more reliable than trying to predict its outcome from another person’s experience.

Where to Go Next

Security screening is only one part of Canadian immigration processing. These related Canada GMC resources can help you understand the other stages and information that may be relevant to your application:

• How IRCC checks admissibility
• IRCC eligibility review
• GCMS notes
• IMM 5669 Schedule A
• IMM 5562 Travel History
• Confirmation of Permanent Residence