Road To Canada Forums

Hello everyone,


I'm sponsoring my brother under "other family - Family Class Members Living Outside Canada". Back in Nov. 2006 the visa center handling the file overseas sent my brother an acknowledgement letter indicating that they started processing the file, and they requested copies of the passports, he sent them by mail.

Recently I ordered CAIPS, and it showed that passport copies have not been received, so it’s either lost in mail or lost in the processing center overseas.

They never communicated with my brother or me on the subject over a year and a half.

My question is, what could this delay in receiving the passports result in?

Is CSIS able to process a background/security check without copies of his passport or will they not process the check till the get these copies?

Is there a form that I can fill out and send to CSIS for inquiries about immigration files?


Thanks everyone for your input?

The CAIPS notes should indicate whether or not a background/security decision has been made. Look for the coding BDEC or SDEC in CAIPS - it's usually on the first few pages, grouped with other codes like PSDEC, MEDDEC. If there is a numeric code listed to the right of BDEC or SDEC, it means the background check has been completed, and the code number will tell the result.

For BDEC
1 passed
2 omitted - all under 18
3 incomplete
4 failed

For SDEC
1 passed
2 omitted
3 pending
4 refused

There's more info about CAIPS coding at this Immepedia link.

Thanks RobsLuv for the quick reply,

CAIPS doesn't show any numeric code for the following:
BDEC (Security decision)
OREQ (other requirements)

It also shows a zero for the following

SELDEC (selection decision) 0
MEDDEC (medical decision) 0
FINDEC (Final decision) 0



My understanding from posts on the website here is that Security check, come after medical check is passed !!!! is that true, if this is the case, then they've not started security check yet.

but in general, could the absence of passport copies cause delay in the processing, we sent those copies in Nov. 2006 and now we're discovering they're still missing. its been a year and a half since they started processing and not a word!!!! and now I discover those passport copies are still missing :( so scary.



Thanks RobsLuv again.

I think normally they verify the information that comes with the application first - in other words, they're going to make sure the criminal clearances are clean, and that there are no medical issues before they go on to anything else . . . basically because, if the applicant fails the police checks or medical, they're going to be refused - so then no background check would be necessary.

Honestly, I don't know whether they need the passport copies to do the background/security checks . . . but, in your case, it sure doesn't look like they've been completed. IF they've been ordered, there should be a note to that effect somewhere in the CAIPS - but with all the abbreviations and stuff, it might be hard to find. What I find amazing is that they requested the passports a year and a half ago, and they don't indicate they were ever received . . . but, at the same time there's been no word to that effect from them. Normally they give an applicant a specific amount of time to submit requested information and threaten to close the file if they don't receive that info on time . . . yet, so often they claim they don't get stuff that we have sent, and not only do they not follow up - they don't close the file either! Sounds like they need a better system for managing paper!