Biometrics

If I’m asked to give my biometrics, does that mean my application is approved?

No. Giving your biometrics is one of the steps you need to do before we can process your application. Once you give us your biometrics, we’ll use them to assess your application.

Why do I have to give my biometrics (fingerprints and photo) when I apply?

Biometrics are your fingerprints and photo. Most people have to give biometrics when they apply for any of the following:

• a visitor visa
• a study permit
• a work permit
• a visitor visa, work or study permit extension
• a temporary resident permit
• permanent residence

We collect your biometrics so we can establish and confirm your identity. This information is also used to help assess your application.

How often will I need to go in person to give my fingerprints and photo?

How often you need to give your biometrics depends on what you’re applying for.

Temporary residence applicants – Find out when to give biometrics

Permanent residence applicants – Find out when to give biometrics

Should I give my biometrics again if they’re about to expire?

Your biometrics are valid for 10 years, but we can’t issue a visa or permit for longer than 10 years from the last time you gave your biometrics.

If you want a visa or permit for a longer period of time, you should give your biometrics voluntarily when you apply, even if your previous biometrics are still valid.

A visa or permit can’t be issued past the expiry date of the passport.

Learn more about how to give your biometrics voluntarily.

What should I do if my visa or permit was issued for a shorter period of time than I expected because of my biometric validity?

We can't issue a visa or permit for longer than 10 years from when you last gave your biometrics.

Once your visa or permit has been issued, we can't collect your biometrics or extend your document.

To extend your stay in Canada, apply to extend your visa or permit and give your biometrics at that time.

Find out what to do if you've been issued a permit for a shorter period of time than you expected.

I cover my head or face for religious or cultural reasons. What will happen when I go to have my photo taken for biometrics?

When you have your photograph taken, your whole face must be clearly visible.

You may request to have your photo taken by an operator of the same gender and you may ask for a privacy curtain.

What will happen to my fingerprints and photo after they are collected for biometrics?

After you give your biometrics, your fingerprints and photo will be encrypted and sent electronically to a secure Government of Canada database. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) will check your fingerprints against the fingerprint records of

• criminals
• refugee claimants
• deportees
• temporary resident applicants

Any matches to existing RCMP records will be analyzed by the visa officer. This information is used to make a final decision on your application.

Domestic law enforcement

We may also share your biometrics information with

• other law enforcement agencies in Canada to enforce any Canadian or provincial law or
• Canadian government institutions or foreign governments according to Canada's privacy laws

When you arrive in Canada, a Canada Border Services Agency border services officer will use your biometrics to verify that you are the same person the visa was given to.

Find out more about what to expect when you arrive in Canada.

How long will you keep my fingerprints and photo (biometrics)?

For visitor visa, or study or work permit applications

We’ll keep your fingerprints and photo for 15 years from the date you gave your biometrics.

However, if your application is refused based on serious security concerns, human or international rights violations, serious criminality, or organized criminality, we’ll keep your fingerprints and photo until your 100^th birthday.

For permanent residence applications

If your application is approved

We’ll keep your fingerprints and photo until your 80^th birthday.

If you’re granted Canadian citizenship, we’ll permanently delete your fingerprints and photo.

If your application is refused

If the refusal is based on serious security reasons, human or international rights violations, serious criminality, or organized criminality, we’ll keep your fingerprints and photo until your 100^th birthday.

If the refusal is based on misrepresentation, we’ll keep your fingerprints and photo for 10 years.

If the refusal is based on health concerns, financial reasons or non-compliance, we’ll keep your fingerprints and photo for 5 years.

If your application is incomplete or if you withdraw or abandon it, we’ll keep your fingerprints and photo for 5 years.

For asylum claimants

We’ll keep your fingerprints and photo until your 100^th birthday.

Do I need to give my biometrics to visit Canada if I’m in the United States and I’ve already given my biometrics when I entered the U.S.?

Yes. If you’re a foreign national (not a U.S. national) visiting or living in the United States, you’ll still need to give your biometrics to Canada. You only need to give your biometrics once you get the letter from us that asks you for it.

In the United States, you can give your biometrics at any of the 128 Application Support Centers.

If my visa or permit application is refused, will I have to give biometrics for my next application?

No, when you give your biometrics as part of a visitor visa or work or study permit application, they're valid for 10 years, even if your application is refused.

What to do if your biometrics are about to expire

If your biometrics are about to expire, you can choose to give them again when you apply for temporary residence.

Check the status of your biometrics to find out if they're still valid and when they expire.

Can I go to a port of entry to give biometrics if it’s closer than a Service Canada location?

No. Only certain people can give their fingerprints and photo (biometrics) at a Canadian port of entry (POE).

For example, students and workers who meet the specific eligibility requirements can give their biometrics at a POE only if they begin and complete their application for a study or work permit at the POE.

All other applicants must give their biometrics at an official biometrics collection location. If you already have a biometrics instruction letter, this means you can’t give your biometrics at a POE.

Find out if you need to give biometrics, and if you do, how to give you biometrics.

How can I pay for biometrics after I submitted my application?

To pay for your biometrics fee after you already applied:

• If you applied online
  • pay online
  • upload your receipt in your IRCC secure account or by using our Web form
• If you applied on paper
  • pay online
  • upload your receipt using our Web form

I’m applying for a work or study permit from Saint-Pierre and Miquelon and need to give biometrics, but there is no service available where I live. What do I do?

You can apply for a work or study permit online if you’ve given biometrics to IRCC within the last 10 years.

If you need to give biometrics and there is no biometric service available where you live, you usually have to find the location closest to you.

However, if you’re a resident of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, you can apply for your permit at a port of entry (POE), where we can take your biometrics.

Make sure you have everything you need to apply for a work permit or a study permit at a POE.