The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is effective from 25 May 2018 and requires UK and EU organisations to clearly state what they use your personal data for and what your rights are when it comes to this data and its use. Under the GDPR, you have the right to request a copy of the personally identifiable information we hold for you. You can also ask for this information to be amended and, in some circumstances, destroyed.
Online Enquiries
Any information you submit via our online enquiry ‘contact us’ form will only be stored and processed for the purpose of the enquiry and will not be shared with or transferred to any third party without your consent. The information you provide will not be kept for longer than is necessary for the purpose of responding to your enquiry.
We will only use the information provided by you to respond to your enquiry. All information provided by you will be encrypted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology.
Client Instructions
Should you proceed to formally instruct us to open a file and provide an advice service, any personally identifiable data you submit to us will be retained for the following purposes only:
-
To meet legal and regulatory requirements.
We are required by law to obtain proof of identification and residence for those making payments to our company and those we provide services to. We are also obliged to keep a copy of your case file for up to 7 years after your matter has been closed. As a result, in these circumstances we will not be able to destroy information. The information retained for 7 years following the closure of your file will, however, be limited to advice, correspondence, copies of application forms and documents submitted in support of the application. Any documents provided, but not used to support the application will be destroyed securely.
-
To enable provision of immigration/nationality advice and services.
We require detailed personal information in respect of the applicant and/or sponsor for the purposes of compiling immigration and nationality applications, as per your instructions. This could include names, dates of birth, addresses, employment and travel information, immigration history, as well as other personally identifiable material such as wage slips, tax returns and bank statements.
All personally identifiable details and instructions received from you will be kept confidentially and securely. Information will not be shared with any other body, unless for the purposes of an immigration or nationality application (following instructions from you to submit such an application), or if it is a legal requirement for us to disclose such information. Your file may also be reviewed and audited by our regulator, the OISC, as part of their regulatory role.
In an attempt to protect the environment, GBS UK Immigration limits the amount of paper used. As a result, the majority of work undertaken on a case will be recorded and stored securely and electronically, limiting the size of a paper file. However, paper files are also stored securely. At the end of a matter, files will be stored by us electronically and any original documents will be returned to you. The paper file will be confidentially destroyed on closure of the file and after 7 years, the electronic copy of the file will also be destroyed. Whilst we will not retain a copy of your case file beyond 7 years, we will retain a record of your name, matter type, case outcome and the dates on which your file was opened and closed. This information will be kept securely in case our regulator, the OISC, requires sight of such information in the future.
We will not contact you further beyond the closure of your case in respect of other services unless you expressly state that you are happy for us to do so. If explicit consent is provided by you, we may contact you in the future to enquire whether you require support with a future application. However, it remains your ultimate responsibility to ensure that any future applications are submitted ‘in-time’, i.e. before the expiry of any current leave. We cannot be held responsible for any future failure to submit further immigration applications if we are not formally instructed on that new matter. It is therefore highly advisable that you diarise any future expiry date to ensure you leave ample time to instruct an adviser should you require assistance.
If you have any concerns about your data or would like a copy of the data we hold about you, requests should be made in writing to our Data Protection Officer, Miss Ashley Bayles:
ashley@gbsimmigration.com
.
