Short answer: Service Canada and IRCC have moved most work online, to My Service Canada Account and to IRCC's secure accounts and web form. Fax remains useful only where a letter or a program page gives you a number, mostly for supporting documents on an existing file. Applications, original identity documents and passports never go by fax.
FaxTelecom sends faxes from a web browser to landlines in seven countries, Canada included. It does not receive faxes and does not issue numbers. This article is general information, not legal or immigration advice, and it has no connection to the Government of Canada.
Who handles what among the federal offices?
People often say "Service Canada" for anything federal, but two very different organizations are involved.
Service Canada delivers programs for Employment and Social Development Canada: Employment Insurance (EI), CPP retirement and disability benefits, OAS pensions and the Guaranteed Income Supplement, social insurance numbers and passport services. Its main online channel is My Service Canada Account (MSCA).
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) handles visas, study and work permits, permanent residence and citizenship. Most applications are submitted online, and case-specific questions go through the IRCC web form.
A third body sometimes comes up in immigration cases: the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), an independent tribunal. It has its own registry offices, its own rules on how documents are filed, and its own portal.
When does a fax still make sense for Service Canada?
For Service Canada, a fax is mainly a way to send documents that a specific letter asks for. The situations below are typical. In every case, the number to use is the one in your correspondence, never one found on a third-party site.
| Program | What a fax can carry | What it cannot replace |
|---|---|---|
| Employment Insurance | Documents requested in a letter, such as a pay statement or a doctor's note, if the letter lists a fax number | The EI application itself and your biweekly reports, which are done online or by phone |
| Records of Employment | Nothing on your side: employers issue ROEs, mostly through ROE Web | Chasing an employer who has not issued one |
| CPP and OAS | Supporting documents requested by letter | Signed application forms when the instructions call for mailing or online submission |
| Social insurance number | Nothing | A SIN application requires original or certified identity documents |
| Passports | Nothing | Applications, photos and proof of citizenship, which go in person or by mail |
If your letter offers both an online upload and a fax number, the upload is usually traced more directly to your file. Fax is a good fallback if you cannot sign in or if the upload keeps failing.
And for IRCC and the IRB?
IRCC has been clear for years that most applications must be made online. A faxed application does not count as filed. Where fax can still play a role:
- A letter or instruction from an IRCC office that gives a fax number, for example for a specific document request. Follow that letter exactly.
- Communications with the IRB: the rules of its divisions have long allowed documents to be provided by fax, in some cases with a page limit, alongside mail, hand delivery and the IRB's electronic channels. Check the current rules and practice notices of the division hearing your case before relying on fax, especially close to a hearing date.
For everything else, including updates to an ongoing application, the IRCC web form or your online account is the channel IRCC tells applicants to use. If you have a representative, such as a licensed immigration consultant or a lawyer, let them decide on the channel. They will know the office's habits.
Where do you find the correct number?
We will not publish one. Federal fax lines change when teams merge or a processing centre moves, and an outdated number accepts your pages without anyone ever reading them. The reliable sources:
- The most recent letter on your file. It is the best evidence of where the office wants documents sent.
- The program page on canada.ca for the specific form or benefit.
- The phone line printed on your letter, or the general Service Canada or IRCC contact pages.
How do you prepare the fax so it reaches your file?
A federal processing centre receives thousands of pages a day. Your fax has to identify itself before anyone reads the second page.
- Write the right identifier on every page: the reference or partial SIN the letter asks for with Service Canada, your client ID (UCI) and application number for IRCC.
- Create a cover page naming the office from your letter, the subject in one line, the number of pages and a phone number with your time zone. Our fax cover page tool does this for free.
- Combine everything into one PDF, in the order requested, with documents in English or French. Translations should follow the program's rules on certified translations.
- Check legibility. Photos of documents taken at an angle, light pencil and coloured backgrounds lose detail on a fax. Our article on preparing a PDF for fax covers the settings.
- Send once and keep proof: the PDF itself, the confirmation and the date sent.
Does time zone matter for a federal fax?
Canada spans six time zones, and federal offices are spread across them. A fax sent at 4:30 p.m. in Halifax arrives at 12:30 p.m. in Vancouver, and the reverse trip can land after closing. Deadlines in a letter are usually read in the office's terms, so plan to send a few business days early rather than on the last evening.
How does FaxTelecom fit in?
FaxTelecom lets you send a PDF of up to 100 MB from a browser to a Canadian landline, without an account. Enter the ten-digit number in national format, confirm by email, and follow the status as the fax goes through. One page is free. Two or more pages cost €3.99 per send, and the PDF receipts option (€2.99, charged only on delivery) documents the date and time of transmission. Details for Canadian numbers are on our Canada destination page. Since FaxTelecom does not receive faxes, any reply from Service Canada or IRCC will come through your account, by mail or by phone.
Quick questions
Can I fax my EI biweekly report? No. Reports are completed online or by phone.
Can a pension office abroad fax Service Canada for me? Some international pension cases go through the social security agreement between countries. Ask the foreign office which channel it uses.
Is fax safe for my SIN? Send it only to a number from official correspondence and only when asked. See our fax security guide for the limits of the fax line.
When your file is ready, send it from the FaxTelecom home page.
Topicscanadapensionimmigration