I sponsored a family member who resides outside of Canada, and they applied for permanent residence at a visa office overseas. Can I obtain information on that file?

A: Yes. If you are seeking personal information about someone other than yourself, in this case, a family member’s file, you must:

• send a request under the Access to Information Act,
• get written consent from the family member, and anyone else over 18 years of age who is included in the file, to get their personal information and
• pay a C$5.00 application fee.

If, however, you are requesting information contained in your own sponsorship file, you must submit a request under the Privacy Act and no fees apply.