Biometrics – Do I need to Give Mine?

As of 2013, the Government of Canada implemented mandatory biometrics collection for citizens of certain countries. Biometrics means giving your fingerprint and photograph and this must be completed within thirty days of submitting your application.

If you are from the list of countries and must give your biometrics, you are exempt if,

• You are under fourteen years of age or older than eighty years old

               o If you are nearing eighty years old, you must contact your Canadian visa office to make arrangements regarding the collection of your biometrics

• You are a diplomat, consular, representative, or official of,

o A country, the United Nations or any of its agencies, any intergovernmental organization that Canada is a member of,

o and you are travelling to Canada on business matters

• Any family members accompanying you are also exempt

• You are applying for a visa to transit through Canada for less than forty-eight hours, directly to or from United States and you hold a valid United States entry visa
• You are already in Canada and entitled to apply for a visitor visa, study permit, or work permit

Biometrics can be given at a Visa Application Centre (VAC). If you are applying from within the United States, you should go to an Application Support Centre (ASC). This program will assist visa officers establish your identity and will prevent,

• Identity theft and fraud
• Known criminals from entering Canada
• Deportees from unauthorized entrance
• Failed refugee claimants from unauthorized entrance

Your fingerprints, photographs, and any information of a personal nature that you provide will be kept safe and subject to Canada’s privacy laws.

It is important that you have your biometrics done in order for your application to be successful. If you have any further questions or concerns regarding whether or not you have to give your biometrics, if you are exempt, or when you submit it, at Akrami & Associates, we can help you address these questions as well as provide services regarding your application. Call now for a consultation.