Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Jepsen Global ("Company", "We", "Us", "Our") is committed to protecting your privacy and safeguarding your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information when you visit our website or engage our US and Canadian immigration consulting services.

We comply with applicable privacy laws including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) in Canada and relevant US privacy laws. By using our services or website, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

Personal Information You Provide

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

• Inquire about or engage our immigration consulting services

• Create an account on our website

• Complete our consultation forms or questionnaires

• Communicate with us via email, phone, or in-person meetings

• Submit documents for immigration applications

• Sign service agreements or other legal documents

This information may include:

• Full name, date of birth, and gender

• Contact information (address, email, phone number)

• Passport and government identification details

• Immigration history (previous visas, refusals, deportations)

• Employment and education history

• Financial information (for investor visas or financial assessments)

• Family member information (for family sponsorship applications)

• Criminal history or police certificates (where required for applications)

• Medical information (for medical exams or inadmissibility assessments)

• Biometric information (fingerprints, photographs)

• Social media handles or online presence information

• Any other information required for US or Canadian immigration applications

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we automatically collect:

• IP address and device information

• Browser type and version

• Operating system

• Pages visited and time spent on our website

• Referring website addresses

• Clickstream data

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience on our website. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us remember your preferences and understand how you use our website.

Types of cookies we use:

• Essential Cookies: Required for website functionality

• Performance Cookies: Help us understand website usage

• Functionality Cookies: Remember your preferences

• Analytics Cookies: Track visitor behavior and demographics

You may disable cookies through your browser settings, but this may affect website functionality.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

Primary Purposes (Immigration Services)

• Prepare, review, and submit immigration applications to USCIS, IRCC, and other government authorities

• Provide immigration consulting advice and legal strategies

• Communicate with government agencies on your behalf

• Respond to requests for evidence or procedural fairness letters

• Prepare you for immigration interviews

• Manage your case file and track application status

• Invoice and collect payment for our services

Secondary Purposes

• Communicate with you about your case and our services

• Send appointment reminders and important updates

• Respond to your inquiries and requests

• Improve our services and client experience

• Comply with legal and regulatory requirements

• Detect and prevent fraud or unauthorized access

• For any other purpose with your explicit consent

4. Legal Basis for Processing (For European Clients)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), we process your personal information based on the following legal grounds:

• Contractual Necessity: Processing necessary to perform our service agreement with you

• Legal Obligation: Processing required to comply with immigration laws and regulations

• Legitimate Interests: Processing for our legitimate business interests, such as improving our services

• Consent: Processing based on your explicit consent, which you may withdraw at any time

5. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

Government Authorities

We share your information with government agencies as required for your immigration applications, including:

• US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

• US Department of State (DOS) and US consulates

• US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

• Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)

• Provincial immigration authorities (for PNP applications)

• Visa application centers and biometric collection sites

Third-Party Service Providers

We may share your information with trusted third parties who assist us in providing our services:

• Language testing organizations (IELTS, CELPIP, TEF)

• Educational credential assessment providers (WES, ICES, IQAS)

• Medical examination clinics and physicians

• Police certificate issuing authorities

• Translation and notary services

• Payment processors and banks

• IT and cloud storage providers

• Legal professionals and experts (where necessary)

These third parties are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

Legal and Regulatory Disclosures

We may disclose your information when required by law, court order, or government regulation, including:

• Responding to subpoenas or search warrants

• Complying with immigration audits or investigations

• Protecting our legal rights or defending against claims

• Preventing fraud or illegal activities

With Your Consent

We may share your information with other parties when you provide explicit written consent.

6. International Data Transfers

Because we provide immigration services for both the United States and Canada, your personal information may be transferred to and processed in:

• Canada (where our primary office is located)

• The United States (where we submit applications to USCIS and US consulates)

• Your home country (where you are applying from)

These countries may have different data protection laws than your country of residence. We take appropriate safeguards to protect your information during international transfers, including:

• Using secure, encrypted transmission methods

• Implementing data protection agreements with third parties

• Limiting access to authorized personnel only

7. Data Security

We implement reasonable physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption of sensitive data during transmission (SSL/TLS)

• Secure servers with firewall protection

• Access controls and authentication requirements

• Regular security assessments and updates

• Employee training on privacy and security practices

• Secure document storage and disposal procedures

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, including:

• For the duration of our client relationship

• To comply with legal and regulatory requirements

• To resolve disputes or enforce our agreements

• For legitimate business purposes (record keeping, analytics)

Specific retention periods:

• Client Files: Retained for 7 years after the conclusion of your case, as required by professional regulations and for potential audit purposes

• Application Records: Retained as required by US and Canadian immigration authorities

• Financial Records: Retained for 7 years for tax and accounting purposes

• Inquiries: Retained for 2 years for follow-up purposes

After the retention period expires, we securely delete or anonymize your personal information.

9. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

For Canadian Clients (under PIPEDA)

• Right to access your personal information

• Right to correct inaccurate or incomplete information

• Right to withdraw consent (with limitations)

• Right to challenge our compliance with privacy laws

For US Clients

Rights vary by state. Generally, you may have the right to:

• Request access to your personal information

• Request correction of your information

• Request deletion of your information (subject to legal exceptions)

• Opt out of certain data sharing

How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise your rights, please contact us using the information in Section 16. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

We may require you to verify your identity before processing your request. There is no fee for exercising your rights, though we may charge a reasonable fee for excessive or repetitive requests.

10. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we discover that we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 18, we will delete it immediately.

For family sponsorship applications involving minor children, we collect information about children only from their parent or legal guardian.

11. Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including USCIS, IRCC, and other government resources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these third-party websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any website you visit.

12. Marketing Communications

With your consent, we may send you marketing communications about our services, immigration updates, or educational content. You may opt out of these communications at any time by:

• Clicking the "unsubscribe" link in our emails

• Replying "STOP" to text messages

• Contacting us directly to request removal

Opting out of marketing communications does not affect service-related communications about your active case.

13. Social Media and Testimonials

If you post on our social media pages or provide a testimonial, please be aware that this information becomes public. We may use your testimonial on our website or marketing materials with your explicit consent.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or operational needs. We will notify you of material changes by:

• Posting the updated policy on our website with a new "Last Updated" date

• Sending an email to active clients

• Displaying a notice on our website

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

15. Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that poses a real risk of significant harm to you, we will notify you and relevant privacy authorities as required by applicable law. We will take immediate steps to contain and investigate any breach.

16. Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact our Privacy Officer:

Jepsen Global
Attention: Privacy Officer
Email: connect@jepsenglobal.com
Phone: +254 759 000 333 | +1 332 777 3997

17. Complaints

If you are not satisfied with our response to your privacy concern, you may file a complaint with the applicable privacy regulator:

For Canadian clients:
Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Toll-free: 1-800-282-1376
Website: www.priv.gc.ca

For US clients:
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Website: www.ftc.gov

18. Language

This Privacy Policy is written in English. If translated into another language, the English version prevails in case of any inconsistency.

By using our website or engaging our services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Privacy Policy.