This checker shows whether IRCC normally asks for biometrics (fingerprints and a photo) for the application you choose, how long biometrics last, what they cost and where to give them. It follows IRCC’s biometrics pages on who needs to give, when to give and where to give, checked on October 18, 2026. It cannot see your personal IRCC record: always follow the biometric instruction letter (BIL) you receive.
Check whether your biometrics are still valid, or use IRCC’s official questionnaire (IRCC page).
Find a place to give biometrics
Who gives biometrics
| Application | Biometrics? |
|---|---|
| Visitor visa, study permit or work permit (first time, or when the earlier biometrics are no longer valid) | Yes, unless you are exempt. U.S. nationals are excluded. |
| Extension of stay as a visitor | Yes, unless you are from a visa-exempt country. |
| New permanent residence application | Yes, every time, even if you gave biometrics before. Children under 14 can be exempt from the first PR application. |
| Refugee or asylum claim | Yes from age 14. There is no upper age exemption. |
| PR card | Normally no. Yes if you were exempt from biometrics at your PR application because you were under 14 and you are now 14 or older. |
| Permanent resident travel document (PRTD) | No. |
| eTA only (visa-exempt visit) | No. |
| Citizenship or Canadian passport | No immigration biometrics. If a citizenship application needs fingerprints, police, the RCMP or an RCMP-accredited company takes them. |
Exemptions at a glance
Age
Children aged 13 or under on the day the application is submitted. Applicants aged 80 or over on that day, except asylum claimants. Age is counted on the submission date: someone who was 79 and turns 80 during processing still gives biometrics.
Nationality and document
U.S. nationals applying for temporary residence. Citizens of visa-exempt countries who extend their stay as a visitor. These do not apply if you use a refugee travel document, a certificate of identity or a U.S. Refugee Travel Document.
Status
Canadian citizens and citizenship applicants, including passport applicants. Existing permanent residents (apart from the PR card case above). Visa-exempt visitors who only need an eTA.
Special cases
Heads of state and heads of government. Holders of, or applicants for, a diplomatic or official visa. U.S. visa holders transiting Canada. Visitor, study or work permit applicants who already gave biometrics for a PR application that is still being processed.
How long biometrics last
For temporary residence, biometrics are valid for 10 years from the day you gave them. During that time they attach to new visas, permits and extensions, so you do not give them again for each application. IRCC cannot issue a visa or permit that runs past the expiry date of your biometrics.
- A new permanent residence application always needs biometrics, even if your temporary-residence biometrics are still valid.
- Biometrics given for a PR application that is still open can be used for a visitor visa, study permit or work permit. If the PR application is refused, they cannot be used again.
- If your application was refused because you did not give biometrics, do not use the old letter. Apply again, pay the fees and wait for a new BIL.
Fees and the 30-day deadline
| Who | Biometrics fee (CAD) |
|---|---|
| One applicant | $85 |
| Family applying at the same time (2 or more people: spouse or common-law partner, dependent children and their dependent children) | $170 maximum in total |
| Group of 3 or more performing artists and their staff applying together for work permits | $255 maximum in total |
| Transit visa | No fee |
Pay the fee when you apply, or you may experience delays. After you pay, IRCC sends the BIL. You have 30 days from receiving the BIL to give your biometrics. If you cannot, use IRCC’s web form to explain why you need more time and include details such as your appointment date. Appointments are free: never pay anyone to book one.
What happens when biometrics are required
- Pay the fee with your applicationFirst-time applicants pay when they submit. If you have already applied, pay online and upload the receipt through your IRCC account or the IRCC web form.
- Receive the BILThe letter confirms that you must give biometrics and explains how to book.
- Book at an authorized locationUse IRCC’s own pages to find the location, to avoid fraud. An appointment is required at Service Canada offices and U.S. application support centres, and recommended at VACs.
- Attend with your documentsBring the BIL and a valid passport. Asylum claimants without a passport bring the identity document IRCC describes, or a certified copy of the passport.
Where to give biometrics
Outside Canada
At a visa application centre (VAC). If your country or territory has no VAC, IRCC says you may use any other VAC. VACs are private companies under contract with the Government of Canada. They collect biometrics but do not make visa decisions.
In the United States
You must already be legally in the United States. Use a USCIS application support centre (ASC), or the VAC in Los Angeles or New York.
In Canada
At a designated Service Canada office, by appointment. Do not go without a booking.
At a port of entry
Only if you can apply for a study permit or work permit at a port of entry and you start and finish the application there. Not possible if you already applied and have a BIL.
Applicants from Iran
IRCC does not list a VAC in Iran. When a country has no VAC, IRCC says you may use any other VAC. IRCC does not name a specific VAC for Iranian applicants. These VACs near Iran are on IRCC’s list. Check the entry rules of the country you will travel to, and the VAC’s website for services and hours, before you book.
| Country | VAC cities on IRCC’s list | IRCC notice |
|---|---|---|
| Türkiye | Ankara, Istanbul | |
| United Arab Emirates | Abu Dhabi, Dubai | Services and hours may change on short notice |
| Armenia | Yerevan | |
| Azerbaijan | Baku | |
| Georgia | Tbilisi | |
| Iraq | Erbil | Services and hours may change on short notice |
| Oman | Muscat | Services and hours may change on short notice |
| Qatar | Doha | Services and hours may change on short notice |
| Bahrain | Manama | Services and hours may change on short notice |
| Kuwait | Kuwait City | Services and hours may change on short notice |
| Saudi Arabia | Al Khobar, Jeddah, Riyadh | Services and hours may change on short notice |
| Pakistan | Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore |
Changes that are planned or proposed
What this checker cannot do
- It does not see your IRCC file. Your own biometric instruction letter, or a letter saying you need no biometrics, decides your case.
- An officer can also exempt an applicant case by case when collection is impossible or would cause undue hardship. The checker does not model this.
- Rules change. The result applies to the rules on the date shown above.
Frequently asked questions
I was 79 when I applied and turned 80 while waiting. Am I exempt?
No. Age is counted when the application is submitted. Someone aged 79 or younger at that time must still give biometrics.
Do I need to give biometrics again for every visa or permit?
Not if your biometrics are still valid. They last 10 years and are used for new temporary residence applications in that period. You can check whether yours are still valid on IRCC’s page.
Do I give biometrics again for a PR application?
Yes. A permanent residence application needs biometrics every time, except in the special cases IRCC lists, such as a child under 14.
Can I get biometrics done at the border?
Only if you are eligible to apply for a study permit or work permit at a port of entry and you start and finish the application there.
Should I pay an agent for an appointment?
No. Booking is free. Use IRCC’s official pages to find a collection location.
Official sources
- IRCC: Biometrics: who needs to give their fingerprints and photo
- IRCC: Find out if you need to give biometrics
- IRCC: When to give biometrics for temporary residence
- IRCC: When to give biometrics for permanent residence, PR cards and travel documents
- IRCC: Where to give biometrics
- IRCC: How to give biometrics and fees
- IRCC: Find a visa application centre
- IRCC briefing material: Biometrics (2025)
- IRCC forward regulatory plan: expanding the collection and use of biometrics