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Helpful Places

Government of Canada – DTPR AI Register

AI-Assisted Eligibility Triage for Spousal Immigration Applications

Border & Immigration

What it collects that can identify you

Sensitive personal information
Identifiable data
  • Application data submitted by sponsors and principal applicants, sourced from IRCC's Enterprise Data Warehouse and the Global Case Management System. This includes personal information at Protected B/C classification level, as provided by clients and collected by IRCC.

AIA — Section 3.1, Q55

Also collects operational data, which is anonymized data.

Run by
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Where
No fixed location
Kept
Retained As per existing IRCC data retention schedules (PIB PPU 013)
Shared with
Accountable organization
Your copy
You cannot see the data it holds about you. What you can do

What it is for

Border & Immigration

This system automates eligibility approval decisions for sponsors and principal applicants in routine Family Class overseas spouse and partner immigration applications, and sorts all such applications by common characteristics. It can approve certain applications automatically but cannot refuse any application — all refusals and admissibility decisions remain with human officers. Applicants whose cases are automatically approved will still have their admissibility assessed by a human officer before a final decision is made.

What it collects and what happens to it

Data taken in

Sensitive personal information
Identifiable data
  • Application data submitted by sponsors and principal applicants, sourced from IRCC's Enterprise Data Warehouse and the Global Case Management System. This includes personal information at Protected B/C classification level, as provided by clients and collected by IRCC.

AIA — Section 3.1, Q55

Operational data
Anonymized data
  • Historical and current case data from IRCC's Enterprise Data Warehouse and Global Case Management System, including previously approved application records used to identify patterns for eligibility matching. This operational data is controlled by the federal government.

AIA — Section 3.1, Q55

Processing

Classification & Prediction
  • The system applies pre-determined eligibility and triage rules to classify applications as eligible for automated approval or route them to officer review. It matches current applications against characteristics of previously approved applications to identify those with a very high likelihood of approval.

AIA — Section 3.1, Q26 and Q27

What it does

Deciding (Analytical AI)
Human decides
  • The system classifies and scores sponsor and principal applicant applications against pre-determined eligibility rules, identifying those with a very high likelihood of approval. Positive eligibility approvals can be automated; refusals and admissibility decisions always require a human officer.

AIA — Section 3.1, Q24 and Q26

Outputs

A decision about you
Identifiable data
  • Automated positive eligibility approval decisions for sponsorship and principal applicant eligibility in qualifying Family Class overseas spouse and partner applications. The system cannot issue refusals; all refusal decisions are made by human officers. Applications that receive automated approval still proceed to human officer review for admissibility.

AIA — Section 3.1, Q24 and Q34

Operational data
Anonymized data
  • Triage sorting outputs that group all Family Class overseas spouse and partner applications by common characteristics for operational routing and processing efficiency. These outputs direct applications to the appropriate processing stream.

AIA — Section 3.1, Q9 and Q27

Run by

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
  • The federal department deploying and operating this automated eligibility and triage system for Family Class overseas spouse and partner applications under the Family Reunification program.

Government of Canada AI Register — IRCC entry 2526-IRCC-010

Built by

Not stated by the Helpful Places.

Kept for

Retained As per existing IRCC data retention schedules (PIB PPU 013)
  • Data retention periods for application data remain unchanged by this system, irrespective of whether the application receives an automated eligibility decision. Retention is governed by existing IRCC Personal Information Bank PPU 013 and associated privacy policies.
  • Duration: As per existing IRCC data retention schedules (PIB PPU 013)

AIA — Section 3.1, Q47 and Q36

Shared with

Available to the accountable organization
  • Outputs, audit trails, and decision records produced by the system are available to IRCC processing officers and management. An audit trail records all recommendations and decisions made by the system, including all key decision points and the version of the system used. Access permission to the system is granted, monitored, and revoked by IRCC.

AIA — Section 3.2, Q16–Q27

Not available to me
  • The specific algorithm and its logic are a trade secret and are not publicly available to applicants or the general public. The internal audit trail and decision logs are not available to individual applicants directly, though applicants may access information about their application through IRCC's existing access to information processes.

AIA — Section 3.1, Q18

Stored

Stored locally
  • All data used by the tools comes from IRCC's Enterprise Data Warehouse and Global Case Management System, which are federal government systems under federal jurisdiction. The data is controlled by the federal government and stored within Canadian government infrastructure.
  • Duration: As per existing IRCC data retention schedules (PIB PPU 013)

AIA — Section 3.1, Q49 and Q55

How to read the colours

Can it identify you?

Anonymized data
Data about people with the link to who is broken. Stripped of identifiers, blurred, aggregated, or noised so this system can’t reasonably tie a record back to an individual.
Pseudonymous data
Each person’s data is tied to a token (hash, ID, template) that lets this system recognise the same person across events, but the token itself doesn’t reveal a name. Reidentification is possible with extra information.
Identifiable data
The data either contains a direct identifier (name, address, account name, recognisable face or voice, plate number) or carries a token this system uses to look up legal identity during processing.

Who completes the loop?

Human decides
This mode suggests; a person decides what to do next. The AI is always advisory — a human is in the loop on every decision. Example: a triage tool ranks cases for a clinician who chooses which to see first.
Human executes
This mode decides; a person carries out the result. Example: an optimizer plans the day’s trash-collection routes, and drivers run them.
Autonomous
This mode decides and acts on its own. No person reviews each decision or carries out the resulting action.

Definitions from the DTPR standard. Amber is about your data, violet about who decides. The fuller the shape and the deeper the colour, the more identifying the data or the less a person is involved.

What you can do

Ask about this system

Questions go to the Helpful Places, not the vendor.

Your rights

  • Right to Be Informed of AI UseApplicants have the right to be informed that an automated system is used in processing their Family Class overseas spouse or partner application. IRCC is required to post plain-language notices through all service delivery channels in use (Internet, in person, mail, or telephone) explaining the role of automation in processing decisions.
  • Right to an Explanation of a DecisionApplicants who receive a denial of a benefit or service have the right to a meaningful explanation of the role the system played in the decision, the training and client data used (including source and collection method), the criteria used to evaluate their data, the system's output and how to interpret it, and the principal factors that led to the administrative decision. Relevant recourse options must also be communicated. A general description of these elements is also made available through the Algorithmic Impact Assessment and on IRCC's departmental website.
  • Right to a Human ReviewAll applications that cannot be approved by the automated system receive a full individualized assessment by an officer. For applications where sponsorship approval and/or principal eligibility determination is automated, the admissibility portion is sent to an officer for review and final decision. Human officers retain final decision authority on all applications, and human override of system decisions is enabled and logged.
  • Right to ContestA recourse process is established for clients who wish to challenge a decision made with the support of this automated system. Clients can contest decisions and have their applications reconsidered. Where a decision results in denial, clients are informed of applicable recourse options as part of the required explanation.
  • Right to Algorithmic TransparencyA general description of the system's role in decision-making, the data it uses, and the criteria it applies must be made available through the Algorithmic Impact Assessment and discoverable via IRCC's departmental website. Applicants have the right to understand, in plain language, how the automated system functions and what role it plays in processing their application, even though the specific algorithm is a trade secret.
  • Right to Non-discriminationApplicants have the right to non-discriminatory treatment from this automated system. IRCC has undertaken a Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) of the data and automation project, has documented processes to test datasets against biases and unexpected outcomes, and has engaged an anti-racism task force and equity policy team in the design. These measures are intended to prevent discriminatory outcomes based on gender and other identity factors.

Risks and safeguards

  • Civil liberties harmThe system makes immigration-related eligibility decisions that could affect the right to family reunification and permanent residency. The system is under intense public scrutiny and its algorithm is kept as a trade secret.Safeguard: The system only automates positive eligibility approvals and never refuses applications. All refusals are made by human officers. A robust quality assurance plan is in place. The system undergoes Gender-Based Analysis Plus and bias testing. An audit trail records all recommendations and decision points. Human override of system decisions is enabled and logged. Plain-language notice is provided through all service delivery channels. A recourse process exists for clients who wish to challenge decisions.
  • Reputational harmAutomated classification of immigration applicants could result in misidentification or unfair categorization affecting individuals' prospects for permanent residency. The algorithm is a trade secret, limiting public auditability.Safeguard: The system only approves; it never labels anyone as ineligible without human review. Bias testing against unexpected outcomes is documented. A Gender-Based Analysis Plus has been completed. Access permission is monitored and revoked as needed. A feedback mechanism for system users is in place, and the system can produce reasons for decisions when required.