Biometrics for Canada Immigration: Complete Guide (2026)

What Are Biometrics?

Biometrics in Canadian immigration refers to the collection of your fingerprints and a digital photograph. These are collected by trained staff at authorised collection points (called Visa Application Centres or Application Support Centres) and sent securely to IRCC and the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA).

IRCC uses biometric data to:

• ✔ Verify your identity at Canadian ports of entry
• ✔ Check your identity against immigration, law enforcement, and security databases
• ✔ Prevent identity fraud in immigration applications
• ✔ Confirm you are the same person who applied if you return to Canada in the future

Who Needs to Give Biometrics for Canada?

Most people applying for a Canadian visa, permit, or permanent residence from outside Canada — or when applying for certain permits from within Canada — need to give biometrics. Specifically, biometrics are required when applying for:

• ✔ Visitor visa (Temporary Resident Visa / TRV)
• ✔ Study permit
• ✔ Work permit
• ✔ Permanent residence (Express Entry, PNP, family sponsorship, etc.)
• ✔ Refugee protection (Convention refugee or protected persons)
• ✔ Travel documents
• ✔ Citizenship applications (if biometrics on file are expired or not previously collected)

Who Is Exempt from Biometrics?

The following groups generally do not need to provide biometrics:

• ✔ Canadian citizens
• ✔ US citizens — currently exempt from biometrics for visa applications (though not from identity verification at the border)
• ✔ Children under 14 years old
• ✔ Adults 79 years of age or older
• ✔ Heads of state and government and their immediate family
• ✔ People with a physical inability to provide fingerprints (e.g., missing fingers or skin conditions making collection impossible)

Note: US citizens are currently exempt from the biometric requirement for most immigration applications, but this policy can change. Always check current IRCC requirements when applying.

How Long Are Biometrics Valid?

Once collected, your biometrics are valid for 10 years. This means if you gave biometrics to IRCC in 2022 for a study permit, those same biometrics will remain valid until 2032 and can be used for any new applications you submit (visitor visa, work permit, PR, etc.) within that window.

You do not need to give biometrics again for each new application as long as:

• ✔ Your biometrics are still within the 10-year validity period
• ✔ You were 14 or older when they were collected
• ✔ You are still under 79 years of age

If any of these conditions are no longer met, or if 10 years have passed, you will need to give biometrics again. IRCC will tell you in your application instruction letter whether biometrics are required.

How Much Do Biometrics Cost?

• ✔ Individual applicant: CAD $85
• ✔ Family applying together (2 or more people): Maximum CAD $170 for the whole family, regardless of family size

The biometrics fee is paid online through your IRCC account when you submit your application — not at the collection centre. You pay it as part of your total application fee.

Where to Give Biometrics

You give biometrics at authorised collection points. Depending on where you are in the world, this will be at:

• ✔ Visa Application Centres (VACs) — operated by VFS Global or BLS International in countries outside Canada. You book an appointment online at the VAC website after receiving your biometrics instruction letter from IRCC.
• ✔ Application Support Centres (ASCs) — IRCC offices inside Canada where you can give biometrics if you applied from within Canada.
• ✔ Canadian visa offices — some Canadian embassies and high commissions in countries where VACs are not operating.

After submitting your application and paying the biometrics fee, IRCC sends you a Biometric Instruction Letter (BIL). You use this letter to book your appointment at the nearest VAC or ASC. You must give biometrics within 30 days of receiving the BIL (extended to 60 days in some countries).

What Happens at a Biometrics Appointment?

The process is quick — usually 10–15 minutes. Here is what to expect:

• ✔ Bring your passport and your Biometric Instruction Letter (printed or on your phone)
• ✔ The staff member will scan all 10 of your fingerprints using a digital scanner — there is no ink involved
• ✔ A digital photograph of your face will be taken
• ✔ The data is transmitted securely to IRCC — you do not take it with you
• ✔ You receive a confirmation receipt to keep for your records

What If You Cannot Give Biometrics (Medical Reasons)?

If a physical condition makes it impossible to collect your fingerprints (such as injuries, burns, or a skin condition), the VAC or ASC staff will note this in your file and send the information to IRCC. IRCC will assess your case individually. You may be asked to provide a medical certificate explaining the condition. Your application can still proceed — but IRCC will flag the inability to collect biometrics as part of the file.

What Happens If You Miss the Biometrics Deadline?

If you do not give biometrics within the 30-day (or 60-day) window after receiving your Biometric Instruction Letter, IRCC may consider your application incomplete and refuse it or put it on hold. If your application is refused due to failure to give biometrics, you would need to reapply and pay all fees again. Always book your biometrics appointment as soon as you receive the BIL — do not delay.

Biometrics and Admissibility Checks

Your biometrics are shared with Canadian law enforcement and security agencies. When you arrive at a Canadian port of entry, a border officer can scan your fingerprint to verify that you are the same person who applied. This process takes seconds and happens automatically.

Biometrics are also used to check immigration history. If you were previously deported from Canada, received a removal order, or had an inadmissibility finding, your biometrics will flag this when you apply again. You cannot circumvent a removal order or inadmissibility finding by using a different passport or name.

Biometrics for Permanent Residence Applications

If you are applying for PR from within Canada (e.g., through in-Canada Express Entry landing), you may still be asked to give biometrics if your previous biometrics are expired or were never collected. IRCC will include biometrics instructions in your application package if they are needed. Biometrics collected for your PR application remain valid for 10 years from collection and can be used for all future applications during that period.

Frequently Asked Questions

This article is for general informational purposes only. Biometrics requirements and fees can change. Always confirm current requirements at canada.ca before applying.