Frequently asked questions—The Online Recruitment Application (OLRA)

The Online Recruitment Application (OLRA) has been tested to comply with the Treasury Board Secretariat's directive based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. This ensures that the application is accessible to respondents, including those using assistive technologies.

Several measures have been taken to facilitate navigation:

• Each page is logically structured, featuring a "Skip to main content" link; headings; and form controls, including "Next" and "Previous" buttons.
• Screen reader users will hear the question and the relevant contextual header repeated after the answer options have been identified.
• Pages with questions that are left blank or incomplete will reload as "Attention" pages, offering same-page links to the questions that require revision.

Read the entire page

It is recommended that you carefully go through the content of each question or new screen of the Online Recruitment Application before responding.

Note: Users of assistive technologies may prefer using a desktop computer to complete their online job application.

Page structure and navigation

All pages of the OLRA begin with a "Skip to main content" link. Selecting this link will bring you directly to the main content of the page.

All pages include a Level 1 heading indicating the name of the Online Recruitment Application. A Level 2 heading introduces the current section, or the survey "step," and each question is contained within a Level 3 heading.

Depending on the question, various form elements (e.g., edit fields, drop-down combination boxes, radio buttons) will present the answer options. You can hear the question repeated after the answer options have been identified. If you do not need to hear the question repeated, simply provide your answer and move on to the next question.

If you are completing your job application in English, ensure the native language of your screen reader is set to English for best results.

Form controls

Do not use the "back" and "forward" buttons in your browser or the "back" and "forward" keyboard shortcuts. Instead, navigate with the form control buttons provided.

Every page contains the following navigational form control buttons:

• Next
• Previous

Blank or incomplete responses

If a question has been left blank or incomplete, the page will reload when you use the "Next" button. Questions that require revision will be listed sequentially at the top of the content area. Each question will be preceded by the Level 3 heading "Attention," offering a direct link to the question.

If you require assistance to complete your job application, please contact the Census Recruitment Help Line at 1-833-830-3106.

To save time, please gather the following information before calling:

• Current email address. We require your email address to provide you with important information throughout the recruitment process. Make sure that you enter your email address correctly when completing your application.
• Contact information for two people (references) who have supervised or know your work. Your application will not be complete without this contact information.

You do not need to install any software or programs. The system is completely web-based. All you need is a computer or a mobile device, an Internet connection and a web browser.

If your browser does not meet the minimum browser requirements, you may need to download a more current browser version or modify your browser's settings.

The following requirements apply to computer workstations, laptops and other mobile devices:

• Cookies: To ensure that you are identified during your online session, you should check that cookies are enabled in your browser settings.
• JavaScript: JavaScript is not required, but enabling it will enhance functionality.

When you access the census website, a test will be done automatically to verify that your computer and browser meet the minimum requirements. If the requirements are not met, you will be provided with instructions on how to upgrade or modify your browser.

• Internet Explorer (IE) 10 or 11
• Edge (Windows 10 only)
• Chrome 84.0.4147 (or higher)
• Firefox 78 (or higher)
• Safari 13.1 (or higher)

It is recommended that the latest browsers be used since they will have the most up-to-date security features.

Yes. An online job application can be completed using a computer or a mobile device, such as a laptop, tablet or cell phone. The device can be your own or someone else's, in a library, at work, at home or elsewhere.

However, users of assistive technologies may prefer using a desktop computer to complete their online job application.

The website and the Online Recruitment Application are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except during maintenance periods.

No. The Online Recruitment Application does not have a Save feature.

For security reasons, if a screen is inactive for more than 45 minutes or if you close your Internet browser, your session will time out.

You will receive a warning after 40 minutes indicating that your session will time out in 5 minutes.

To continue your session and avoid losing information, use the "Stay Logged In" button.

Once your session times out, any information entered will be lost. You will need to start a new application.

No. The Online Recruitment Application does not provide the option to print.

Once you submit your job application, a confirmation number will appear on your screen indicating that Statistics Canada has received it. It is recommended that you keep this number for future reference.

Yes. An online job application can be completed using a computer or a mobile device, such as a laptop, tablet or cell phone. The device can be your own or someone else's, in a library, at work, at home or elsewhere.

However, users of assistive technologies may prefer using a desktop computer.

The write-in fields display only 80 characters. Use the arrow buttons on your keyboard to view the start of the write-in field.

A legitimate Government of Canada website can be identified in several ways. Look for these features:

• The site URL in the browser address bar should end with ".gc.ca". This suffix is used by the Government of Canada and operated by Government Telecommunications and Informatics Services.
• On the census website, you will be presented with an "Apply now" button. Once you use this button, you will notice the URL in the browser address bar changes to https://surveys-enquetes.statcan.gc.ca/cap-par/q/en/eqgse44bb3a4b8274dc29686c0dbacc74b1f/p0.
• The security certificate is provided by Entrust and clearly identifies Statistics Canada as the owner of the site.

No. Information is transmitted from your computer to Statistics Canada using a secure encryption protocol.

Completed applications are sent directly to Statistics Canada's headquarters in Ottawa. Encryption, or encoding, ensures that only authorized Statistics Canada employees may access the files. The information from the application is then transferred to a separate Statistics Canada computer network that is not connected to any outside network.

For more information on how Statistics Canada protects your privacy, consult Statistics Canada's Trust Centre​ (opens in a new window).

If you have a firewall, you may have problems connecting to Statistics Canada's secure servers. You may need to change the settings on your firewall to allow communication between Statistics Canada's servers and your computer. The same will apply to any anti-virus software you have.

Yes. In the event of a system failure, respondents' data are not accessible to outside people or systems. Internally, safeguards are in place to ensure that there is no unauthorized access to data.

Here are some suggestions of what to do if you get one of the above messages:

• Ensure that your browser is set to accept cookies.
• Clear your cache.
• Ensure that all firewalls, external or other, allow for file uploads.
• If you have a router, ensure that it allows file uploads and that the maximum transmission unit is set to 1452 (note: this number may need to be adjusted depending on the operating system).
• Try another browser.
• Ensure that you do not have a virus that is preventing you from connecting.
• If all else fails, try another computer or mobile device.

If you are using a computer connected to a local area network (LAN), such as a computer at work, the security settings on that computer could be preventing you from accessing the Online Recruitment Application. Try a computer or mobile device at home or a computer not connected to a LAN.

If you receive a message stating that your computer, mobile device or browser does not meet the minimum requirements, you will be instructed to upgrade or modify your browser so you can successfully access the secure site.

If your computer, mobile device or browser settings meet the minimum requirements, but the site is not accessible because of technical difficulties or too much traffic, please wait a few hours and try again.

The screen resolution on your computer or laptop should not be lower than 800 x 600.

For security reasons, if a screen is inactive for more than 45 minutes or if you close your Internet browser, your session will time out.

You will receive a warning after 40 minutes indicating that your session will time out in 5 minutes.

To continue your session and avoid losing information, use the "Stay Logged In" button.

Once your session times out, any information entered will be lost. You will need to start a new application.

If you require assistance to complete your application, please contact the Census Recruitment Help Line at 1-833-830-3106.

To save time, please gather the following information before calling:

• Current email address. We require your email address to provide you with important information throughout the recruitment process. Make sure that you enter your email address correctly when completing your application.
• Contact information for two people (references) who have supervised or know your work. Your application will not be complete without this contact information.