Recently, the IRCC has revised its biometric policy for candidates applying for Canadian permanent residence applicants.

Starting from June 14, all candidates applying for Canadian permanent residence are required to provide biometrics, irrespective of whether they have submitted them earlier when applying for a temporary residence permit.

This update to the existing biometric policy illustrates that Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada is getting back to its pre-COVID Permanent Residence application strategies.

IRCC passed a policy in the Global Case Management System (GCMS) during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic that removed the necessity of biometric resubmission for PR applicants if they had previously provided them for obtaining a temporary residence permit within the last ten years.

Post-pandemic, the standard procedure is resuming.

IRCC made it attainable in September 2020 for PR applicants to apply if they had previously provided their biometrics to IRCC within the last ten years. IRCC took this step in response to the COVID-19 restrictions that led several Visa Application Centres (VACs) to shut down temporarily.

IRCC realized that Many applicants of permanent residence already had, or earlier had, a Canadian temporary resident status. Also, the biometric requirement made it unattainable for applicants to proceed.

Since the covid-restrictions started to relax, IRCC is returning toward pre-COVID service standards. The application backlog, which was the major barrier, is now greatly declined, making it possible for the IRCC department to return to functioning at its full capacity and to process the applications rapidly.

An IRCC officer noted in an email to the Canadian Bar Association’s immigration section that for PR applications, the reuse of biometrics was a temporary effort that was initiated during the pandemic. Since the pandemic is over, the department is returning to its standard application procedure. As per this, all Permanent Residence applicants are required to provide their biometrics, even if their earlier biometrics is valid.

These modifications do not apply to candidates applying for temporary resident status on a study, work, or visitor visa. Additionally, temporary residents seeking visa extensions also do not require to resubmit their biometrics.

What does Biometrics Mean?

In order to obtain any permit to live, work or visit Canada, the IRCC demands that applicants provide their fingerprints and a passport-size photograph as a part of their initial application. Presently, the biometric submission fee is $85 CAD.

IRCC employs biometrics to safeguard the integrity of the immigration system and to keep Canadians secure. Biometrics is harmless for the applicants and makes it easy for the department to identify them.

With few exceptions, biometrics are an obligatory requirement for all immigration applications. For instance, to enter Canada, citizens of more than 60 countries are visa exempt and thus do not need to provide their biometrics. However, such nationals need an eTA to visit the country, except for U.S. citizens.

In addition to these, applicants who belong to the below-mentioned categories are also free from biometric requirements to visit Canada:

  • Canadian citizens, Canadian permanent residents, or applicants of citizenship, including passport applicants;
  • Children below 14 years old;
  • Individuals who are over the age of 79. For asylum claimants, there is no upper age limit;
  • Leaders of government and states;
  • Cabinet Ministers and officially authorized spokespeople of other countries, as well as the United Nations, visiting Canada for official purposes;
  • Visa holders or the United States traveling across Canada;
  • Protected Individuals and Refugee Claimants applying for study or work permits who have previously submitted biometrics;
  • Temporary resident applicants whose PR application is under process who have already submitted biometrics in its support.