Secure your IRCC accounts with two-factor authentication (2024)

We’re using two-factor authentication to keep your Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship (IRCC) accounts secure. Each time you use GCKey to access your account, you’ll need to use a two-factor authentication method to confirm your identity. This mandatory step helps protect your personal information by preventing unauthorized access to your account.

Accounts that use two-factor authentication

You must use two-factor authentication if you’re signing in to your account with GCKey only. It isn’t required if you’re using the Sign-In Partner option.

These IRCC accounts require two-factor authentication for GCKey:

IRCC Secure Account
Authorized Paid Representatives Portal
Employer Portal
Provincial and Territorial Partner Portal
Designated Learning Institutions Portal
Provincial and Territorial Public Health Authority Portal
Partner Portal (to access the Visa Application Centre Portal and the Validation Portal)

How to register

Once you sign in to your account, we’ll prompt you to register for two-factor authentication.

Here’s how it works.

Step 1: Sign in or create an account using GCKey

When you use GCKey to sign in to an account or to create a new one, we’ll prompt you to register a device or provide your email address for two-factor authentication.

Step 2: Choose a two-factor authentication method

There are 3 methods you can choose from.

Use your smartphone or tablet (recommended)

You need an authenticator application to use your smartphone or tablet. You can download a free authenticator application for this.

After you choose to register your smartphone or tablet:

Using the authenticator application on your smartphone or tablet, scan the QR code or enter the secret key to generate a 6-digit passcode.
On the registration page, enter the 6-digit passcode from your authenticator application.
Select “Continue” to confirm your two-factor authentication method.

No personal information is shared between the third-party application and the Government of Canada.

Use your desktop or laptop

You need an authenticator application to use your desktop or laptop. You can download a free authenticator application for this.

After you choose to register your desktop or laptop:

Using the authenticator application on your desktop or laptop, enter the secret key in the application.
On the registration page, enter the 6-digit passcode from your authenticator application.
Select “Continue” to confirm your two-factor authentication method.

No personal information is shared between the third-party application and the Government of Canada.

Use an email address

To use your email for two-factor authentication:

Enter your email address where we ask you for it and select “Continue.” We’ll send a one-time 6-digit passcode to this email.
Enter the one-time passcode where we ask you for it on the registration page.
Select “Continue” to confirm your two-factor authentication method.

Step 3: Save your recovery codes

After you confirm your two-factor authentication method, we’ll show you 5 recovery codes. You can use these codes if you lose or damage your device, or if you delete or reinstall your authenticator app. Save them somewhere safe and accessible.

Once you confirm that you have safely stored your recovery codes, your registration is complete.

Each time you sign in to your account, we’ll prompt you to enter an authenticator code from the authenticator application or your email.

How to change your two-factor authentication method

You can change your two-factor authentication method if you

lose or replace your device, or if your device is stolen
change your phone number
delete or reinstall the authenticator application
want to use a different two-factor authentication option

If you have access to your two-factor authentication method

Sign in to your account with your GCKey username and password.
Select Continue on the Welcome page.
Use your current two-factor authentication method.
On the Authentication success page, select Change your two-factor authentication.
On the Two-factor authentication page, follow the prompts to set up two-factor authentication again.
Save your new recovery codes somewhere safe. Your old codes will no longer work.

If you don’t have access to your two-factor authentication method

You have recovery codes

Sign in to your account with your GCKey username and password.
Select Recover account on the two-factor authentication page.
Enter one of the recovery codes you saved when you first set up two-factor authentication.
Select Change your two-factor authentication on the authentication success page.
Follow the prompts to set up two-factor authentication again.
Save your new recovery codes somewhere safe. Your old codes will no longer work.

You don’t have recovery codes

Sign up for a new GCKey username and password.
Create a new account in the IRCC secure account.
Follow the prompts to set up two-factor authentication again.
Save your new recovery codes somewhere safe. Your old codes will no longer work.

During this process, you may be able to

recover your account
link your existing applications to your new account

Get help with two-factor authentication

For help with two-factor authentication only, call the GCKey Service Desk.

Canada and the United States:
1-855-438-1102

Text telephone (TTY/TDD):
1-855-438-1103

Outside Canada and the United States:
1-800-2318-6290

Customer service representatives are available to assist you by phone year-round, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

These representatives can only help you with technical issues related to two-factor authentication. They don’t have access to your account or application information.