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What you need to know about giving your biometrics.

If you apply for a visitor visa, study permit, work permit or permanent resident visa you will need to give your fingerprints and photo (biometrics). Per December 31, 2018, this applies for all countries.  If you plan to visit Canada and are from a visa exempt country you do not need to give your biometrics. If you are eligible to apply from within Canada you currently do not have to give your biometrics until IRCC opens collection centres in Canada in 2019.

Biometrics are collected at Visa Application Centers (VAC). If there’s no biometric service available where you live, you’ll have to find the location closest to you.

Certain applicants can apply for a study permit or work permit at a Port of Entry (POE). If you are eligible to apply at a POE you can give your biometrics at the POE.

In the United States, you can give your biometrics at Application Support Centers.

 

Expanded age range for Australian young adults under the International Experience Canada (IEC) program

Today Canada and Australia announced an agreement to expand the age range in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Canada and Australia concerning Youth Mobility. Through the amended MoU, Canadian and Australian young adults aged 18 to 35 will now be able to work and travel through the International Experience Canada (IEC) program. Read more on the website of IRCC.

Change Criminal Code has serious implications for Canadian permanent residents

Canadian permanent residents with an impaired driving conviction can lose their status and be deported under a strict change to the criminal code. Bill C-46 – an amendment to the Criminal Code – increases the maximum imprisonment for impaired driving to 10 years from five years. Under immigration law, this is considered a ‘serious criminality’ offence and can result in loss of permanent resident status and permanent residents can face deportation. Persons who want to visit, study or work in Canada with foreign impaired convictions will be now inadmissible for serious criminality and will no longer be eligible for deemed rehabilitation after 10 years.

The new policy on medical inadmissibility

Today’s announcement by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Ahmed Hussen of changes to the medical inadmissibility provision of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act ensures that our immigration policies better align with Canadian values and reflect the importance that the Government places on the inclusion of persons with disabilities.

Read more on IRCC’s website.

Canada will be expanding the biometrics collection to all persons applying for temporary and permanent residence

There is a regulatory proposal for implementing the expansion of biometrics collection to all persons applying for temporary or permanent residence (including all those applying for a temporary or permanent resident visa or status, work permit, study permit, or temporary resident permit) under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (the Act). The proposed Regulations will exempt certain applicants from the biometrics collection requirement (e.g. applicants under the age of 14 years).

This legislative amendment is anticipated to be brought into force on July 31, 2018.

For more information read the regulatory proposal.

 

IRCC opens Parents & Grandparents Program in 2018

Potential sponsors will have the opportunity to express their interest to sponsor in 2018

 Canadian citizens and permanent residents will soon be able to take the first step in applying to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada when the Parents and Grandparents Program reopens in 2018. The “Interest to Sponsor” form will be available at noon EST on January 2, 2018. Those who wish to apply to sponsor their parents and grandparents in 2018 must first fill out this online form. It will be available until noon February 1, 2018.

 

To help ensure the efficiency of the system and to allow as many eligible sponsors as possible to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada, it is important that only those who meet the sponsorship eligibility requirements submit an “Interest to Sponsor” form. Additional questions have been added to the 2018 version of the “Interest to Sponsor” form to help potential sponsors self-assess whether they are eligible to sponsor.

More Information on IRCC website.