For permanent resident applicants who have submitted bio metrics in the last 10 years, Canada waives bio metrics criteria.

Canada no longer needs applicants for permanent residence to apply their bio metric details as long as they have submitted their bio metrics over the last ten years in another application.

Special steps have previously been taken by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) due to the corona virus pandemic, such as allowing bio metric applications to be postponed if applicants are unable to send them.

It is unclear when many of Canada’s and overseas bio metric collection service points will resume their operations as usual.

Thousands of permanent resident applicants have been impacted by these closures at service points and Visa Application Centers (VACs).

In an earlier submission, several of these applicants had already submitted their bio-metrics.

In addition, IRCC claimed in a statement that Canada has an increasing number of permanent residence applications that cannot be processed because of the requirement for bio metrics.

As such, by waiving the bio metrics requirement in some situations, IRCC aims to mitigate more disturbances to such individuals.

Eligible candidates and effective date

This policy came into effect on September 10, 2020 and was operationalized on September 22, 2020, according to the IRCC. It will forever remain in place.

Qualified applicants who, regardless of whether they are currently in Canada or abroad, are excluded from the criteria for biometrics collection are those with each of the following:

• A pending or latest permanent residence application
• Before the date on which they submitted their new permanent residence application, they previously submitted their biometrics during the 10-year period before

Regarding biometrics

Because of its awareness that COVID-19 disruptions can stop them from doing so, Canada has already exempted other foreign nationals from providing biometrics.

For foreign nationals seeking to obtain a Canadian tourist visa, work or study permit (excluding U.S. nationals), refugee or asylum status, permanent residency, a tourist record, or to extend their work or study permit, biometrics are typically needed.

These people must apply their fingerprints, photos, and pay a fee. To confirm the identity of foreign nationals upon their entry into the country, Canada uses biometrics.