IRCC secure account : Sign in

We have different accounts for some applications. You may need a different account to apply, depending on the application you submit.

Check if this is the right account for you

• work permits
• Express Entry (immigrating as a skilled worker)
• International Experience Canada
• extending work and study permits
• visitor records (to stay in Canada longer)
• change your school (if you have a study permit)
• change conditions on your work permit
• Canadian citizenship certificates (proof of citizenship)
• search of citizenship records
• temporary health benefits for refugees and protected persons (the Interim Federal Health Program)

You might also need to use this account for these applications, depending on your situation:

• study permits, including those under the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot (FMCSP) (only if you’re applying with a family member who is applying for a work permit)
• some visitor visas (get visitor visa instructions for your situation)

If your application isn’t listed, review your program content to get instructions on how to apply:

• Visit Canada (includes visas and electronic travel authorizations)
• Immigrate to Canada (includes family sponsorship, Express entry and other economic immigration programs)
• Work in Canada (includes work permits and International Experience Canada)
• Study in Canada (includes study permits and extensions)
• Canadian citizenship (includes applying for citizenship and proof of citizenship)
• Refugees and asylum (includes asylum claims and sponsoring refugees)

• applications you submitted in this account
• these applications (after you link the application to your account):
  • Agri-Food Pilot
  • Atlantic Immigration Pilot
  • Atlantic Immigration Program
  • Caring for children
  • Caring for people with high medical needs
  • electronic travel authorization (eTA)
  • Express Entry
  • family sponsorship (excluding applications to become a sponsor)
  • Home Child Care Provider Pilot
  • Home Support Worker Pilot
  • in-Canada live-in caregivers
  • in-Canada protected persons and convention refugees (excluding dependant applications)
  • Interim Federal Health Program
  • International Experience Canada (IEC)
  • permanent resident card
  • Provincial Nominee Program
  • Quebec entrepreneurs
  • Quebec investors
  • Quebec-selected skilled worker
  • Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot
  • self-employed persons (including Quebec)
  • start-up visa
  • study permit and extension
  • Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident Pathway (TR to PR Pathway)
  • visitor visa
  • visitor record
  • work permit and extension
  • applications you submitted in this account (only if we ask you for the document)
  • electronic travel authorizations (eTA) (only if we email you about submitting your documents)

  Alerts

  Study permit applicants

  As of 8:30 am ET on January 22, 2024, most students must include a provincial attestation letter (PAL) from the province or territory where they plan to study with their study permit application.

  In most cases, if you apply without a PAL, your application will be returned with fees.

  New PAL/TAL exemptions for study permit applications

  The exemptions for including a PAL/TAL with your study permit application have changed. If your application is already in progress (but hasn’t been submitted), check the list of PAL/TAL exemptions to see if you need to include one.

  Delays with the status of your medical exam results If we asked you for a medical exam after you applied

  You may not see the status of your results updated right away.

  • Your results usually show up in your account within 30 days of the date you booked your exam.
  • It may take longer (for example, if we need more information from you).

  You may not see the status of your results updated in your account until we finish processing your immigration application. We need time to

  • process your application
  • link the results to your application

  If we ask or if a panel physician asks you for additional medical information, tests or treatment

  To avoid more delays, you must

  • go back to see the physician
  • complete the requirement before we can assess your medical exam

  Don’t complete a new medical exam unless we instruct you to do so.

  Your panel physician can explain how long it will take to complete additional testing or treatment.

  Student Direct Stream applicants How to submit your language test results

  We’re experiencing technical issues and some of the new language tests don’t appear as an option when you apply for the SDS.

  If you have a valid result for 1 of the new tests that were approved for the SDS

  To make sure your application is processed through the SDS, follow the instructions below when you apply.

  • When asked if you’ve taken a language test in the past 2 years, select Yes – IELTS.
  • When asked if your test results were 6.0 or higher, select Yes.

  When you upload your supporting documents, upload your valid test results in the field labelled Proof of IELTS language test results.

  Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot applicants

  You must use the IRCC secure account to apply with a family member who is applying for a work permit, even if they apply at a different time.

  IRCC secure account access

  Sign in

  • GCKey username and password GCKey Sign-In
  • Canadian Interac® Sign-In Partner bank Sign-In
  Not sure how to sign in?

  You registered with either GCKey or your Canadian banking Sign-In Partner when you created your account.

  Use the option you registered with every time you sign in. It’s tied to your account and user profile.

  If you want to choose the other sign-in option, you’ll have to register for it.

  Create an account

  Help with your account

  Errors and issues when you sign in

  You can use the same GCKey username and password on different computers, phones and tablets.

  • Use the most recent version of a supported web browser like
    • Safari
    • Chrome
    • Firefox
    • Microsoft Edge

    If you're using Internet Explorer, update your browser to Microsoft Edge.

    • Page Can’t Be Displayed
    • Cannot Establish a Secure Connection
    • Page Not Available

    You can usually find the option to update your browser in your browser menu's settings or preferences.

    • Too many attempts You may get a failure message if you make too many unsuccessful attempts to sign in during the same session. Close your browser window or tab and try again.
    • Experiencing technical difficulties The site could be down for a number of reasons, including for system maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience. Try again later.
    • Session expired For security, your session will be closed if it's inactive for a certain number of minutes. Sign in again.
    You forgot your GCKey password or username

    Read the instructions for your situation.

    1. Follow the steps to recover your username first.
    2. Once you have your username, follow the steps to recover your password.
    1. Sign up for a new GCKey username and password.
    2. Create a new account in the IRCC secure account.

    You may not be able to find your application in your new account. You may need to link your application to your new account.

    1. Select GCKey username and password.
    2. Select Forgot your username? on the Welcome to GCKey page.
    3. Enter your recovery email address on the Recover Username Step 1 of 2 page.
       • You provided your recovery email address either when you signed up for a GCKey username and password or at a later time.
    4. Select Continue.
       • You'll be brought to a page that explains where we’ll email your username and what to do if you don't receive the email.
    5. Select Continue again.
    6. Check your email. You should get an email from the Government of Canada with your GCKey username.
    7. Sign in with your username and password on the Welcome to GCKey page.
    1. Select GCKey username and password.
    2. Select Sign up on the Welcome to GCKey page to create a new GCKey username and password.
    3. Create a new account in the IRCC secure account.

    During this process, you may be able to:

    • recover your account
    • link your existing applications to your new account
    1. Select GCKey username and password.
    2. Select Forgot your password? on the Welcome to GCKey page.
    3. Enter your GCKey username.
    4. Select Continue.
       • If you used an email address when signing up for your GCKey username, reset your password with your email address.
       • If you didn't use an email address to sign up, reset your password using recovery questions.
    1. Enter your email address.
    2. Check your email account. You should get an email from the Government of Canada with a confirmation code.
    3. Enter the confirmation code on the Forgot Your Password Step 2 of 4 page.
       • This page should load automatically after you enter your username and select Continue on the previous page.
    4. Select Continue.
    5. Enter the answer to the recovery question you’re prompted with in the My Recovery Answer field.
    6. Select Continue.
    7. Enter a new password in the New Password field.
    8. Re-enter that same password in the Confirm New Password field.
    9. Select Continue.
    10. Select Continue again on the Forget Your Password Complete page.
    1. Select Recovery Q&A in the Recovery Questions and Answers box on the Forget Your Password Step 2 of 4 page.
    2. Enter your answers in the My Recovery Answer, My Memorable Person Answer and My Memorable Date fields.
       • You should find the questions and hints above each field.
    3. Enter a new password in the Create Your New Password field.
    4. Enter the same password in the Confirm Your New Password field.
    5. Select Continue.
    6. Select Continue again on the Forget Your Password Complete page.
       • If you correctly answered all the recovery questions, you'll automatically be brought to this page.
    GCKey two-factor authentication

    Two-factor authentication protects your account. You need to choose a second authentication method (other than your username and password) to use each time you sign in.

    Change your two-factor authentication method

    You need access to your existing email or authenticator app, or to your saved recovery codes.

    1. Sign in to your account with your GCKey username and password.
    2. Select Continue on the Welcome page.
    3. Use your current two-factor method.
    4. On the Authentication success page, select Change your two-factor authentication.
    5. On the Two-factor authentication page, follow the prompts to set up two-factor authentication again.
    6. Save your new recovery codes somewhere safe. Your old codes will no longer work.
    1. Sign in to your account with your GCKey username and password.
    2. Select Recover account on the two-factor authentication page.
    3. Enter one of the recovery codes you saved when you first set up two-factor authentication.
    4. Select Change your two-factor authentication on the authentication success page.
    5. Follow the prompts to set up two-factor authentication again.
    6. Save your new recovery codes somewhere safe. Your old codes will no longer work.
    1. Sign up for a new GCKey username and password.
    2. Create a new account in the IRCC secure account.
    3. Follow the prompts to set up two-factor authentication again.
    4. Save your new recovery codes somewhere safe. Your old codes will no longer work.

    During this process, you may be able to:

    • recover your account
    • link your existing applications to your new account

    GCKey representatives can only help with GCKey issues (including two-factor authentication). They don’t have access to any Government of Canada account or application information.

    • Canada and the United States: 1-855-438-1102
    • Text telephone (TTY/TDD): 1-855-438-1103
    • Outside Canada and the United States: 1-800-2318-6290

    GCKey representatives are available to assist you by phone year round, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

    GCKey revoked

    You can’t recover your GCKey username and password if they were revoked. They can be revoked if:

    • your username and password are compromised
    • you haven’t used GCKey in the last 2 years
      • Don’t use the same username and password you use for GCKey for any other online accounts.

      If your GCKey username and password were revoked, you can choose a different Sign-In method or sign up for a GCKey username and password again.

      To sign up for a new GCKey username and password:

      1. Select GCKey username and password.
      2. Select Sign up on the Welcome to GCKey page to create a new GCKey username and password.
      3. Create a new account in the IRCC secure account.

      During this process, you may be able to:

      • recover your account
      • link your existing applications to your new account
      Change your Sign-In Partner

      If you moved to a new bank or credit union, you may be able to switch your Sign-In Partner:

      1. Select Canadian Interac® Sign-In Partner.
      2. Select Switch My Sign-In Partner from the menu on the Select a Sign-In Partner page.
      3. Follow the steps to change your Sign-In Partner.
      If you don’t find your application in your account

      This can happen if you:

      • created a new GCKey username and password
      • switched to a different Sign-In Partner
      If your personal reference code doesn’t work

      You may have a personal reference code (from the Come to Canada tool) for these applications:

      • Express Entry (to immigrate as a skilled worker)
      • International Experience Canada (IEC)
      • study permits (and extensions)
      • work permits (and extensions)
      • visitor visas and visitor records

      Make sure you enter the code correctly in your account. Your personal reference code will expire 60 days after you get it.

      You don’t need a personal reference code to start an application in the IRCC secure account.

      Express Entry and International Experience Canada

      The code won’t work if you created a profile in the account before using the Come to Canada tool. You can still continue your profile without the code, but you will need to enter your information again.

      More help options Help Centre

      Find answers to questions about

      • common technical issues
      • GCKey and Sign-In Partner
      • other topics

      For more information and help:

      • read
        • the GCKey help page
        • our answers to common GCKey questions

        GCKey representatives can only help with GCKey issues (including two-factor authentication). They don’t have access to any Government of Canada account or application information.

        • Canada and the United States: 1-855-438-1102
        • Text telephone (TTY/TDD): 1-855-438-1103
        • Outside Canada and the United States: 1-800-2318-6290

        GCKey representatives are available to assist you by phone year round, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

        Find help and frequently asked questions in the Sign-In Partner menu after you select Interac® Sign-In Partner.

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