Can I renew my biometrics to extend validity of an approved tourist visa?

[trickbaby]

Hi,

Small background:

Aug 2016: successfully applied for and received tourist visa to Canada, gave biometrics in New York (where I was living at the time)
Aug 2021: applied for Canada TRV in Singapore where I am living now (online), ticked the box saying I've given biometrics before - and my biometrics were automatically linked to my account days later with an expiry date of Aug 2026.

Today: TRV approved, Passport Request letter received.

I assume my TRV will only be valid until Aug 2026 (ten years from when I first gave my biometrics) - which is in 4 years from now.
I will also have to submit my passport to VFS in order to get my visa stamp.

My questions are:

1) can I 'renew' my biometrics at VFS first, prior to passport submission, so the tourist visa is stamped for 10 years instead of just 4 more years until Aug 2026?
2) would these new biometrics then be linked to my now-approved visa application?
3) how can I arrange this, if possible? Do I just make a regular biometrics appointment with VFS and tell them it's for an already-approved application?
4) Do I have to inform Canadian Immigration that I am doing this first?
5) Or is it too late to do the above, and I must get my stamp until Aug 2026, take biometrics again then reapply for another TRV at the time?

Thank you.

 

[trickbaby]

Just wondering if anyone has any relevant experiences they can share? Is it possible to update your biometrics after the TRV is already approved?

 

[kumarh2020]

Hi,

Small background:

Aug 2016: successfully applied for and received tourist visa to Canada, gave biometrics in New York (where I was living at the time)
Aug 2021: applied for Canada TRV in Singapore where I am living now (online), ticked the box saying I've given biometrics before - and my biometrics were automatically linked to my account days later with an expiry date of Aug 2026.

Today: TRV approved, Passport Request letter received.

I assume my TRV will only be valid until Aug 2026 (ten years from when I first gave my biometrics) - which is in 4 years from now.
I will also have to submit my passport to VFS in order to get my visa stamp.

My questions are:

1) can I 'renew' my biometrics at VFS first, prior to passport submission, so the tourist visa is stamped for 10 years instead of just 4 more years until Aug 2026?
2) would these new biometrics then be linked to my now-approved visa application?
3) how can I arrange this, if possible? Do I just make a regular biometrics appointment with VFS and tell them it's for an already-approved application?
4) Do I have to inform Canadian Immigration that I am doing this first?
5) Or is it too late to do the above, and I must get my stamp until Aug 2026, take biometrics again then reapply for another TRV at the time?

Thank you.

Your visitor visa is approved for 10 years, or to the expiry date of your passport (upto a max of 10 years). If this date extends past 2026, it doesn't matter. Biometric resubmission will not be accepted prior to 2026.

 

[trickbaby]

Your visitor visa is approved for 10 years, or to the expiry date of your passport (upto a max of 10 years). If this date extends past 2026, it doesn't matter. Biometric resubmission will not be accepted prior to 2026.

I thought this as well, so am I misunderstanding what is written on the Biometrics Validity Letter I received ("validity date" is Aug 2026)?

"However, if you wish to extend the validity of your permit or visa beyond the validity date indicated above you can provide your biometric information again and pay the associated fee for another ten-year validity."

Also this link on Biometric validity and retention periods mentions something similar:

Biometrics validity vs. immigration validity documents
The validity period of a temporary residence status document cannot extend beyond the remaining validity period of the biometric information.
An applicant can voluntarily re-enrol their biometric information in order to extend their validity period to obtain a longer temporary residence document.
For example, a client who wants to apply for a new 10-year visa and who last enrolled their biometrics 8 years ago, could obtain a visa for 2 years or they would have to re-enrol their biometrics to receive a visa for the full 10 years. They would also be required to pay a new biometric fee if they chose to re-enrol before the 10-year validity period ends.

 

[kumarh2020]

I thought this as well, so am I misunderstanding what is written on the Biometrics Validity Letter I received ("validity date" is Aug 2026)?

"However, if you wish to extend the validity of your permit or visa beyond the validity date indicated above you can provide your biometric information again and pay the associated fee for another ten-year validity."

Also this link on Biometric validity and retention periods mentions something similar:

Biometrics validity vs. immigration validity documents
The validity period of a temporary residence status document cannot extend beyond the remaining validity period of the biometric information.
An applicant can voluntarily re-enrol their biometric information in order to extend their validity period to obtain a longer temporary residence document.
For example, a client who wants to apply for a new 10-year visa and who last enrolled their biometrics 8 years ago, could obtain a visa for 2 years or they would have to re-enrol their biometrics to receive a visa for the full 10 years. They would also be required to pay a new biometric fee if they chose to re-enrol before the 10-year validity period ends.

This is news to me, so go to the VFS centre, and ask them, if providing new biometrics now will affect the visa approval or will the visa extension be updated to 2032 with new biometrics? If they say your application will go back into "review" process, and will have to wait for another decision, then you can decide if you want to just get visa now, or wait for a new review.

 

[mimiemife]

I thought this as well, so am I misunderstanding what is written on the Biometrics Validity Letter I received ("validity date" is Aug 2026)?

"However, if you wish to extend the validity of your permit or visa beyond the validity date indicated above you can provide your biometric information again and pay the associated fee for another ten-year validity."

Also this link on Biometric validity and retention periods mentions something similar:

Biometrics validity vs. immigration validity documents
The validity period of a temporary residence status document cannot extend beyond the remaining validity period of the biometric information.
An applicant can voluntarily re-enrol their biometric information in order to extend their validity period to obtain a longer temporary residence document.
For example, a client who wants to apply for a new 10-year visa and who last enrolled their biometrics 8 years ago, could obtain a visa for 2 years or they would have to re-enrol their biometrics to receive a visa for the full 10 years. They would also be required to pay a new biometric fee if they chose to re-enrol before the 10-year validity period ends.

Hi, were you able to get this sorted? Did you get to update the validity of your biometrics? I'm in similar situation.

 

[mlh]

Hi, has anyone been able to extend their valid biometrics inside Canada? I was told we need to request a new Biometrics Instruction Letter from IRCC. I requested that in my parent's latest TRV extension application (inside Canada) and mentioned they want to re-enroll their biometrics. Their biometrics will expire in about a year. Their TRV application was approved but IRCC did not provide any new Biometrics Instruction Letter.

 

[orkehgodfrey]

Hi, were you able to get this sorted? Did you get to update the validity of your biometrics? I'm in similar situation.

Hello , I would like to know if you were able to sort this out , it would be helpful to me as I am in the same situation .

 

[asimbutt]

Did anyone find out how to get this done ?

 

[asimbutt]

Hi, has anyone been able to extend their valid biometrics inside Canada? I was told we need to request a new Biometrics Instruction Letter from IRCC. I requested that in my parent's latest TRV extension application (inside Canada) and mentioned they want to re-enroll their biometrics. Their biometrics will expire in about a year. Their TRV application was approved but IRCC did not provide any new Biometrics Instruction Letter.

Have the same situation. It will expire in 7 months which does not make any sense

 

[ather461]

Hi
Has anyone got the new BIL while visa approved for Biometric expiring in 2026
How to renew biometric in 2023, I ask IIRC web form but no answer yet, Please any one got any feed back please update here.
Thanks

 

[MoeDeFex]

Hey there,

I wanted to see if someone figured out how to renew or extend their biometrics. If you have any updates, I'd be happy to hear them.

Thanks!

 

[Asim.butt]

Yes I had to reapply for super visa with biometric renewal selected in the application check box for biometric

 

[albloshi_sa]

I am not very sure, but in my humble expereince, Biometric is updated with a application, You will need to apply a new application and checkmark "biometric" on it. Only then you can go for biometric again.

 

[MoeDeFex]

Thanks for your answers.

In my case, it is for a visitor visa. The only option/question related to biometrics was when the application asked if I had given biometrics in the past ten years (which I have). Same situation as the OP.

Now that I am asked to send my passport, I got another letter saying:

...Please keep this letter for future reference. Your biometric information must be valid for the duration of your temporary stay in Canada...

...However, if you wish to extend the validity of your permit or visa beyond the validity date
indicated above you can provide your biometric information again and pay the associated
fee for another ten-year validity.

I've been navigating the IRCC website and the process is not clear. I sent a message through one of the contact Web Forms to request the Biometric Instruction Letter after paying the fees through the online services (https://eservices.cic.gc.ca/ols/login.do?&app=epay&page=viewallreceipts&lang=en).


Now I'm waiting for an answer.