Prints for Federal Security Screening
The Government of Canada recently increased the criminal record check requirements for Government Security screenings of private contractors. Although many contractors and their staff previously required a check based only on name and date of birth, this has now been upgraded to checks based on fingerprints, which are far more reliable and conclusive.
Most Government contractor security screenings are handled by the Contract Security Program of Public Services and Procurement Canada (formerly Public Works and Government Services Canada). Application procedures vary based on the level of clearance required. However, even the lowest screening level (“reliability status” at the time of this writing) now requires that fingerprints be taken.
Whether you are renewing your screening under a government contract or program, or are getting a new screening, Red Seal Notary has five convenient fingerprinting locations to serve you. 2 Bloor Street East retail Concourse is just outside the Bloor/Yonge subway station, on the way to and from work for thousands of people. 25 Adelaide Street East is only a few minutes walks from the Bay Street Financial District in Downtown Toronto, home to many Government offices and Corporate headquarters. We also have a location in North York, 4850 Yonge Street Suite 201, very close to Yonge and Sheppard. Our Mississauga location at 50 Burnhamthorpe Road West, suite 401 has recently received its RCMP accreditation to serve customers in Mississauga and beyond. Our newest fingerprinting location is 130 Albert Street, Suite 1512, right in the heart of Downtown Ottawa. The electronic fingerprinting process at each of these locations is accredited by the RCMP, and the fingerprints are sent electronically, ensuring a fast and efficient process.
Managers and Compliance Staff – Things to keep in mind
If you have a large staff to be fingerprinted, please contact us in advance. We may be able to open a corporate account for your organization, so you won’t have to reimburse all those staff members individually. This not only saves on administrative costs, but it also may help to motivate reluctant employees if they do not have to pay out of their own pocket.
Please note that due to the RCMP’s strict regulations, only one person is allowed in the fingerprinting area to be fingerprinted at a time. As such, you may wish to caution your staff not to show up in large groups, as this will only lead to needless waiting. All four locations have extended hours (see the links below), allowing your staff to attend at their convenience.
You need the DCN, we need the ORI – Normally for a security screening application, the results are sent from the RCMP directly to Public Services and Procurement Canada. For some contracts, however, they need to be sent directly to a different Federal Government Department. Please ensure your staff has the request letter with the ORI number of the Federal Department the results must go to. If the results get sent to the wrong Federal Government Department, they will almost certainly be lost and have to be redone, slowing the process and annoying your staff. Your staff will be provided with a printout after their prints have been sent which includes the Document Control Number (DCN). This is used to match fingerprint results with the screening application. Ensuring your staff receives this number is part of our regular RCMP fingerprint service. The printout also verifies the results will be sent by the RCMP to the Federal Department with the specified ORI number (usually PQ80800 for PSPC).
Please refer your staff to our Fingerprinting Page for helpful reminders, such as making sure they bring 2 valid IDs (No Health Cards or SIN Cards), and moisturizing a day or two beforehand can help ensure the best quality fingerprints.
For specific details about our fingerprint locations, including a map to find them, visit the links below:
2 Bloor St East, Toronto (Bloor and Yonge)
4850 Yonge St, North York (Yonge and Sheppard)
50 Burnhamthorpe Rd West, Mississauga (Hurontario and Burnhamthorpe)
25 Adelaide St East, Toronto (Adelaide and Yonge)
130 Albert St, Suite 1512, Ottawa (Albert and O’Connor)
