Security & privacy
How we protect your passport and documents
A passport is the most sensitive thing you will ever hand a business. Here is exactly how we look after it — in plain language, and every word of it true of how our system works today.
Stored in Canada
Your documents and order records are kept in our database and private file storage in Montréal, and our website’s servers run there too.
Encrypted in transit and at rest
Every upload travels over HTTPS (TLS) and is stored encrypted with AES-256. Our site only works over a secure connection.
Private by design
Files go straight from your device into private storage through a one-time upload link. There are no public links to any file, and the links our staff use to open a document expire after 10 minutes.
Only the people on your file
Staff sign in with their own named account — no shared passwords — using a one-time link to their work email plus a code from an authenticator app on their phone (two-step sign-in). Sessions end after 12 hours of inactivity. Access is limited by role, and the database itself refuses anyone without a two-step sign-in.
Every access is recorded
Each upload, each time a staff member opens your documents, each change to your file and each approval is written to a permanent audit log with who and when.
Deleted automatically
Your documents are deleted 90 days after your order is completed or cancelled — or 90 days after your last activity if an order is never finished. Remove a file yourself and it is deleted immediately.
You confirm, a person signs off
Details read from your passport are shown to you to confirm. A reviewer must approve every application before it is submitted, and that approval is recorded.
Used for your application only
We never sell your information, never use it for advertising, and never copy your passport into our task tools, spreadsheets or chat apps. Our automated checks do not train anyone’s models on your documents.
Never by email
We ask for passports and ID only through your secure upload link, and we never send them back to you by email. Please don’t email them to us.
Your physical passport
When we hand in your application for you, your passport is logged when it arrives and when it leaves, kept in a locked safe in our office, and returned only to you or someone you authorize in writing.
Card details never touch us
Card payments are handled by Stripe, a certified payment processor. We never see or store your full card number.
If something ever goes wrong
If a breach of our safeguards puts you at real risk, we will tell you and the Privacy Commissioner of Canada as soon as possible, explain what happened, and help you protect yourself.
Questions people ask
Why do you need a copy of my passport?
Every visa application is completed from your passport, and the visa centre checks the two match exactly. Working from the passport itself — rather than details typed by hand — is how we avoid the name and number mistakes that get applications refused.
Who can see my documents?
Only the members of our team working on your application, each with their own account. Every time one of them opens your documents it is logged. The visa centre or consulate receives what your application requires, because that is the point of the service.
Can I just email my passport?
Please don’t. Email is not a safe place for identity documents — copies sit in inboxes and backups for years. Use the secure link in your order email instead; it works from your phone.
Is my passport used for anything else?
No. It is used only to prepare and check your application. We don’t sell data, don’t advertise with it, and the automated checks we use don’t train anyone’s models on your documents.
Can I have my documents deleted sooner?
Yes. Remove any file from your upload page and it is deleted immediately, or email info@markhamvisa.ca and we will delete your documents once your application no longer needs them. Otherwise they are deleted automatically 90 days after your order closes.
Where exactly is my information processed?
Your documents and records are stored in Canada. A few specialist providers — email delivery, our phone line, and the automated passport check — process limited information in the United States. Every provider is named in our Privacy Policy.
Responsible for your information: 1Business Box Inc., operating as Markham Visa. Questions, a copy of your information, or a deletion request: our Privacy Officer at info@markhamvisa.ca. Found a security issue? Tell us at the same address and we will look at it the same day.
The full details are in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.