In India, VACs will begin scheduling selective biometrics appointments in Delhi, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru on November 20.

The Canadian government has just announced that on November 20, 2020, its Visa Application Centres (VACs) in India will reopen services tomorrow.

The government announced in a new tweet that it will schedule restricted appointments for biometrics in Delhi, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru.

It will give preference to foreign students and applicants for family classes.

For those in India who are excluded from Canada’s coronavirus travel restrictions, resuming biometrics is the last remaining big obstacle.

Though international students were excluded as of October 20 from Canada’s travel restrictions, Indian students who had not previously submitted biometrics were unable to travel to Canada. The same may be said for immigrants in the family class and eligible workers who are also excluded from travel restrictions.

On Twitter, the government further stated that it would not accept walk-in customers at VACs. Instead, appointments must be booked in advance and if you are attending your own scheduled appointment, you can visit your VAC only.

If you have received a special Biometric Instructions Letter (BIL) from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), you will receive further instructions about how to arrange your biometric appointment with your email ID on file.

The government concluded by saying that as it phases in programmes, more appointments will eventually become available each week.

India is the leading source of immigrants and foreign students in Canada by far.

Canada accepted over 85,000 immigrants from India in 2019, which was one quarter of Canada’s more than 341,000 new permanent residents.

Canada hosted 220,000 international students last year, which is over one-third of Canada’s more than 640,000 international students in 2019.

For foreign nationals who are looking to obtain a tourist visa, study permit, work permit, permanent residency, visitor record, refugee or asylum status, or are requesting an extension to their study or work permit, biometrics are normally necessary.

They need to apply their photos and fingerprints and also pay a fee. The aim of biometrics is to allow Canada to confirm that when foreign travellers enter the country, they are identified.

Tags : Refugees and Citizenship Canada, VAC, Canada PR Process, Study VISA