Privacy Policy

1. About This Privacy Policy

SPIVAS Immigration Consulting Inc. (“SPIVAS,” “we,” “us” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to handling personal information responsibly.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain and protect personal information when you:

visit www.spivas.com;
contact us by email, telephone, WhatsApp, social media or through a website form;
request an assessment or consultation;
subscribe to communications;
become a client; or
otherwise interact with SPIVAS.

SPIVAS has designated a Privacy Officer who is accountable for our personal-information practices.

2. Personal Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with us and the services requested, we may collect the following:

Contact and inquiry information

name;
email address;
telephone or WhatsApp number;
country of citizenship or residence;
preferred method of communication; and
questions, messages and correspondence.

Assessment and immigration information

date of birth;
citizenship, immigration status and country of residence;
marital and family information;
education, language skills and employment history;
résumé or curriculum vitae;
travel and immigration history;
information about a spouse, partner, children, sponsor or other family members; and
other information you voluntarily provide for an assessment or consultation.

Client information

If you retain SPIVAS, we may also collect information reasonably required to provide immigration or citizenship consulting services, including:

passports and other identity documents;
immigration forms, application numbers and government correspondence;
educational, employment and financial records;
language-test and credential-assessment results;
information concerning medical, criminal, security or admissibility matters where relevant;
consultation and client-service agreements;
records of advice, instructions and communications; and
invoices, receipts and payment records.

We ask that you provide only the information reasonably necessary for your inquiry or matter.

Website and technical information

When you visit the website, our systems and service providers may automatically collect limited technical information such as:

Internet Protocol address;
browser and device type;
operating system;
referring and visited pages;
date and time of access; and
cookies or similar identifiers.

3. How We Obtain Information

We may obtain personal information:

directly from you;
from a family member, sponsor, employer, educational institution or other person authorized by you;
from documents, government correspondence and online portals;
from government departments, provincial or territorial authorities and other organizations involved in your matter;
from publicly available sources where appropriate; and
automatically through your use of the website.

If you provide information about another person, you must have authority to provide that information and, where required, obtain that person’s consent.

4. Why We Collect and Use Information

SPIVAS may use personal information to:

respond to inquiries and requests;
conduct preliminary assessments;
schedule and provide consultations;
determine whether we can accept a matter;
prepare proposals, consultation agreements and service agreements;
provide immigration or citizenship consulting services;
prepare, review and submit applications, expressions of interest and supporting documents;
communicate with clients and other authorized parties;
verify identity, eligibility and the accuracy of information;
process and document payments;
maintain professional, financial and regulatory records;
comply with legal and professional obligations;
protect our website, accounts, clients and business from fraud, misuse and security threats;
investigate and respond to complaints or security incidents;
maintain and improve our services and website; and
send promotional communications where we have consent or are otherwise permitted by law.

We do not use personal information for purposes unrelated to those identified without obtaining additional consent, unless the use is permitted or required by law.

5. Consent and Withdrawal of Consent

We obtain consent appropriate to the nature and sensitivity of the information and the circumstances. Consent may be express or implied where permitted by law.

You may withdraw consent to future collection, use or disclosure by contacting our Privacy Officer. Withdrawal is subject to legal, regulatory and contractual restrictions and may affect our ability to provide an assessment, consultation or immigration service.

Withdrawing consent to marketing does not prevent us from sending necessary service, account, legal or regulatory communications.

6. When We Disclose Personal Information

SPIVAS does not sell or rent personal information.

We may disclose information only as reasonably necessary:

to SPIVAS employees or authorized contractors who require it to perform their duties;
to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency, Employment and Social Development Canada, Service Canada and provincial or territorial immigration authorities;
to educational institutions, employers, credential-assessment organizations, language-testing organizations or other parties involved in your matter;
to interpreters, translators, other authorized representatives or professionals assisting with your matter;
to website-hosting, email, cloud-storage, case-management, communications, scheduling, payment, accounting, backup and cybersecurity providers;
to the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants when required in the exercise of its regulatory authority;
to insurers, auditors, legal advisers or collection services where reasonably necessary;
to law-enforcement agencies, courts or government authorities where required or authorized by law; or
to another person or organization when you have authorized the disclosure.

Where client information is disclosed, SPIVAS limits the disclosure to what is reasonably necessary for the particular purpose.

7. Service Providers and Processing Outside Canada

SPIVAS uses outside service providers to operate its website and business. These may include providers of:

website hosting and form delivery;
email and electronic communications;
cloud storage and document management;
video conferencing and appointment scheduling;
accounting and payment processing;
website security, malware protection and backups; and
embedded media or website analytics.

Some providers may store or process information in Canada, the United States or other countries in which they or their subcontractors operate. Information processed outside Canada may be subject to the laws of the applicable foreign jurisdiction and may be accessible to its courts, governments or law-enforcement authorities.

You may contact our Privacy Officer for further information about the categories of providers used in handling your information.

8. Cookies and Embedded Content

The website uses cookies and similar technologies necessary for security, forms, navigation and basic website functionality.

Third-party embedded content, such as video, maps or social-media content, may allow the applicable provider to collect technical information or place cookies when you interact with that content.

Analytics or advertising cookies will not be used unless the applicable service has been enabled and any consent required by law has been obtained.

You can configure your browser to block or delete cookies. Blocking necessary cookies may prevent certain website features or forms from functioning properly.

9. Safeguarding Information

SPIVAS uses administrative, technical and physical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. These may include:

restricting information to authorized persons;
account authentication and access controls;
secure website connections;
system updates, backups and security monitoring;
confidentiality requirements for employees and contractors;
service-provider controls; and
secure disposal practices.

No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. Please do not send passports, government identification, banking information, medical records, police records or other highly sensitive documents through ordinary email or a general contact form unless SPIVAS has instructed you to use that method. We may provide alternative document-transfer instructions when appropriate.

10. Retention and Disposal

SPIVAS retains information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the identified purpose and to meet legal, tax, insurance and professional obligations.

Our general retention practices are:

General inquiries that do not become a consultation or client matter are normally deleted or anonymized within 24 months after the last meaningful contact.
Information forming part of a consultation or client file is retained for at least six years after the file is closed, or longer where required by law, professional obligations, a complaint, an investigation or another legitimate requirement.
Financial and business records are retained for the period required by applicable law.
Marketing preferences and consent records are retained for as long as reasonably necessary to administer and demonstrate those preferences.
Backup copies may remain until overwritten or deleted through the normal backup cycle.

When information is no longer required, it is securely destroyed, erased or anonymized. SPIVAS’s professional obligation to preserve the confidentiality of client and former-client information continues indefinitely.

11. Access, Correction and Privacy Choices

Subject to applicable exceptions, you may ask SPIVAS to:

confirm whether we hold personal information about you;
explain how it has been used or disclosed;
provide access to your personal information;
correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
withdraw consent to future handling where applicable; or
address a privacy concern or complaint.

We may need to verify your identity before processing a request. Access may be limited where disclosure is prohibited by law, would reveal another person’s information or is otherwise subject to a lawful exception.

12. Information About Children and Minors

SPIVAS may need to collect information about children or minors when providing family, study-permit or other immigration services.

This information is normally provided by a parent, legal guardian, sponsor or other properly authorized person and is used only for the relevant inquiry or service. Where appropriate, we may request the involvement or consent of a parent, guardian or other authorized adult.

We do not knowingly use a minor’s personal information for promotional marketing without valid consent.

13. Electronic and Marketing Communications

SPIVAS may send communications concerning an inquiry, appointment, consultation, client matter, invoice or service agreement where necessary to provide the requested service.

Promotional electronic messages are sent only with consent or where otherwise permitted by Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation. These messages will identify SPIVAS and provide a functioning unsubscribe method.

Unsubscribe requests will be processed as soon as reasonably possible and no later than 10 business days after receipt. Unsubscribing from promotional communications will not prevent necessary service-related messages.

14. Privacy and Security Incidents

If SPIVAS becomes aware of unauthorized access, use, loss or disclosure involving personal information, we will assess, contain, document and respond to the incident.

Where an incident creates a real risk of significant harm, SPIVAS will notify affected individuals and report the incident to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada as required by applicable law.

15. Third-Party Websites

The website may link to government, social-media or other third-party websites. SPIVAS does not control those websites or their privacy practices. You should review the privacy notice of the applicable third party before providing information.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our services, practices, technology or legal obligations.

The updated version will be posted on this page with a revised effective date. If a change materially affects how previously collected information will be handled, we will provide additional notice or obtain consent where required.