Help centre

Answers, in one place

The questions we are actually asked, grouped by what you are trying to do, each one pointing at the page with the full story.

This is the short version of everything on the site. If your question is here, the answer is here too, and the link underneath each group goes to the page that explains it properly.

If it is not here, write to us. Every question that arrives more than twice ends up on this page.

support@thenovasystem.com  ·  Support and response times

Getting started

What is Meridian?

One system for a Canadian immigration practice: the case file, an automatic IRCC form filler, a Chrome extension for the federal portals, a mobile app, e-signature, policy intelligence and an assistant for your own website.

Can we sign up today?

Not yet. We are not adding new firms until the next version is ready to release. Firms already using Meridian keep full access, and there is a waiting list on the pricing page.

Who is it for?

Licensed Canadian immigration practices: RCICs, immigration lawyers and the staff who work with them. It is not built for applicants representing themselves.

Will there be a trial?

Yes, a free seven day trial is planned for when we open, with no credit card.

See what is in the platform

The website assistant

How do we install it?

One line of code in your website template. If you can paste a script tag, or your web person can, it is a five minute job. The steps for WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Shopify and plain HTML are on the how it works page.

What does it answer?

General Canadian immigration questions from current IRCC sources with citations, plus anything in your own uploaded firm library. It qualifies the visitor as it goes.

Does it pretend to be a person?

No. Visitors are told they are speaking with an automated assistant and that a licensed representative reviews the work.

Is it counted against our plan?

No. The website assistant is unmetered on every paid plan.

How the assistant works

Forms and the IRCC portals

How many forms does it fill?

More than 190 IRCC and IMM forms, filled from the case file rather than typed into a blank PDF.

What about form revisions?

Every form carries a revision date. The software checks it and flags a case still sitting on an outdated version, which is the most common avoidable rejection in this work.

Which portals does the extension reach?

GCKey, the Authorized Paid Representatives Portal, the PR Portal and the citizenship application. Sign in to AutoFile once, open the portal, pick the client.

Does it submit the application for us?

No. It fills and you review. Nothing is sent to IRCC without a person deciding to send it.

How the filling works

Clients and documents

How do clients send documents?

Through the portal, from a phone or a laptop, against the list of what is still outstanding on their own file.

Does it know what a program needs?

Yes. Every program carries its required document list, tracked per client.

Can we use our own templates?

Yes. Upload your firm documents into the firm library and the assistant answers from your material as well as the public rules.

Documents and the portal

Signing

Is signing included?

Yes, on every plan, with no fee per signature and no third party account.

What does the signed file carry?

A sealed PDF with a Certificate of Completion recording who signed, when and from where.

Can anyone check a signed document?

Yes. The public verifier works without an account, so a client or a third party can confirm a document is genuine.

See Signet

Plans, billing and cancelling

What do the plans cost?

$99, $249 and $499 a month in Canadian dollars, billed monthly with no annual lock in. Every plan gets the whole platform, so plans differ only in seats, AI conversations, form fills and storage.

What if we need more of something?

Add ons extend the plan you are on: an extra staff seat, more AI conversations, more form fills or more storage. No forced upgrade.

How do taxes work?

Prices are tax exclusive. Sales tax is added based on your firm billing address, so BC firms see GST and PST and other provinces see GST or HST.

How do we cancel?

Monthly, any time, from the firm dashboard. The refund and cancellation terms are published in full.

See the pricing page

Data, security and privacy

Where is our data stored?

In Canada, encrypted in transit and at rest, with each firm walled off from every other firm.

Can we export everything?

Yes, at any time, and the retention rules after cancellation are published in Storage and Data Retention.

Are you SOC 2 certified?

Not yet, and we say so plainly rather than leaving it to be discovered. The Security Policy lists the controls we do have.

What happens if there is a breach?

We follow a documented process and notify the affected firm without undue delay. The Incident Response and Breach Notification policy sets out the detail and the Canadian legal obligations.

Read the security page

How to reach a person

Support is by email, with the response times set out in the Support SLA. There is no phone queue, because a small team answering carefully beats a hold tone.

For anything touching security, write to security@thenovasystem.com and say so in the subject line.

Support SLA  ·  Service status  ·  Glossary

Still stuck?

Tell us what you are trying to do and we will point you at the right place.

Join the waitlist

We are not adding new firms until the next version is ready to release. Tell us about your practice and you go on the list. You hear from us first when it opens, with a walkthrough on a real file.

You are on the list.

We have your details. You will hear from us first when the next version opens.