AI-Assisted Matching for Immigration Application Processing

The Administrative Activities Support Tool (AAST) is a processing aid used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to help staff efficiently connect biometric enrolments and immigration medical examinations to the correct immigration applications. The tool uses two modules — a Biometric Module and a Medical Module — that compare basic biographical information (such as name and date of birth) from applications in the Global Case Management System (GCMS) against unassociated biometric enrolments and completed medical examinations, generating ranked lists of potential matches for staff review.

AASTdoes not make immigration decisions. It provides administrative recommendations that staff use to link supporting documents to applications. All recommended matches are reviewed by an immigration officer before any decision is rendered on an application. The tool is designed to reduce the time spent on routine administrative tasks, allowing officers to focus on more complex cases, and to reduce the need for repeated requests to applicants.

Personal information used by AAST — including biographical details from immigration applications, biometric enrolments, and medical examinations — is classified at the Protected B level and is controlled by the Government of Canada. Individuals whose applications are being processed retain the right to challenge decisions made in their immigration process through established recourse mechanisms. IRCC has assigned internal accountability for the design, maintenance, and improvement of this system.