Privacy Policy & Data Protection

1 Introduction & Regulatory Framework

Imani Immigration Services Ltd. ("we", "us", or "our"), operated under the professional direction of Elnaz Imani, RCIC #R526618, respects the privacy rights of all clients, prospective clients, and website visitors.

As a professional immigration law practice located in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, our data handling practices are strictly governed by Canadian privacy legislation, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), as well as the professional regulatory requirements established by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC).

2 CICC Professional Duty of Confidentiality

This duty of confidentiality begins at the moment of initial contact or consultation (whether in-person, by phone, or electronically) and continues indefinitely, surviving the completion or termination of our legal services contract.

3 Information We Collect

To assess your eligibility, provide accurate legal advice, and represent your applications before Canadian immigration authorities, we collect personal and sensitive information, which may include:

Identity & Contact Details: Full name, date of birth, place of birth, citizenship, residential address, telephone number, and email address. Official Documents & Passports: Copies of passports, national identity cards, birth certificates, marriage or divorce certificates. Immigration & Travel History: Current immigration status, previous visas, travel logs, entry/exit records, refusal letters, or Procedural Fairness Letters (PFL). Financial & Employment Records: Proof of funds, bank statements, employment letters, tax documents (NOAs, T4s), pay slips, and business ownership documentation. Educational Credentials & Language Competency: Degrees, diplomas, transcripts, Educational Credential Assessments (ECA reports from WES/ICAS), and language test results (IELTS, CELPIP, TEF, TCF). Medical & Security Data: Medical examination confirmations, police clearance certificates, and information relevant to criminal or medical inadmissibility assessments. Family & Sponsorship Details: Information concerning spouses, common-law partners, dependent children, parents, or grandparents for sponsorship applications.

3.1 Sensitive Personal Information

Certain categories of information we collect — including medical examination results, police clearance certificates, and information relevant to criminal or medical inadmissibility — are treated as sensitive personal information and receive heightened safeguards:

4 Purpose & Use of Personal Data

We collect and process your personal information exclusively for lawful legal representation and professional services, including:

5 Third-Party Disclosures & Authorizations

We do NOT sell, rent, trade, or share your personal information with third-party marketing companies. Disclosure of your personal information occurs strictly in the following authorized scenarios:

Government Authorities: Submission of official forms and documentation to IRCC, ESDC, CBSA, IRB, or provincial nomination offices pursuant to an executed IMM 5476 Use of a Representative form or Retainer Agreement. Third-Party Service Providers: Sharing data with authorized credential evaluation agencies (e.g., WES), official language test bodies, certified translators, or courier services required for your file. Statutory & Judicial Requirements: When compelled by law, court order, search warrant, subpoena, or regulatory audit by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC).

5.1 Cross-Border Data Storage & Transfer

Some of our technology infrastructure operates on servers located outside Canada. We distinguish between two categories of data handling:

If you have questions about where your specific information is stored, contact our Privacy Officer (Section 10).

6 Mandatory 7-Year Statutory Record Retention

Upon expiration of the 7-year statutory retention period, physical records are securely destroyed via cross-cut shredding, and digital records are permanently deleted from secure servers in compliance with PIPEDA standards.

7 Cookies & Website Analytics

Our website (elnazimani.com) uses the following categories of cookies and tracking technologies:

You may configure your browser to decline non-essential cookies at any time. Declining essential cookies may limit consultation scheduling functionality.

7.1 Children's & Dependants' Information

As part of sponsorship and family-class applications, we may collect personal information about dependent children, including minors. This information is:

• Collected only with the consent of the child's parent or legal guardian, as part of an active retainer for sponsorship or family-class representation
• Used exclusively for the immigration application(s) for which it was provided
• Subject to the same confidentiality and security protections as all other client information

A parent or legal guardian may contact our Privacy Officer to review or request correction of a dependant's information at any time, subject to the retention requirements described in Section 6.

8 Your Rights Under PIPEDA

Under Canadian federal privacy legislation (PIPEDA), you possess the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right of Access: You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you.
• Right of Rectification: You may request corrections to any inaccurate, outdated, or incomplete personal data.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: You may withdraw your consent for data processing at any time, subject to legal, statutory, or retainer requirements (note: withdrawal of consent during an active IRCC application may necessitate termination of legal representation).
• Right to Request Deletion: You may request deletion of your personal information. Requests will be honored except where retention is required by law or professional regulation — for example, the 7-year client file retention mandated by CICC (Section 6).

9 Data Breach Response

In the event of a breach of security safeguards involving your personal information that poses a real risk of significant harm, we will:

• Notify the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC), as required under PIPEDA's Breach of Security Safeguards Regulations
• Notify affected individuals as soon as feasible, describing the nature of the breach and steps taken in response
• Maintain a record of all breaches, regardless of risk level, for a minimum of 24 months, as required by law