Use the rules for your permanent residence application
Biometrics are fingerprints and a photograph collected through the designated process. Requirements for permanent residence should not be inferred from a previous visitor, work or study application. Start with IRCC’s permanent-residence biometrics guidance and the instructions issued for your file.
Read the instruction letter carefully
If IRCC sends a biometrics instruction letter, check the details and response deadline. Follow its directions for the collection location, booking and documents to present. A previous appointment confirmation is not a substitute for checking the instructions associated with the current application.
Prepare before collection
- Keep the current biometrics instruction letter accessible.
- Check the identity document and appointment requirements for the collection location.
- Compare the personal details with your application records.
- Keep proof of attendance and monitor your account afterward.
If you cannot complete the requested step, use IRCC’s instructions for reporting the problem rather than silently missing a deadline. Do not rely on an old article’s dates or fee information for a current application.
Biometrics and notary appointments are different
Notarizing a copy of a passport or commissioning a declaration does not collect biometrics and cannot replace an IRCC-directed collection appointment. An instruction to provide fingerprints is also different from a request for a police certificate; follow the document request for each task separately.
Check whether any exception applies
Use IRCC’s biometrics eligibility guidance for your circumstances. The invitation to complete biometrics should not be treated as an approval of permanent residence. If you separately need a certified copy or sworn supporting statement, contact our office with that written request.