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this is my correspondence with the Canadian embassy today -<br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Dear Madam,<br> <br>Please contact the Immigration Office in Vancouver.<br>The process is through: Access to Information office in Canada.<br> <br>Sincerely,<br>Visa & Immigration Section<br><br><br><br>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>From: (moi)<br>Sent: July 13, 2006 7:14 PM<br>To: TAVIV (IM)<br>Subject: request to review/copy immigration file<br><br><br>Dear Sir/Madam, <br> <br>re- request to review/copy immigration file<br> <br>I am writing wirh regards to my request to review/copy my entire dossier at the IMmigration office in Vancouver, and all other files<br> <br> connected with IMmigration, Refugee and CBSA files.<br>My identification number while in Canada has been<br>FOSS ....-....<br> <br>I was adivsed to submit this request by the officers in Vancouver, who cited a regulation allowing for such a procedure to be done via the Embassy of Canada, (consular affair) in Tel Aviv.<br> <br>A similar request was faxed today on one of your regular "dialogue slips" and a few weeks ago by a letter-fax addressed to the Ambassador. <br> <br>Sincerely<br> <br>Ms. telfax - <br> <br> No virus found in this incoming message.<br>Checked by AVG Free Edition.<br>Version: 7.0.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.10/387 - Release Date: 12/07/2006<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>Should advise that I have sent similar request to the Office in Vancouver and have received similar, laconic response, forwarding me to tal aviv embassy. <br><br>I'll hand it to the canadian gov, that shame is not part of their menu. Catch 22 ? nah...its the old run around.<br><br>Anyone knows there what are the "freedom of information" rights under canadian law ? and do non canadians enjoy some of them too, or is it the old gitmo category of "non humans - no constitution" stuff... <p></p><i></i>

Dear Sir/Madam, <br><br>re: My request to review/copy my immigration file.<br><br>I am writing with regards to my request to review/copy my entire dossier at the Immigration office in Vancouver, and all other files<br>connected with my Immigration, Refugee and CBSA files.<br>My identification number while in Canada has been<br>FOSS ....-....<br><br>I was adivsed to submit this request by the officers in Vancouver, who cited a regulation allowing for such a procedure to be done via the Embassy of Canada, (consular affair) in Tel Aviv.<br><br>A similar request was faxed today on one of your regular "dialogue slips" and a few weeks ago by a letter-fax addressed to the Ambassador. <br><br>Yours Sincerely<br><br>PS The chimps who read this also pick nits. <p></p><i></i>

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Anyone knows there what are the "freedom of information" rights under canadian law ? and do non canadians enjoy some of them too<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>Well, while Canada does have a sort of FOI (the Access to Information Act), it's for "individuals and corporations present in Canada". You'd have to physically go there to assert your rights to see federal documents about you. The Privacy Act carries similar conditions:<br><br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Access to Information Act</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>4. (1) Subject to this Act, but notwithstanding any other Act of Parliament, every person who is<br><br>(a) a Canadian citizen, or<br><br>(b) a permanent resident within the meaning of subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act,<br><br>has a right to and shall, on request, be given access to any record under the control of a government institution.<br><br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Privacy Act</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>12. (1) Subject to this Act, every individual who is a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident within the meaning of subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act has a right to and shall, on request, be given access to<br><br>(a) any personal information about the individual contained in a personal information bank; and<br><br>(b) any other personal information about the individual under the control of a government institution with respect to which the individual is able to provide sufficiently specific information on the location of the information as to render it reasonably retrievable by the government institution.<br><br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/">canada.justice.gc.ca/en/</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>-Sepka the Space Weasel <p></p><i></i>

thanks sepka, so that explains it. partly.<br>Is there any way you can think of to get it without actually coming over ? a lawyer ? someone asking for it ? journalist ? <br>---<br>I was also wondering what happens if I sue here, can I get an order of discovery from the local courts...well, just throwing ideas...<br>--<br>on a general note, those arrangements are certainly encouraging the "internationalization" of crime by gov's... <p></p><i></i>

I don't know, but I'll ask. It may take a few days for an answer. The best way to deal with it would be to hire a Canadian lawyer, I'm certain.<br><br>-Sepka the Space Weasel <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=sepka>Sepka</A> at: 7/15/06 3:33 am<br></i>

Problem with canadian lawyers -<br>1. the group that would naturally do this kind of "anti establishment work" is lefties who hate israelis (maybe jews, too) to the point of being unable to do their professional work.<br>2. mainstream lawyers would not touch this with a long rod, because the gov keeps referring to this case as "under terrorist laws", which is something that regular lawyers prefer not to get involved with, or would just cooperate with the gov.<br>3. jewish orgs, who could possibly do that job via lobbying, hate me, cause I spilled the beans on israel.<br>er go..which lawyer ? perhaps a foreign lawyer who operates in canada as well ? <br> <p></p><i></i>

Actually, what's probably happening is that as in any bureaucracy, there are so many laws, procedures, etc, that none of the first-line staff actually know all of the relevant ones. Because it's a bureaucracy, it's safer to refer a novel situation to someone else, or to do nothing, than to show any initiative and potentially act outside of guidelines. There's less chance of being punished that way. You've presented them with an unusual situation, and nobody wants to touch it, for fear of doing something that will end up on their record, and cost them at their yearly evaluation.<br><br>I still think a lawyer's your best bet. In my experience, they come in three flavours - principled, unprincipled and quixotic. The principled ones will represent you to the best of their ability, whether they agree with you or not, because that's part of their professional pride. The unprincipled ones will stay bought, and work for the money, because they know that if they don't, word will get around and they'll lose business. The quixotic ones who want to change the world should be avoided, since they're necessarily going to consider your case as being less important than their convictions.<br><br>-Sepka the Space Weasel <p></p><i></i>

I'm told:<br><br>> I've got an acquaintance who wants to review her Immigration dossier.<br><br>Has her application been rejected? <br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://services3.cic.gc.ca/ecas/ECAS.jsp">services3.cic.gc.ca/ecas/ECAS.jsp</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br><br>> Basically the government never really tells her to get lost, but<br>> provides no real help getting the information either.<br><br>The Harper Administration has refused to increase the staffing of CIC, <br>which last year failed to achieve its own goals for number of <br>applications processed. I imagine that requests for things they are <br>not *required* to do would get very low priority right now.<br><br><br>> Is there an organization that would help with this?<br><br>I am not aware of any organization that is<br> (a) capable of helping<br> (b) willing to help<br> (c) not a private lawyer who wants big bucks to help<br><br>She could try asking her question on immigrant boards such as<br> <!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://community.livejournal.com/canadabound">community.livejournal.com/canadabound</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>-Sepka the Space Weasel <p></p><i></i>

Thats' nice, laying it on Harper. well, in my case, this has been 2 years of not being able to review, so...harper can be held responsible only for the last few months. <br>---<br>What if that friend of yours, has a friend who can just go down to the office and ask to copy the file, with a written/signed authorization from me ? would that make sense? he or she can also offer to do the xerox there themsleves so no added work is needed.<br>--<br>Regretfully all my qcquaintances in Vancouver are refugees themselves who are shivering at the sight of the building, lest they be shipped to hell for butting in the wrong case. (i have to say that even those who already received their status, if they applied as refugees, remain somewhat meek and humble for the rest of their lives, in the host country, given that somehting can always pop up). Or immigrants without final status who are also afraid to run into immigration's wrath, the wrong way. <br><br><br><br>--<br> <p></p><i></i>

"I still think a lawyer's your best bet. In my experience, they come in three flavours - principled, unprincipled and quixotic. The principled ones will represent you to the best of their ability, whether they agree with you or not, because that's part of their professional pride. The unprincipled ones will stay bought, and work for the money, because they know that if they don't, word will get around and they'll lose business. The quixotic ones who want to change the world should be avoided, since they're necessarily going to consider your case as being less important than their convictions."<br>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>If canadian lawyers are anything like US lawyers, most are a mix of Sepka's above-described flavors. For the right price, most lawyers will sign on to your cause, and once on board, professional pride and reputation keeps them fighting in your corner. And many lawyers have a pet cause or twelve, but adhere to the changing-the-world-one-case-at-a-time doctrine.<br><br>Offer a decent retainer (non-refundable, earned when paid) to a lawyer with a good reputation, and she/he will try to earn it. <p></p><i></i>