Biometrics for Canadian Immigration: When, Where, and How Much
If you are applying for a Canadian study permit, work permit, visitor visa, or permanent residence, you will almost certainly need to give biometrics: your fingerprints and a photo. You do this in person after you submit your application, once the government sends you a letter telling you to book an appointment. Below is who needs them, what they cost, where you go, and how long they last. For the official rules that apply to your case, always check canada.ca, the Government of Canada site that this independent guide points to.
Key takeaways
- Most temporary residence applicants (study, work, visitor) and almost all permanent residence applicants in the relevant age range need to give biometrics: fingerprints plus a photo.
- You pay a biometric fee on top of your application fee. As of 2026 there is a per-person fee and a capped per-family fee for groups applying together; confirm the current amounts on canada.ca before you pay.
- For most temporary applications, fingerprints are generally valid for 10 years and can be reused within that window, so you may not have to give them again for a later application. Confirm this on canada.ca.
- You give biometrics in person at a Visa Application Centre (VAC), a US Application Support Centre (ASC), or a Service Canada office, depending on where you are.
- You book the appointment only after you receive a Biometric Instruction Letter (BIL). Do not go before you get it.
What biometrics actually are
For Canadian immigration, "biometrics" means two things: a set of digital fingerprints and a digital photograph of your face. There is no blood test and nothing invasive. The fingerprints are scanned electronically at the appointment, which takes only a few minutes once you are in the chair.
The government uses biometrics to confirm identity and run security and criminality checks. They also make it harder for someone to use a false identity across multiple applications. The data is stored and, for temporary residence applicants, can be matched against your file the next time you apply, which is what makes the reuse rule (more on that below) worth understanding.
Who has to give biometrics
The short version: most people applying to come to Canada do. As a general rule, you need biometrics if you are applying for any of the following:
- A visitor visa (temporary resident visa)
- A study permit; see our study permit guide for 2026 for the full process
- A work permit
- Permanent residence (most economic, family, and refugee streams)
- Refugee or asylum claims and certain other protected-person processes
Age matters. As of 2026, biometrics are generally required for applicants roughly 14 to 79 years old, with children under 14 and applicants 80 and over typically exempt for many application types. Refugee claimants can face different age rules. Because these thresholds and exemptions change, confirm the current age rules and the full exemption list on canada.ca for your specific application.
Common exemptions. Some people do not have to give biometrics. As of 2026, these often include certain visa-exempt travellers applying for an eTA, some existing permit holders, and certain US nationals (though US permanent residents and other US visa holders are not automatically exempt). Diplomatic and official-business travellers may also be exempt. The exemption rules are detailed and they shift, so do not assume; verify your situation against the official list on canada.ca.
If you are building your application package, our document checklist tool can help you track what you need alongside the biometric step.
How much biometrics cost
You pay a biometric fee in addition to your application processing fee. They are separate charges.
As of 2026, the structure works like this:
- A per-person fee for a single applicant.
- A capped per-family fee when two or more people apply at the same time and pay together as a family, which helps parents applying with children, or couples.
- A separate group cap can apply to certain performing artists and other groups applying together.
Here is the important part: the exact dollar amounts change, and they have changed before. Anyone quoting you a precise figure from an old blog post may be giving you a stale number. As of 2026, always confirm the current biometric fee, both the per-person and the per-family amounts, on the official fee list at canada.ca before you pay. The fee is typically paid online when you submit your application, and your Biometric Instruction Letter is generally issued only after that payment clears.
One more cost note: the VAC where you give biometrics may charge its own separate service fee on top of the government biometric fee. That VAC fee is set locally and varies by country, so check the specific centre's page when you book and confirm any amount before paying.
Where you give your biometrics
Where you go depends on where you are when you apply. There are three main channels.
Visa Application Centres (VACs)
If you are outside Canada and the United States, you will almost always use a Visa Application Centre. VACs are run by private companies under contract, and they exist in most countries, often more than one per country. You book an appointment, show up with your Biometric Instruction Letter and a valid passport, and they take your fingerprints and photo. As noted above, VACs may charge their own service fee.
Application Support Centres (ASCs) in the United States
If you are in the US, for example an international student already studying there or someone on a US work visa, you give biometrics at a US Citizenship and Immigration Services Application Support Centre (ASC). These are the same offices the US government uses for its own immigration biometrics, but you follow the Canadian instructions in your letter to book.
Service Canada offices (inside Canada)
If you are applying from inside Canada, say you are already here on a permit and applying to extend or change status, or you are applying for permanent residence from within Canada, you typically give biometrics at a designated Service Canada office. Appointments are booked through the process described in your instruction letter. This in-Canada option has become more established in recent years, so applicants who used to leave the country for biometrics often no longer need to. Confirm the current in-Canada options on canada.ca.
In all three cases, the rule is the same: wait for your Biometric Instruction Letter, then book. Walking into a centre without a valid BIL will not work, because the letter contains the reference number the centre needs to capture your biometrics against the right file.
When in the process you give biometrics
This is where a lot of applicants get confused, so it is worth being precise.
- You submit your application and pay the fees, including the biometric fee.
- The government issues a Biometric Instruction Letter (BIL), usually after you apply. For online applications, this often arrives quickly; for paper applications it can take longer to reach you.
- You book and attend your biometrics appointment. The BIL tells you the deadline and which channel to use (VAC, ASC, or Service Canada). Follow the exact deadline printed on your own letter rather than a number you read elsewhere.
- Processing of your application continues once your biometrics are collected and linked to your file.
The headline point: you give biometrics after you apply, not before. Do not try to give them in advance, and do not sit on the letter. Giving biometrics late can delay or stall your application, because many files will not move forward until biometrics are on record.
If your application is one where biometrics are not required (an exemption applies), you simply will not receive a BIL.
The 10-year validity and reuse rule
For most temporary residence applications, your fingerprints are generally valid for 10 years from the date you give them, as of 2026. Within that window, the government can reuse your existing biometrics for a new temporary application instead of making you give them again. Confirm the current validity period on canada.ca, since these rules can change.
In practice this means a student who gave biometrics for a study permit might not have to repeat them for a later work permit application, as long as it is within the validity period and the biometrics are still usable in the system. When you submit a new application, the system checks whether you have usable biometrics on file; if you do, you may get a letter telling you that you do not need to attend an appointment.
A few important caveats:
- Do not assume reuse will happen automatically. Submit your application as normal and let the system tell you whether you need new biometrics. If you do get a BIL, you have to attend.
- Permanent residence is treated differently. The 10-year reuse convenience is generally framed around temporary residence. PR applicants should expect to give biometrics for the PR application and confirm the requirement on canada.ca.
- The validity clock runs from when you gave them, not from when you last applied. If you gave biometrics nine years ago, you may be near the end of the window.
Because the validity rule interacts with which program you are applying under, confirm your specific situation on canada.ca rather than relying on a friend's experience from a different year or stream. Our processing times overview can help you plan the rest of your timeline around the biometric step.
How to prepare for the appointment itself
Bring your Biometric Instruction Letter and the valid passport or travel document you used in your application. Your fingers are placed on a glass scanner rather than inked, so there is nothing to clean up afterward. If you have an injury, henna, or anything affecting your fingertips, mention it; the centre can sometimes accommodate or reschedule.
A practical tip: book early in the window stated on your letter. In busy seasons, especially around the fall study-permit rush, VAC appointment slots fill up, and you do not want the deadline to pass because the nearest centre was booked solid. If you are a prospective student timing everything around a program start date, this matters, and it sits alongside other moving parts like the PGWP rules for 2026 and your proof-of-funds preparation.
Frequently asked questions
Do I give biometrics before or after I apply? After. You submit and pay first, then the government sends a Biometric Instruction Letter telling you to book an appointment. Never go to a centre before you receive that letter.
How much are biometrics in 2026? As of 2026 there is a per-person fee and a lower capped per-family fee for groups applying together, charged on top of your application fee. The exact amounts change, so confirm the current biometric fee on canada.ca before paying, and note the VAC may add its own service fee.
How long do biometrics last? For most temporary residence applications, fingerprints are generally valid for 10 years and may be reused for a new temporary application within that window. This can change, so confirm the current rule on canada.ca, and do not assume reuse: apply normally and let the system tell you whether you need to give them again.
Do children need to give biometrics? As of 2026, applicants under 14 are generally exempt for many application types, as are applicants 80 and over. Refugee claims and some categories follow different rules, so check the current age thresholds on canada.ca for your specific application.
Where do I go if I am already inside Canada? You typically give biometrics at a designated Service Canada office, booked through the instructions in your letter. If you are in the US, you use a US Application Support Centre instead; elsewhere, a Visa Application Centre.
What happens if I miss the biometrics deadline? Your application can be delayed or may not move forward, since many files will not be finalized until biometrics are on record. If you are running out of time, follow the guidance in your instruction letter and book the earliest available appointment rather than letting the deadline lapse.
This is general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules change often - confirm current details on canada.ca or with a CICC-licensed representative.