Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (SOR/2002-227)

Marginal note:Authority to disclose information

315.3 The Minister may only disclose information to the Department of Homeland Security of the United States in respect of a refugee status claimant other than a refugee status claimant who is alleging persecution in the United States.

Marginal note:Necessary, relevant and proportionate information

315.31 Only information that is necessary, relevant and proportionate to achieving the purposes of this Division may be disclosed.

Marginal note:Method of disclosure

• 315.32 (1) The disclosure of information must be made in accordance with article 6 of the Asylum Annex.

• Marginal note:Accuracy and reliability

  (2) The disclosure must be made in a manner that ensures the accuracy and reliability of the information in question.

Marginal note:Data elements to be disclosed

315.33 Only information belonging to the following information categories may be disclosed:

• (a) information relating to the identity of a refugee status claimant;

• (b) information relating to the processing of a refugee status claimant’s claim;

• (c) information relevant to a decision to deny a refugee status claimant access to or to exclude such a claimant from the protection of the refugee status determination system or to cease, vacate or nullify a refugee status claimant’s refugee protection; and

• (d) information regarding the substance or history of a previous claim made by a refugee status claimant that will assist in determining a subsequent claim.

Marginal note:Destruction of information

315.34 Any information collected by the Minister that is determined not to be relevant to the purposes of this Division and that was not used for an administrative purpose, as defined in section 3 of the Privacy Act, must be destroyed as soon as feasible.

Marginal note:Correction of previously disclosed information

• 315.35 (1) If the Minister is made aware that previously disclosed information is inaccurate, the Minister must notify the Department of Homeland Security of the United States and provide correcting information.

• Marginal note:Notification of correction and destruction of inaccurate information

  (2) If the Minister receives correcting information from the Department of Homeland Security of the United States, the Minister must notify that Department once the necessary corrections have been made and, unless the information was used for an administrative purpose, as defined in section 3 of the Privacy Act, any inaccurate information and any information derived from that inaccurate information must be destroyed as soon as feasible.

• Marginal note:Note to file

  (3) If inaccurate information has been used for an administrative purpose, as defined in section 3 of the Privacy Act, a note must be placed in the file to that effect.

DIVISION 3Information Sharing Between the Government of Canada and the Governments of Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom

Marginal note:Interpretation

315.36 The following definitions apply in this Division.

national of a third country

national of a third country means a foreign national other than a national or citizen of the country of the party making or receiving a query. (ressortissant d’un pays tiers)

party

party means

• (a) the Minister; or

• (b) any of the following government departments or their successors that have entered into an arrangement with the Department and the Canada Border Services Agency for the purpose of facilitating information sharing to assist in the administration and enforcement of their respective countries’ immigration and citizenship laws:

  • (i) Australia’s Department of Immigration and Border Protection,

  • (ii) New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment,

  • (iii) the United Kingdom’s Home Office. (partie)

query

query means an automated request for information made by one party to another for the purposes of this Division. (requête)

Marginal note:Purpose

315.37 The purpose of this Division is to define the parameters for the sharing of information, by means of a query, between parties in support of the administration and enforcement of Canada’s laws in respect of immigration and other parties’ laws in respect of citizenship and immigration.

Marginal note:Making of query

315.38 A query in respect of a person must be made by submitting to another party either the person’s fingerprints accompanied by a unique transaction number or the unique transaction number assigned to a previous query received in respect of the person.

Marginal note:Disclosure of information — query or response

315.39 Disclosure in relation to the making of or a response to a query is limited to information that is necessary, relevant and proportionate to achieving the purposes of this Division and must be made in a manner that ensures the accuracy and reliability of the information.

Marginal note:Making of query — permitted purposes

• 315.4 (1) The Minister may make a query to another party only for the following purposes:

  • (a) to support an examination or determination following an application or claim made by a national of a third country for a permanent or temporary resident visa, a work or study permit, protection, refugee protection or any other immigration benefit under Canada’s immigration laws; or

  • (b) to support an examination or determination as to whether a national of a third country is authorized to travel to, enter or remain in Canada.

• Marginal note:Limitation

  (2) The Minister must not make a query to another party in respect of a person who has made a claim for refugee protection or an application for protection if the person has alleged persecution in that party’s country.

Marginal note:Disclosure of information — permitted purposes

• 315.41 (1) The Minister may disclose information in response to a query made by another party only for the following purposes:

  • (a) to support an examination or determination by that party following an application or claim made by a national of a third country for a visa or immigration-related permit, status or benefit;

  • (b) to support an examination or determination by that party as to whether a national of a third country is authorized to travel to, enter or remain in that party’s territory;

  • (c) to support an examination or determination by that party following an application made by a national of a third country for citizenship; or

  • (d) to support an examination or determination by that party following an application or claim made by a permanent resident of Canada for refugee status.

• Marginal note:Contents of disclosure

  (2) The Minister may disclose to the requesting party the following information in relation to the national of a third country or the permanent resident of Canada:

  • (a) their biographic data, such as last name, first name, date of birth, gender and country of birth;

  • (b) their photograph; and

  • (c) information in relation to the administration and enforcement of Canada’s immigration laws, including the issuing country of the person’s passport, their immigration status, information relevant to — and any previous decision or determination relating to — their admissibility, and any decision or determination relating to a claim for refugee protection or an application for protection.

• Marginal note:Refusal to disclose

  (3) If the Minister determines that the disclosure of information to another party in response to a query would be inconsistent with domestic law or would be detrimental to national sovereignty, national security, public policy or other important national interests, the Minister must refuse to provide all or part of the available information.

Marginal note:Correction of previously disclosed information

• 315.42 (1) If the Minister becomes aware that information that he or she disclosed in response to a query is inaccurate, the Minister must, as soon as feasible, notify the party to which he or she disclosed the information of the error and provide correcting information.

• Marginal note:Correction of inaccurate information

  (2) If the Minister receives information from another party correcting information previously disclosed by that party in response to a query, the Minister must, as soon as feasible, make the necessary correction and notify the other party once it has been made.