Step 6: Biometrics
After payment and submission of your application, the final step in the Working Holiday Canada process begins.
Within 24 hours of submitting your application, you will receive a Biometric Instruction Letter (BIL) in your account.
Important: Print this letter and take it, along with your passport, to a biometrics collection centre where you will complete your biometrics.
You have 30 days to give biometrics
Once you’ve submitted your biometrics, the processing time begins—and now, the waiting game starts. You don’t need to take any further action. It’s time to sit back, relax, and be proud of how far you’ve come!
This is the final step before your Canadian adventure begins, and you’re almost there!
- The processing time begins with the submission of all application documents. This means from the submission of the biometrics or from the submission of the last document, if one is requested after the biometrics.
- An example is if the police certificate did not arrive on time and you instead uploaded proof that you requested one. Processing begins with the submission of the received police certificate.
- The processing of the application can take up to 8 weeks. At the beginning of the season (January/February) the processing time is shorter. From experience, it can only take 10-14 days until approval, but it is not a guarantee.
This is your last chance to withdraw the application for the Working Holiday in order to get a refund of the fees.
After the biometrics, a processing agent might ask for more documents
Up until now, everything was automatic and system generated. After you provided the biometrics, a human processing agent will look at your documents and make a decision.
It might be the case that a police certificate was missing that will now be requested, or other forms are requested, like the “Travel History” form. The travel history will be requested, if you left gaps in the application work history or if you didn’t go back to your 18th birthday in the work history section.
If you received additional requests, this is how you submit them (quoted from the government website):
- Sign in to your account.
- Look for your application under View the applications you submitted.
- Under the Action column, click Check full application status.
- At the top of the page, click View submitted application or upload documents.
- Scroll down the page and click Continue.
- Under Documents submitted by the client, you can find
- Document Name: the document we need
- Instructions: more information on the type of document and how to get it
- Required by: the latest date by when we need to receive the document
- Click Upload file and follow the steps to upload your document to your account.
- If you need to submit more than 1 document, read what to do if you have multiple documents before uploading any documents.
- Make sure that your documents are under the file size limit for the online application you’re using.
- Make sure the Details column shows the message Uploaded – not submitted to IRCC.
- Click Next.
- Provide your Signature by entering your Given name(s) and Last name(s).
- Answer the Security Question.
- Click Sign.
- Click Transmit.
- The following message should appear on your screen: “Congratulations! You have successfully submitted your application or profile. You have successfully transmitted your additional or replacement document(s).”
- After you see the message, you’ll receive an email confirming you’ve added a new document.
You can find a lot more questions answered > here < in this FAQ section.