Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Ghuge Immigration and Legal Services ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting the personal information of individuals who use our services or visit our website. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, how we protect it, and what rights you have regarding your information.

This policy applies to information collected through our website, contact forms, and in connection with the services we provide: newcomer orientation sessions, document checklist and translation coordination, and employer onboarding process consulting.

We handle personal information in accordance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), the applicable federal privacy law for private-sector organisations in Canada.

Questions about this policy may be directed to [email protected].

2. Information We Collect

We collect personal information only when it is necessary for the purposes described in this policy. The types of information we may collect include:

• Contact details: name, email address, and telephone number, collected when you submit a contact form or book a service.
• Service-related information: details you provide in the course of a document coordination engagement, such as the categories of documents in your bundle and the countries they originate from. We do not retain copies of the documents themselves.
• Employer information: organisation name and HR process details shared during an employer consulting engagement.
• Website usage data: browser type, pages visited, and session duration, collected via cookies and analytics tools if you have consented to their use.

We do not collect sensitive personal information (such as health data, financial account numbers, or government-issued identification numbers) through our website or contact forms.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use personal information for the following purposes:

• To respond to enquiries and book sessions or engagements.
• To deliver the services you have engaged us for, including coordination of document bundles and delivery of consulting engagements.
• To send progress notes and updates during an active engagement.
• To improve our services and website based on usage patterns (where you have consented to analytics cookies).
• To comply with legal obligations.

We do not use your personal information for automated decision-making or profiling, and we do not sell it to third parties.

The legal basis for processing your information is consent (for website forms and optional cookies), contract (for service delivery), and legitimate interest (for responding to enquiries).

4. Data Sharing and Third Parties

We share personal information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Translation providers: for document coordination engagements, we share only the information necessary for the translation provider to complete their work. Providers are selected from recognised Ontario-based organisations and are required to maintain confidentiality.
• Analytics services: if you consent to analytics cookies, aggregated, anonymised usage data is shared with our analytics provider.
• Legal requirements: we may disclose information if required to do so by law or in response to a valid legal process.

We do not share personal information with marketing organisations, advertising networks, or data brokers.

5. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as it is needed:

• Contact enquiries that do not lead to a service engagement: 6 months from the date of contact.
• Active service engagement records: for the duration of the engagement plus 12 months.
• Financial records related to payments: 7 years, as required under Canadian tax law.
• Website analytics data: up to 26 months, in line with standard analytics retention periods.

After the applicable retention period, personal information is securely deleted or anonymised.

6. Data Protection Measures

We take the security of your personal information seriously. Measures we have in place include:

• Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS) on our website.
• Access controls that restrict personal information to staff members who need it for their work.
• A written internal data handling procedure reviewed annually.
• Prompt notification to affected individuals in the event of a data breach, as required under PIPEDA.

7. Cookies

Our website uses cookies. Essential cookies are required for the site to function and cannot be disabled. Optional analytics and preference cookies are used only with your consent, which you can manage through our cookie consent modal or on our Cookie Policy page.

8. Your Rights Under PIPEDA

As an individual whose personal information we hold, you have the following rights:

• Right of access: you may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Right to correction: you may request that we correct any inaccurate personal information.
• Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.
• Right to challenge compliance: you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you believe we have not handled your information appropriately.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

9. External Links

Our website may contain links to external websites, including community organisations and government portals. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing personal information.

10. Children's Privacy

Our services are directed at individuals aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 18. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected such information, we will delete it promptly.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. When we do, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

12. Contact

For any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, or to exercise your rights:

• [email protected]
• 52 Village Centre Place, Suite 103, Mississauga, ON L4Z 1V9

You may also contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at priv.gc.ca if you wish to lodge a complaint.