Disclaimer and Privacy Policy

• Disclaimer

• Privacy Policy

• Beware of fraudulent job offers

Disclaimer

The following provisions apply to all Applicants who have opted for or intending to opt for Services at the Canada Visa Application Centre/s whether in person or through mail as applicable.

VF Worldwide Holdings Ltd (hereinafter referred to as “VFS Global”) is the outsourced service provider of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, (“IRCC”). In this capacity VFS Global operates the Canada Visa Application Centre/s through its subsidiaries or partners and is authorized to perform administrative functions for IRCC related to temporary resident visa, permit applications and applications for travel documents for permanent residents of Canada. The Applicants agree and understand that the charges paid to VFS Global for the services used by the Applicants are non-refundable under any circumstances.

Applicants acknowledge that the responsible Canada Visa Office reserves the right to ask for further documentation or interview in order to make a decision on visa applications.

VFS Global does not undertake or guarantee:

1. The result of any application.

2. Save as expressly provided herein, VFS Global, is not responsible for, and hereby excludes, all liability in respect of any injury, loss or damage of any kind whatsoever arising from any delay in processing or rejection of a visa application.

3. While reasonable precautions are taken while handling Applicant documents, including passports, VFS Global, shall not be liable or responsible (except to the extent as mentioned herein below) whether in contract, tort or in any other manner, to Applicants for any injury, loss or damage of any kind whether arising from:

4. The handling of passports and documents by the Canada Visa Application Centre/s and its Subcontractors;

5. Any Value-added services used by the Applicants.

6. An act of God;

7. Any accident or theft in any measures;

8. Any other circumstances beyond the control of the Canada Visa Application Centre/s and its Subcontractors.

In the event a passport is lost or damaged in transit through courier and or while in the possession of VFS Global and/or the Canada Visa Application Centre/s, its authorized Subcontractors, the liability of VFS Global, and/or the Canada Visa Application Centre/s, its authorized Subcontractors is limited to reimbursement of official fees charged by the relevant authority for replacement of a lost or damaged passports and visas through normal application procedure only. VFS Global, and/or the Canada Visa Application Centre/s, its authorized Subcontractors shall not be responsible or liable for any consequential loss or damage caused to an Applicant due to the loss of or damage to his or her passport or supporting documents.

All charges for services provided by the VAC and listed on the Service and Service Charge Schedule webpage of this website are non-refundable.

VFS Global have placed links on this website which takes one to another website/s, which the Applicants may wish to visit. VFS Global does not review such websites and has no control over their content. Therefore, VFS Global does not accept any liability if the Applicants visit those websites and use services in respect thereof. Once the Applicant/s link to another site, they are also subject to the terms and conditions of that site. While it is important to note that no employee / subcontractor of VFS Global has any right or authority to change, amend, and amplify the contents mentioned herein.

These Conditions shall be governed in all respects by the local laws and any disputes arising from these Conditions shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the local courts.

Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

VF Worldwide Holdings Ltd. and its worldwide companies & subsidiaries (“VFS Global,” “we,” or “us”) is an authorized Contractor of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and is authorized to perform administrative support and biometric collection services related to the processing of temporary resident visa, permit, and travel document applications (“the visa application process”)

2. Scope

This Privacy Notice applies to the provision of additional services that are provided by VFS Global as listed below.

For information on how IRCC collects and uses your personal data in connection to the “visa application process” please refer to the Privacy Notice or Disclosure section of the applicable application form, or to their website.

Additional Services

The additional services that are provided by VFS Global that fall under the scope of this Privacy Notice are:

• Appointment scheduling at a Visa Application Centre (VAC).

• Application/ Document Tracking and Transmittal.

• Provision of Self-service visa application workstations.

• Document Courier delivery services.

hereinafter called the (“Services”).

It is not mandatory to provide your personal data for the “Services”, however, without providing the required personal data, we may not be able to deliver these services.

VFS Global as an authorized Contractor of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) complies with the instructions and obligations of IRCC in in the collection, use, disclosure, safeguarding and retention and disposal of personal data related to the “visa application process”.

In respect to the services provided by VFS Global, this Privacy Notice describes:

• The purpose and authority for collecting and using your personal data;

• The parties responsible for handling your personal data;

• How to contact the parties responsible for handling your personal data;

• Why your data is collected;

• What data is collected;

• Transferring your data off-shore;

• How long your data is held for;

• Who do we share your information with;

• Your individual rights with regards to your personal data;

• Accessing or updating your Personal data;

• How your data is protected;

• Who to contact for privacy concerns?

We may change this Notice from time to time so please check this page occasionally to ensure that you are aware of any changes.

If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Notice or our privacy practices, please contact our Data Protection Officer

3. Authority and Purpose for collection and processing.

Authority:

VFS Global is authorized by IRCC to perform administrative support and biometric collection services related to processing of temporary resident visa, permit, and travel document applications IRCC limits the personal data that is to be collected, used, and disclosed by VFS Global as part of the visa application process. Further detail of this process can be found at this link

The authority (lawful basis) for collecting personal data from individuals for providing:

• Appointment scheduling at a Visa Application Centre (VAC).

• Application / Document Tracking and Transmittal Services.

• Provision of Self-service visa application workstations.

is provided by IRCC as part of the Contract between IRCC and VFS Global.

In providing the commercial service of courier delivery of documents, if the data protection law in your country of residence allows, then we will use the lawful basis of “performance of contract” as the authority to collect and uses your personal data.

What this means in plain terms, is that when you purchase the additional service of courier delivery of documents, you enter into a contract with us to deliver that service. If it clearly obvious that we could not deliver that service without collecting and using some personal data, then by entering into that contract it implies that you have given your permission (consent) for us to collect and use that personal data. For example, in order to provide the courier service, we will need a delivery address.

If the data protection law in your country of residence does not have the lawful basis of “performance of contract”, then we will ask for your explicit consent for the collection of your personal data for the courier delivery of documents from us.

Purpose:

Personal data is collected and used for the sole purpose of facilitating visa applications and providing the services as described above. We do not use your personal data for any other purpose.

Provision of personal information to VFS is voluntary. Please note, however, that a refusal to provide personal information may limit our ability to provide the requested services. Personal information is collected directly from the applicant or an authorized representative on behalf of the applicant.

4. The parties responsible for handling your personal data;

Visa Application processing:

IRCC is responsible for the use of the personal data you provide in the visa application form and for the data received from you in connection with processing your visa application. This role is known as the “Organisation” under the Canadian Personal Information Protection and Electric Document Act (PIPEDA). This role may also be known as a “Data Controller”, “DataFiduciary” or similar depending on your country of residence.

Please see this link for more information about how IRCC protects your personal data.

Additional “Services” processing:

When VFS Global provides additional “Services” at your request, such as document courier delivery, VFS Global is responsible for handling the personal data you provide in connection with these services.

5. How to contact the parties responsible for handling your personal data?

The contact details for IRCC are :

365 Laurier Ave W, Ottawa, ON K1P 6A6, Canada. Or via this link.

Contact detail for VFS Global are:

VF Worldwide Holdings Ltd,

Unit 3205, 32nd Floor,

Jumeirah Business Centre,

1 Tower, Cluster G,

Jumeirah Lakes Towers,

P.O. Box 114100,

Dubai, UAE.

or email: Data Protection Officer

6. Why your data is collected.

Your personal data is collected to:

• Perform administrative support and biometric collection services related to the processing of temporary resident visa, permit and travel document applications for IRCC.

and to:

• Book an appointment at a Visa Application Centre (VAC)

• To validate who you say you are when you come to collect your decision envelope.

• To enable you to track the progress of your application;

• To provide you with additional services that you request.;

7. What Information is collected

Information that may be collected.

When VFS Global performs administrative support and biometric collection services related to the visa application process:

Applicants may be asked to provide for the visa application process certain personal information including;

• Name,

• Photograph,

• Address,

• Date of birth,

• Telephone number,

• Passport information,

• Birth certificate,

• Income/financial information

• Citizenship status,

• Marital status,

• Employment information,

• Criminal background check

• Educational background information.

• Biometric data.

For specific information on how your Biometric data is used and protected, please see this link

This above personal information is collected to provide the Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada (IRCC) with information required to process your requests for visas and permits. This personal information may also be used to return your passport and documents once the application has been processed by IRCC in the manner authorized at the time of application submission.

CCTV systems are used at our visa application centres, where permitted under local law, to provide security for visa applicants and staff. The CCTV images are deleted after as per local law requirements. For further information on the usage of CCTV at the visa application centre contact our Data Protection Officer.

Call centre application Status:

Applicants may choose to provide their name and reference number or unique application tracking ID by telephone to receive an update on the status of their visa, permit or travel document applications.

Online Application Tracking:

Applicants will be required to provide Date of Birth and tracking ID on our website for the purpose of tracking the status of their application.

Applicant Inquiries:

We may collect certain limited personal information such as:

• given (first) and family name.

• date of birth,

• phone number,

• street address,

• email address,

• application date,

• tracking ID;

When contacting us by phone with an inquiry or comment, you should not provide any more personal details than requested during the communication. We recommend that applicants do not reveal the specific nature of the service sought or application made via e-mail.

Information that VFS Global may request to provide additional “Services”.

VFS Global may request the following contact information to provide the document courier delivery service when requested:

• given (first) and family name.

• Delivery Address,

• Mobile Phone Number.

Information collection and usage when you visit our website:

Like many other websites, the VFS Global websites use Cookies. 'Cookies' are small pieces of information sent by an organisation to your browser and stored on your device. One purpose we use them for is to help collect statistical information about your browsing actions and patterns, but they do not identify you as an individual to us. Other uses are to set your preferred language and tell your browser what pages you have already visited so that you can use the "Back" function. Cookies help us to improve our websites and deliver a more personalised service.

We provide the choice for you to accept or refuse the use of cookies when you visit our websites, and you can change the Cookie settings at any time with this button.

8. Transferring your data off-shore;

In order to facilitate your visa application and provide services such as appointment scheduling and tracking your application we will transfer your personal information, internally within VFS Global, to one of our data centres located in Canada, as required by our Contract with Canada.

Personal data provided for your visa application will be sent directly to the identified IRCC office dealing with visa applications. The identified IRCC office may not be in your country of residence.

Data localisation:

If your local law requires that personal data be retained in your country, then VFS Global will comply with that law. This is only applicable for personal data collected for the provision of additional services as noted in Item 2 (Scope) above.

If you would like to know more about our data transfer practices, please contact our Data Protection Officer.

9. How long your data is held for?

Your visa application personal data is deleted from VFS Global’s systems after successful transmission to the Canadian diplomatic mission.

Only your name and contact details, as well as the passport number, are retained for the purposes of the appointment scheduling, tracking the progress of your visa application, and returning your documents to you. This personal data is destroyed (30) thirty days after services rendered to you are completed, or as agreed to by Canada.

If you use a self-service workstation in our VAC, the data on this workstation is deleted after every session.

If you contact us with follow-up questions or a complaint, we may retain your contact information, application reference number for the time it takes to resolve your matter.

We are legally required to hold some types of information to fulfil our statutory obligations (for example; invoices for taxation legislation).

10. Who do we share your information with?

We share your personal information with the Canadian government as an authorised service provider. This information includes the personal information supplied by you to support your visa application.

We will not share your personal information to third parties, such a document courier company, without your consent. This consent may be explicit, such as when you give consent verbally, written, or on-line, or implied, such as when you enter into a contract with us to deliver an optional additional service.

We only use partners that have satisfactory data protection measures in place and that have been approved by the Government of Canada.

We will only disclose personal information when requested by a public authority and only if that request is supported by a court order and with the permission of Canada.

We may also share information concerning your interactions with us to the Canadian government in connection with a complaint, request, data access request, or as requested by the Canadian government

11. Your individual rights with regards to your personal data;

Under the data protection law of your country, you may have certain rights with regards to the personal information you provided when requesting the additional services.

These rights are:

• The right to be informed how your personal information is being used.

• The right of access and a copy of your personal information.

• The right to rectification if your personal information is incorrect.

• The right to erasure your personal information. (Where the law permits this).

• The right to restrict processing of your personal information.

• The right to data portability.

• The right to object to how your personal information is used.

• Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling.

Note: Access to certain rights may vary depending on your country of residence and destination where the application is submitted.

For more information concerning your rights you may contact:

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

30, Victoria Street

Gatineau, Quebec, Canada

K1A 1H3

https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/report-a-concern/

or contact our Data Protection Officer.

12. Accessing or updating your Personal Information

You have the right to access and ask for a copy of the information VFS Global holds about you. We cannot provide access or a copy of the personal information you have provided in support of your visa application, for this you must contact the identified IRCC office.

If you request access to your personal information, we will gladly comply, subject to any relevant legal requirements and exemptions. Before providing data to you, we will ask for proof of identity and sufficient information about your interaction with us so that we can locate any relevant data.

Access your personal Information.

13. How is your data protected?

When you give us personal information, we take steps to ensure that it is treated securely. Any sensitive information is encrypted and protected both in transit and when it is stored. We protect your personal data by following the security requirements of our contract with the Canadian Government which specifies that a Contractor must at all times protect the privacy of any Personal Information, as understood in Canadian Law, specifically the Privacy Act (1985) and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (2000).

Our visa applications centres are certified to the ISO/IEC 27001:2013 standard for the security of using information. This ensures that how VFS using your information is checked and validated by an independent party.

On our websites when you are on a secure page, a lock icon will appear in the address bar of most web browsers. This means the transfer of information from your browser to our web servers is encrypted to keep it safe.

Please bear in mind that emails may be transmitted unencrypted over the Internet, and this can never be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, do not include personal information in an email when you communicate with us, if you do, you do so at your own risk.

14. Who to contact for privacy concerns?

If you feel that your personal information has been handled incorrectly or you have a complaint about how your personal information is handled/ used, you have the right to complain.

You can complain to our Data Protection Officer, or the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, outlining how you think your rights may have been impacted by the data processing performed by VFS Global.

For more information concerning your rights you may contact:

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

30, Victoria Street

Gatineau, Quebec, Canada

K1A 1H3

https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/report-a-concern/

VFS Global’s EU lead supervisory authority is:

The Data Protection Commission for Ireland 21 Fitzwilliam Square South Dublin 2 D02 RD28

Contact us.

We understand that you may have questions about this Privacy Notice or our privacy practices. Please feel free to contact us in one of the following ways:

VFS Global’s Group Data Protection Officer:

Email: Dpo@vfsglobal.com

Postal Address:

VF Worldwide Holdings Ltd,

Unit 3205, 32nd Floor,

Jumeirah Business Centre,

1 Tower, Cluster G,

Jumeirah Lakes Towers,

P.O. Box 114100,

Dubai,

UAE.

Beware of fraudulent job offers

Fraudulent Recruitment / Employment Offers

It has come to VFS Global’s attention that, individuals misrepresenting themselves as VFS Global’ agents or representatives have approached people to offer fraudulent/fictitious employment opportunities, with the intent to steal personal information or solicit money from people. We encourage you to exercise caution and common sense when receiving any such employment offer, which requires payment of any fees/money, or promises a work visa in exchange for money. The said offers are completely fake and not valid. VFS Global is not a Recruitment agency and does not offer recruitment services. Scammers operate primarily via the internet, email, phone etc. We warn people to beware of such scams.

Please be advised that, VFS Global is a visa processing company and we work only with government and diplomatic missions to fulfil their administrative requirements of visa application processing. Neither VFS Global nor its representatives will ask for money from individuals under any circumstances to lure them with employment opportunities either in VFS Global or outside. If you receive any offer that purports to be from VFS Global, which ask for money, these types of offers are fraudulent.

Warning signs of recruitment fraud

The following are some examples of recruitment fraud which are in violation of VFS Global’s processes and ethical practices:

• The email is not sent from an official VFS Global e-mail address but from a free e-mail service such as: Hotmail, Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc. It is also possible that, the email is sent from a fake email address.

• You are asked to disclose private or confidential information.

• You are asked to be interviewed over the phone or via an instant-messenger type program.

• You are requested to pay fees/money.

• You are requested to complete bogus recruitment documentations such as an application or employment visa forms, (the VFS Global name and logo could be forged/fabricated and featured on the documentation without authority).

• Insistence on urgency.

• Money will be requested for processing Work Permits, Visa applications or the like.

Such actions are presumably intended to defraud or obtain personal information from the victims.

The activities of these individuals involve criminal and civil liabilities. While VFS Global takes such matter seriously and reserves its right to contact competent law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute such illegal activities, it is often difficult to locate and prosecute these individuals.

Therefore, if you receive a request, either in writing or verbally, for an interview or a job offer that you believe is or might be fraudulent or suspicious, please disregard them. You may also verify the same with VFS Global at communications@vfsglobal.com

If you come to know that a fraud is being perpetrated, we encourage to forthwith contact your local police and/or any competent authorities and also to keep us informed by reporting the fraud at acco@vfsglobal.com

Under no circumstances will VFS Global be liable or responsible for any loss, damages, expenses or inconvenience resulting from these unauthorized persons and/or activities.