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• Applicant's Guide Introduction
• Making travel easier for Manitobans
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• Are you eligible?
• How to apply
• How long are EDLs and EICs valid?
• What does an EDL or EIC cost?
• Features of the EDL and EIC
• Radio Frequency Identification
  (RFID) chip
• Facial Recognition System
• Using your EDL or EIC to enter the U.S.
• Handling your personal information
• Changes to your EDL or EIC
• Optional consent to future
  contact for client surveys
• You may be refused an EDL or EIC
• Appendices - Tables & forms

Applicant's Guide

Handling your personal information

Manitoba Public Insurance is committed to protecting your privacy by keeping your personal information and your personal health information accurate, confidential and secure. The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), The Personal Health Information Act (PHIA), and The Drivers and Vehicles Act (DVA) set the rules for how we may collect, use, and disclose your information.

Collection and use of personal information:

As part of the Manitoba EDL and EIC Program, Manitoba Public Insurance needs to collect personal information about you for the following purposes:

1. to verify your identity and citizenship and to determine your eligibility for a Manitoba EDL or EIC;
2. to issue you an EDL or EIC that will be acceptable for crossing the U.S. border by land or water, and ensure the integrity of your EDL or EIC;
3. to evaluate and monitor the Manitoba EDL and EIC Program and to carry out research and planning with respect to it;
4. to ensure the integrity of Manitoba identification card and driver licensing systems, and prevent abuses of these systems; and
5. to administer and enforce the provisions of The Drivers and Vehicles Act and the regulations under that Act.

Manitoba Public Insurance is authorized to collect your personal information for these purposes by Part 8.1 of The Drivers and Vehicles Act and the regulations under that Act, and by sections 36(1)(a), (b) and (c) of Manitoba’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Manitoba Public Insurance cannot use or share your personal information (outside of Manitoba Public Insurance) for purposes other than those stated above unless you consent or Manitoba Public Insurance is authorized to do so by Manitoba’s Drivers and Vehicles Act, the regulations under that Act or Manitoba’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Retention of personal information

Information that is collected about you as part of this Program will be kept by Manitoba Public Insurance to maintain your EDL or EIC record for as long as your card is valid; and even if your application was denied or your card expires or is cancelled, to prevent identity theft and fraudulent applications for Manitoba EDLs and EICs. This information will be kept in accordance with the requirements of Manitoba’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and Manitoba’s Archives and Recordkeeping Act.

Sharing of personal information

Information that is shared with the CBSA, CIC and U.S. CBP can also be kept by those agencies, based on requirements put in place by the Canadian and U.S. governments:

• For CBSA, information for “active” EDLs and EICs (i.e., ones that can be used to cross the U.S. border) will be stored in CBSA’s EDL and EIC database for as long as the card remains active. If your card becomes “inactive” (for example, it is lost, stolen, cancelled, etc.), the CBSA will keep your information in its database for two years. If there has been no activity on the card over the two-year period, the information will then be removed from the EDL and EIC database according to the Government of Canada’s secure disposal requirements.
• Information shared with CIC for its quality assurance reviews will be kept by CIC for two years following the review — regardless of whether the EDL or EIC application was approved or denied or whether the EDL or EIC has been active or become inactive in that time. After two years, CIC will destroy the information according to the Government of Canada’s secure disposal requirements.
• If you have used your EDL or EIC to enter the U.S., U.S. Customs and Border Protection will have stored information that was sent to it by CBSA when you crossed in its Border Crossing Information (BCI) system. The BCI system is subject to the retention requirements of the U.S. Government, which require that information on Canadian citizens (and other foreign nationals) be maintained by CBP for 75 years, for border-screening and law enforcement purposes. Regardless of whether you used an EDL, an EIC or a passport to cross the border — information from the document(s) that you presented will be stored in the BCI and subject to the same 75 year retention requirement. The only sure way to avoid having U.S. authorities collect your information and retain it is to not travel to the U.S.

Protecting your personal information and privacy

Manitoba’s Drivers and Vehicles Act includes requirements that Manitoba Public Insurance adopt administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect your privacy, as well as the confidentiality, security, accuracy and integrity of your personal information.

This Act also requires that Manitoba Public Insurance include provisions to safeguard personal information and privacy in its contracts with Autopac agents, the EDL and EIC card production vendor and others.

Manitoba Public Insurance and the Manitoba Vital Statistics Agency have entered into an information sharing agreement that sets out strict requirements and protections for the personal information about you that is shared in order to verify your birth certificate information if you present a Manitoba birth certificate as proof of your birth date, legal name or Canadian citizenship. The Manitoba Vital Statistics Agency must not use or disclose the personal information it receives from Manitoba Public Insurance for other purposes unless you consent, or unless it is authorized to do so by Manitoba’s Vital Statistics Act, the regulations under that Act or Manitoba’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Agreements signed between the Governments of Canada and the U.S., and by the Governments of Canada and Manitoba, set out detailed security requirements and protections for the personal information that is collected, used, retained or disclosed with respect to the Manitoba EDL and EIC Program.

In addition to requirements in these agreements, information shared with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is also protected under laws and policies of the Government of Canada, including Privacy Act (Canada), Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Customs Act. Again, it is important to note that Manitoba and Canadian privacy laws do not apply to information in the custody or control of U.S. authorities.

Access to your personal information

You have right of access to personal information collected about you by Manitoba Public Insurance under Manitoba’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, subject to specific, limited exceptions set out in that Act. You also have right of access to:

• personal information held by CBSA or CIC under two federal statutes: Privacy Act and Access to Information Act, subject to the specific and limited exceptions set out in those Acts; and
• personal information held by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (as part of their BCI system) under the U.S. Privacy Act, subject to the limits set out in that Act.

If you want to request access to your information, please contact Manitoba Public Insurance’s Access and Privacy Co-ordinator at (204) 985-7384.

The Co-ordinator can help walk you through the process to apply for access to information held by Manitoba Public Insurance, and can help you find out how to apply for access to information held by CBSA, CIC and CBP.

Additional privacy information and how to raise a privacy concern

If you believe that your privacy rights are being violated, or if you have a privacy concern, you should start by calling Manitoba Public Insurance’s Access and Privacy Co-ordinator at (204) 985-7384. Our Co-ordinator will review your concerns and try to resolve them.

If you are dissatisfied with the results or the process as it relates to administrative fairness, you may raise the issue with Manitoba’s Ombudsman.

The Manitoba Ombudsman’s office is also available if you have a concern about the handling of your personal information.

For information on the complaints process and Manitoba Ombudsman, you can contact:

Manitoba Ombudsman
750–500 Portage Avenue,
Winnipeg, MB R3C 3X1
Phone: (204) 982-9130
Toll free: 1-800-665-0531
Fax: (204) 942-7803
www.ombudsman.mb.ca