Visa
Check the application type before assuming old biometrics can be reused
This current explainer concerns Canada's existing biometrics rules, not a new October extension of their validity. IRCC's Temporary resident applicants guidance says fingerprints and a photograph supplied within the last ten years are normally attached automatically to a new visitor visa, work or study permit application, or extension. Applicants do not ordinarily repeat biometrics for every temporary application during that period, subject to the published exemptions and instructions for their circumstances.
The same guidance warns that a visa or permit cannot be issued beyond the biometrics' expiry. Applicants who want a longer possible validity can choose to provide biometrics again when applying, using the new application's instruction letter. Giving biometrics again after a document has already been issued does not extend that document. An illustrative student with older biometrics should therefore check their expiry before applying, rather than assume that a ten-year reuse rule means the requested permit can always run for ten more years.
Permanent residence is a separate collection requirement
IRCC's Permanent resident applicants resource says biometrics must normally be provided each time a person applies for permanent residence, even if they were collected previously. Its special-case instructions should be checked before treating this as an absolute rule. In particular, biometrics provided for a permanent residence application can support a temporary residence application while the permanent application remains open. If the permanent application is refused, the page says those biometrics cannot be used for future applications.
The permanent-residence guidance separately addresses PR cards and permanent resident travel documents. Those are not the same as applying for permanent resident status for the first time, and collection requirements differ. Existing residents should select the instructions for their actual document rather than follow a first-time applicant's checklist. The general Biometrics resource also lists exemptions, including children under 14 and applicants over 79, with no upper-age exemption for asylum claimants. Category and age should be checked before paying for a collection that may not be required.
Pay the applicable fee and use the correct instruction letter
The How to give your fingerprints and photo page describes the payment and instruction-letter sequence. The individual fee is CAD 85. Qualifying families applying together pay a maximum of CAD 170, while specified groups of at least three performing artists and their staff applying together for work permits have a CAD 255 maximum. The fee arrangement for a family does not mean every group travelling together qualifies as a family. IRCC identifies the eligible relationships in its official instructions.
Once required fees have been paid, the biometric instruction letter explains the appointment procedure. Applicants generally need that letter and a valid passport at collection; published exceptions address certain asylum claimants and protected persons without passports. The payment guidance also explains how to submit a receipt if a biometrics fee is paid after the application. Use the letter issued for the relevant application rather than an older letter from a previous case, and retain the payment and appointment records for any later inquiry.
Book an official collection appointment and address a deadline problem promptly
IRCC's Where to give your fingerprints and photo resource says appointments are free to book and should be arranged as soon as the instruction letter arrives. It gives a normal deadline of 30 days from receipt of the letter to provide biometrics. If that cannot be met, applicants should use the web form to explain why more time is needed. The guidance gives the example of supplying the appointment date and a screenshot of its confirmation when a suitable appointment was unavailable before the deadline.
The location resource distinguishes collection outside Canada, in the United States and within Canada. Applicants outside Canada and the United States can use a visa application centre, including another location where no centre exists in their country. Check the official list and local services before travelling or paying anyone to secure an appointment. Providing biometrics is an identity and assessment step, not evidence that a visa has been approved. The immediate tasks are to check reuse and expiry, follow the current letter and complete collection or report the deadline problem through the official channel.
