Biometrics

[EscoBlades]

During the last 7 years that I live in Canada, I have never given fingerprints.
Yeah, bg check is possible.

You’ve never given fingerprints for a work permit application? Or at an airport? Not even once? We’ve been in Canada the same amount of time and i find that hard to believe.

 

[Jana_M_Calgary]

You’ve never given fingerprints for a work permit application? Or at an airport? Not even once? We’ve been in Canada the same amount of time and i find that hard to believe.

I came here as a PhD student, no fingerprints was needed at that time. Then I applied for post graduate work permit in 2019, again no fingerprints was needed.
Is that a bad sign?

 

[kiwissima]

Same here, never been asked for fingerprints before PR application. It's definitely possible

 

[Dhan09]

You’ve never given fingerprints for a work permit application? Or at an airport? Not even once? We’ve been in Canada the same amount of time and i find that hard to believe.

I reached Canada in 2016 on study permit and then pgwp in 2018 but biometrics wasn't a requirement that time either.

 

[NOC98]

LOL I understand, the only appointment available for me was 31 days out so I had to raise a webform asking for an extension for that 1 extra day! Then it got cancelled anyway. This has been quite the journey!

Yeah this is what I worry too. For big Canadian cities the backlog is going to be huge. Unless we’re willing to go for a long drive to less busy SCs, it will be a long wait again after we get our bio appointments.

 

[EscoBlades]

I came here as a PhD student, no fingerprints was needed at that time. Then I applied for post graduate work permit in 2019, again no fingerprints was needed.
Is that a bad sign?

Not a bad sign at all, i wasn’t familiar with the PGWP route. That makes sense, thanks for clarifying

 

[hithere123]

somebody recieved a call today for biometrics from service canada https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/biometrics.695429/page-5

 

[mknox]

The Privacy Act regulates to what extent federal entities can collect, use, disclose and retain personal information. The RCMP (and all of the country's police forces) are subject to the act, meaning they can only collect personal information that relates directly to their mandate as Canada's national police force.

Collection of biometrics as a service provider to the IRCC falls well outside of that mandate, as it is not a policing issue, and rather an immigration issue.

This is super interesting. You make a very good point—and I am sure there's more legal complexity to this than is possible to encapsulate here in brief. Thanks for explaining in summary, it helps.

However, RCMP fingerprint-based checks ARE being collected for immigration purposes, regardless of the Privacy Act. And info about any criminal activity associated with these fingerprints IS being shared with IRCC for the purpose of immigration-related criminality checks. I am signing my consent to both parties to exchange this information. I know it must be more complex than what I am seeing, but I wonder why these safeguards cannot be circumvented if I were to sign consent for such information about myself to be shared between the two. At least temporarily as a covid programming response.

 

[EscoBlades]

This is super interesting. You make a very good point—and I am sure there's more legal complexity to this than is possible to encapsulate here in brief. Thanks for explaining in summary, it helps.

However, RCMP fingerprint-based checks ARE being collected for immigration purposes, regardless of the Privacy Act. And info about any criminal activity associated with these fingerprints IS being shared with IRCC for the purpose of immigration-related criminality checks. I am signing my consent to both parties to exchange this information. I know it must be more complex than what I am seeing, but I wonder why these safeguards cannot be circumvented if I were to sign consent for such information about myself to be shared between the two. At least temporarily as a covid programming response.

I believe the major difference is in how the data (fingerprints especially) is handled.
The Government of Canada (and by extension IRCC) keeps fingerprints on record for 15 years from when they are provided. They remain valid for 10 years (for immigration purposes) during that time.

On the other hand, fingerprints explicitly given for security screening are destroyed after the check is completed. No doubt the Government could empower the RCMP (and its partners) with the same provisions as IRCC if need be, but i imagine that would require Ministerial input.

 

[mrbhush]

Category: CEC (inland)
ITA: May 15, 2020
AOR: August 09, 2020
Nationality: India
Country of residence: Canada
Medical result: Passed (Sep 29, 2020)
Biometric status: Completed (Sep 29, 2020)
(Note: my Work permit Biometric details are updated for my PR application, which was done for my Work permit on Jan 2019)
i.e: No webform request and no phone calls to IRCC about my biometric.

 

[Ashik123]

Category: CEC (inland)
ITA: May 15, 2020
AOR: August 09, 2020
Nationality: India
Country of residence: Canada
Medical result: Passed (Sep 29, 2020)
Biometric status: Completed (Sep 29, 2020)
(Note: my Work permit Biometric details are updated for my PR application, which was done for my Work permit on Jan 2019)
i.e: No webform request and no phone calls to IRCC about my biometric.

Hi my AOR is May 05, 2020 and my biometric still says, “We have not received your fingerprints. Check your biometrics request message below for details.” Have you got any ghost update for that?

 

[mrbhush]

Hi my AOR is May 05, 2020 and my biometric still says, “We have not received your fingerprints. Check your biometrics request message below for details.” Have you got any ghost update for that?

Yes, i got a ghost update mail.
Biometrics section shows "September 29, 2020 Completed"
Application Information section:
Biometrics Number: xyzxyzxyzxyz (i.e: same as Work Permit Biometric details)
Date of Biometrics Enrolment: January 9, 2019
Expiry Date: January 9, 2029

 

[nyiable]

Yes, i got a ghost update mail.
Biometrics section shows "September 29, 2020 Completed"
Application Information section:
Biometrics Number: xyzxyzxyzxyz (i.e: same as Work Permit Biometric details)
Date of Biometrics Enrolment: January 9, 2019
Expiry Date: January 9, 2029

Congrats. My biometric got exempted too but there is no update in that section. The info only appears on the top right corner of my application. AOR way back in March.

 

[ltt_1228]

Category: CEC (inland)
ITA: May 15, 2020
AOR: August 09, 2020
Nationality: India
Country of residence: Canada
Medical result: Passed (Sep 29, 2020)
Biometric status: Completed (Sep 29, 2020)
(Note: my Work permit Biometric details are updated for my PR application, which was done for my Work permit on Jan 2019)
i.e: No webform request and no phone calls to IRCC about my biometric.

Congrats! It's good news to have August AOR passed~ I'm on the same boat.

 

[Shireenmag]

Feb 21 AOR, Location Kitchener, Waterloo
Still waiting