Tools that protect the security of our immigration system

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) also uses advanced analytics–based tools to help maintain program integrity for the security of all Canadians. These tools aren’t involved in our processing officers’ work but help us minimize fraud in our system.

The tools are developed in consultation with legal experts to find and mitigate potential bias or discriminatory impacts. They are built and used in accordance with relevant legislation, including

• the Privacy Act
• the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• the Canadian Human Rights Act
• the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

Integrity trends analysis tool

Following pilots in 2020 and 2021, we introduced an advanced analytics–based tool that analyzes trends in application data to help us better detect risk and fraud patterns in applications.

What the tool does

Our integrity trends analysis tool is a data mining tool. It analyzes large volumes of our data and finds patterns that may help find new applications that need further verification.

Our risk assessment units review information generated by the tool and use it to help them decide whether to conduct additional checks on applications, such as verifying client documents with the issuers to make sure they are authentic. This is similar to technologies used by banks to identify potentially fraudulent activity on client cards.

The tool has proven to improve and simplify verification activities, as risk assessment units are better informed of which risk patterns need further examination.

More efficient and comprehensive fraud detection allows officers to process applications more effectively and protects the integrity of our programs.

What the tool doesn’t do

Our integrity trends analysis tool doesn’t

• make decisions
• recommend any decisions to processing officers

Only risk assessment units are aware that the tool is being used to scan incoming applications in a particular line of business. The information generated by the tool isn’t shared with processing officers. They only see the results of the verification activity that is carried out by risk assessment officers, which could take place with or without the tool’s information.

Developing the technology

The integrity trends analysis tool was designed and developed at IRCC by our computer sciences experts, who consulted subject matter experts across the department. Measures were taken to avoid any unintended consequences, mitigate potential biases and protect personal information. These include

• an independent review of the tool’s design by Statistics Canada
• a governance framework to provide oversight and accountability of the intended purpose of the tool to improve processing output
• a privacy needs assessment in accordance with the Privacy Act, which uses an approach that doesn’t store or capture personal information on a permanent basis
• a Gender-Based Analysis Plus assessment detailing how the tool was designed to minimize the potential for bias or discrimination, as well as how continuous monitoring would mitigate the potential for bias
• an Algorithmic Impact Assessment to address benefits and risks, the likelihood of both benefits and risks materializing, and the effectiveness of controls designed to help reduce the risks of implementing the tool