If you plan to enter Canada as a tourist, temporary resident, permanent resident, or refugee claimant, you might need to provide your biometric information.
Canada's immigration and citizenship services typically request individuals aged 14 to 79 to provide their biometric data, including a photo and fingerprints. You can submit this information at a Visa Application Centre (VAC), an Application Support Center (ASC) in the US, or at designated Service Canada offices. Check if you are required to provide biometric data by clicking on this link. For additional details on locations where biometric data can be collected, please visit this page.
Biometric data exemptions in Canada
Individuals applying for visitor visas, study permits, and work permits are only required to submit their biometric data once every ten years. Therefore, if you have already provided your biometric information to secure a two-year study permit, for instance, there's no need to do so again when applying for a work permit after your study permit expires. You can use the official Canadian government tool to verify the validity of your biometric data.
However, as of June 14, 2023, if you are applying for permanent residency, you must provide your biometric data, even if you have provided it for the past 10 years. Indeed, as of June 14, 2023, the Canadian government has resumed the collection of biometric data for all applicants for permanent residence in Canada.
Here is a list of people who are exempt from the obligation to provide biometric data:
- Canadian citizens, citizenship applicants (including passport applicants), and current permanent residents;
- visa-exempt foreign nationals coming to Canada as visitors only;
- children under 14;
- applicants over 79 (there is no maximum age limit for asylum seekers);
- heads of state and heads of government;
- holders of diplomatic or official visas;
- US visa holders in transit through Canada;
- asylum seekers or protected persons who have already provided biometric data and are applying for a work or study permit;
- applicants for temporary residence who have already provided their biometric information in support of a pending application for permanent residence (source: Canada.ca).
Good to know:
Special measures are currently in place for collecting biometric data from specific refugees and applicants for temporary or permanent residence. This is especially applicable to individuals from Afghanistan, Ukraine, and certain European locations where there is a high demand for biometric data collection appointments.
If you can't secure an appointment before the deadline specified in your instruction letter for biometric data collection, you can seek an extension by using the IRCC web form. Just provide an explanation of why you require additional time.
Procedure for providing biometric data
To find out when to provide your biometric data, refer to the instruction guide offered by Immigration and Citizenship Services when applying for a visa, permit, or permanent residence. If you've applied for a visitor's visa, study permit, or work permit, the processing of your application will commence only after you've submitted your biometric data.
Each individual applicant must pay a biometrics fee of CAD$85. The fee cannot exceed CA$170 for members of the same family applying at the same time.
Please note that the procedure is free of charge for transit visa applicants.
You will pay these fees at the same time as you submit your application for a visa, permit, or permanent residence. You will then receive a letter outlining the procedure to follow.
Under Canada's Privacy Act, you have access to your personal information at all times and can make a formal access to information request to view it.
Agreements on the exchange of biometric information are in place, notably with Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. To find out more, visit this page on the Canadian government website.
Useful links:
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