Biometrics
Do I need to give biometrics for the Working Holiday application?
The biometrics were introduced in 2018 for all new applications and is now an additional and mandatory step in the application for the IEC process. This applies to all countries and biometrics are required when applying for a Visitor Visa, Work Permit or Study Permit. It is also part of the application for permanent residence. So the answer is, yes. You don’t have a choice, biometrics are mandatory.
Procedure in the IEC process:
- After you received the invitation, you have to upload all documents, pay the fee and submit the application within the deadline.
- The fee for the biometrics is $85 and will also be listed in the fee overview at the end of the application.
- Within 24 hours after you submitted the application, you will receive a letter with the instructions on what to do. This is the Biometric Instruction Letter (BIL)
- You have 30 days to give the biometrics.
- With the passport and this letter you have go to a biometrics collection centre in person.
- At the biometrics collection centre you have to have your fingerprints and a photo taken. The process itself takes less than 10 minutes.
- After you gave the biometrics, you don’t have to do anything anymore.
- Sit back and relax, until you get new notifications into your GCKey account. If everything is fine with the rest of the provided documents in the application, you will get the message, that you are approved. It will be the > POE < that you were awaiting.
Where can I give the biometrics?
You do not necessarily have to give the biometrics in your home country. You can go to any biometrics collection centre worldwide. You can submit the biometrics at the following locations:
- Visa Application Centres (VAC) worldwide
- Application Support Centers (ASC) in den USA
- Service Canada Offices (SCO) in Canada
Enter your country >> here << to find the city near you.
What do I need for the biometrics appointment?
For your biometrics appointment, you must bring both of the following documents:
- your printed Biometric Instruction Letter (BIL)
- your valid passport that you used in the application
Very important information from the government of Canada (from the link here):
“We can’t issue a visa or permit more than 10 years from the last time you gave your biometrics.”
If you want a work permit for the entire duration of your country’s citizenship, you can give them again when you apply, even if they’re still valid.
Steps if you gave biometrics before
- Check the status of your biometrics using the Check status tool.
- If they are valid for long enough, ignore this instruction.
- If they are expiring during your planned stay in Canada:
- Pay the biometrics fee > here <
- Print the receipt
- Upload the receipt into the optional spot in the application “Client Information” with a short explanation that you would like to give biometrics again.
- Submit your application
- Wait for the biometric instruction letter (BIL)
- Book an appointment to give your biometrics at one of the VAC locations or within Canada at certain Service Canada locations. List > here <
- Take the biometric instruction letter (BIL) and passport to give biometrics
How long does it take for the biometrics to appear in my GCKey account?
After submitting the biometrics, your fingerprints and photo will be encrypted and sent electronically to a secure Government of Canada database.
It will take up to 72 hours for the biometrics to be assigned in your GCKey account.
This Government of Canada database:
- will share your biometrics with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to check their database
- will share with the Canada Border Services Agency so that they can verify your identity when you arrive in Canada
- may be shared under the “Five Eyes Alliance” with the US, the United Kingdom (UK), Australia and New Zealand if needed
I am already in Canada. Can I give the biometrics in Canada?
Yes, you can give your biometrics at a designated Service Canada office.
- You must make an appointment > here < first
- To make the appointment you need the Application Number (on the top-right of your letter)
For applicants applying from within Canada:
Usually the $85 biometrics fee is part of the application and listed in the fee summary. You pay all those fees at the end when you submit the work permit application. But for applicants from within Canada, there might be a small system glitch. It was the case in the past seasons: The biometrics fee of $85 is not listed in the application fees and therefore no biometrics letter is generated.
If this happens to you in the application process, here is what you have to do if the $85 biometrics fee is not listed:
It is advisable to pay the fee and ask for the biometrics letter to speed up the application process.
- After you submitted the work permit application and paid the application fees, pay the $85 biometrics fee at the > following link < (you have to register for that payment option)
- Print the receipt.
- Create a webform > here <
- Select “International Experience Canada” from the drop-down list.
- Politely explain that the biometrics fee was not part of the application and ask for the biometrics letter.
- Upload the payment receipt there.
- Then wait for the biometric instruction letter (BIL).
Hopefully, they fixed this glitch in the next seasons.
Can I give the biometrics beforehand to save time?
No, you can’t. You have to wait for a letter in your GCKey account (biometric instruction letter), which you have to take with you to the appointment. And you only get the letter after you have received an invitation AND submitted your Working Holiday application.
What if I don't meet the 30-day deadline?
If you do not submit biometrics within the 30 days, you will receive a refusal of the Working Holiday application.
Due to personal circumstances, I cannot give the biometrics within the 30 days. Can I extend the deadline?
An extension of the deadline is only accepted under one condition: If there are no free appointments at the biometrics office within the 30 days.
You cannot get an extension if you give the following reasons:
- You have to work and you can’t take time off.
- You are waiting for cheaper flights (if you have to give the biometrics outside of your home country).
- You are on a road trip or on vacation.
- The biometrics office is too far away.
- Other factors that you can influence.
Deadline extension:
- Take screenshots from the appointment reservation system.
- Contact IRCC via the web form >here< .
- Select “International Experience Canada” from the drop-down list.
- Include the proof (screenshots).
- If the renewal request is approved, you will not receive a confirmation email. Instead, you get a new biometric instruction letter (BIL) into the GCKey account.
Can I give the biometrics at an embassy, at the airport or at the border?
No, this is not possible for the Working Holiday process. You have to go to one of the biometrics collection centres.
I have already submitted the biometrics for another Canadian work permit. Do I have to give them again?
No, if, for example, you are now applying for the Young Professional work permit and have already submitted biometrics for the Working Holiday, you do not have to give them again. The biometrics are valid for 10 years. >Here< you can check if the biometrics are still valid.
What do I have to do in the Working Holiday application if I have already given the biometrics for another application?
If you have already submitted biometrics and they are valid for the Working Holiday process, they will be automatically assigned to your application within a few days of submitting the application. You don’t have to enter anything anywhere except to answer the question in the application about the biometrics with “Yes”.
If my Working Holiday application is rejected and I apply again, do I have to give the biometrics again?
No, the biometrics are valid for 10 years. When applying, you must answer “yes” to the question of whether you have already submitted biometrics.