On-line appointment booking system - Privacy notice: Global Affairs Canada

Before you provide us with your personal information, please take a few moments to review the following privacy notice statement.

Global Affairs Canada is committed to protecting the privacy rights of individuals and safeguarding the personal information under its control in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act.

“Personal information” is defined as any information, in any form, about an identifiable individual, including details of an individual’s personal experiences, opinions or views. Please refer to section 3 of the Privacy Act for further details regarding personal information.

Why is this information collected?

Global Affairs Canada is collecting your contact information in order to reach you if an appointment must be rescheduled or cancelled. Global Affairs Canada will also send you detailed instructions and/or a reminder for your appointment if you choose to supply your email or phone number.

The information is collected under the authority of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act, S.C. 2013, c. 33, s. 174 – The Department, mandated, provides consular assistance to Canadians outside Canada.

What if you choose not to provide your information?

You will not be able to reserve an appointment online if you do not provide your contact information. You may still be able to schedule an appointment by visiting or phoning the office abroad. Please visit the website for the Government of Canada office abroad for contact information and to see if there are any visiting restrictions.

Should you decide to provide an appointment reservation request, it is important to know that your appointment reservation request constitutes your consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of the information provided therein, subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act, and as described in this privacy notice statement.

How will this information be used?

Your personal information will be used to reserve an appointment in our scheduling system and to reach you if modifications to the appointment are required. It may also be used to request voluntary feedback to measure client satisfaction and for service improvement purposes. We will not use the information you submit, including your contact information, for any other purpose without first obtaining your explicit consent.

Please be advised that Global Affairs Canada may keep appointment information for statistical purposes. These statistical reports will not contain any personal information that could potentially be used to identify you.

Will this information be shared?

Your personal information will only be shared with Global Affairs Canada consular staff for the purpose of managing consular appointments. You may receive an automated request to provide optional feedback about our service following your appointment.

Where will the information be stored?

The appointment information is captured within the online appointment scheduling system from TimeTrade, which is a third party cloud service provider. Our system is located in a Canadian data centre.

How will the information be protected?

You have the right to the protection of your personal information. TimeTrade employs data centers that are audited to ensure that controls to protect information are established and operating effectively.

How long will the information be retained?

Your personal information will be retained by Global Affairs Canada as described in the Personal Information Bank (PIB), “Consular Affairs – Assistance to Canadians”.^{Footnote 1}

Will I be able to access the information provided? And can I correct any errors?

You have the right to request access to your information and to request corrections where you believe there is an error or omission.

Who can I contact if I have any questions?

You may contact the Department’s Access to Information and Privacy Protection Division at dcp@international.gc.ca to exercise these rights.^{Footnote 2} Please refer to the “Consular Affairs – Assistance to Canadians” (PIB) when requesting access to, or corrections of, your information.

You also have the right to file a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at any time regarding GAC’s handling of your personal information.^{Footnote 3}