COVID-19 MEASURES
September 8, 2020 – Permanent Resident visa applicants are getting anxious over meeting deadlines for giving their biometrics, a crucial process required by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to determine the criminal and security admissibility of PR applicants.
The good news is that PR applications will not be refused nor closed for failing to meet the 30 or 90-day Biometrics deadlines given in the Biometrics Instruction Letter (BIL) of PR applicants.
Service Canada has temporarily suspended Biometrics collection services because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though it has resumed limited services since reopening, it is yet to announce when the biometrics collection services will resume.
Automatic renewal of Biometrics Deadlines
BILs are automatically renewed (and extended) and can be used to book a new appointment when Service Canada resumes collecting biometrics.
PR applicants who are between the ages of 14-79 years old are required to give their biometrics each time they apply even if they have already given them in the past.
Biometrics Exemption
Meanwhile, temporary residents in Canada are exempted from giving their biometrics if they will apply or have applications in progress to 1) extend their stay or 2) to restore their status in Canada as a visitor, worker or international student. This exemption applies even if they state that they are making their applications OUTSIDE Canada.
This exemption also means that temporary resident applicants do not need to pay the Biometrics fee even if the IRCC system asks them for payment. In case a payment has been made, the fee will be refunded when IRCC finalizes the application.
Biometrics for temporary residents are valid for 10 years and can be used for another visitor visa, study or work permit application.
If you’re a temporary resident who has given your biometrics in the last 10 years and they remain valid then there is no need to give them again. You can find out if your Biometrics are still valid through this link.
Outside Canada
IRCC is implementing the same guidelines for biometrics collection outside Canada. BILs are automatically extended if the closest Visa Application Centre or U.S. Application Support Centre remains close and applicants could meet the biometrics deadlines. Likewise, applicants do not need new BILs to make a new appointment.
IRCC states that applicants may give their biometrics when VACs or ASCs re-open even if they still can’t travel to Canada because of travel restrictions. It added that VACs and ASCs are slowly reopening.
