Biometrics for a Canadian application: who needs them, what they cost, how long they last

Biometrics for a Canadian application: who needs them, what they cost, how long they last are common questions for families living in Québec or preparing to come to Canada. The answer depends on the application, the applicant’s circumstances and whether earlier biometrics can still be used. This guide is based on IRCC pages checked on October 17, 2026.

Key takeaways

Question	Short answer
What are biometrics?	Fingerprints and a digital photo used to help establish identity. Follow IRCC’s biometrics guidance for your application.
Who may need them?	Unless exempt, visitor visa, study permit, work permit, extension and permanent residence applicants. The applicable rule depends on the application and applicant.
What is the fee?	$85 for one person; $170 at most for a family applying at the same time.
How long can they be reused?	A visa or permit can’t be issued for more than 10 years from the date your biometrics were last collected. Permanent residence follows its own instructions.
When should I book?	Wait for a biometric instruction letter (BIL), then give your biometrics within 30 days.

What Canadian immigration biometrics are and when they are requested

Immigration biometrics means fingerprints and a digital photo collected to help establish a person’s identity. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) explains which applications require biometrics and how applicants provide them.

The process follows a clear sequence: pay the biometrics fee with the application, receive a BIL if biometrics are required, book an appointment according to the letter, and attend to give biometrics. Submitting an application does not by itself mean that you should book an appointment.

For example, a family applying for a child’s study permit should first submit the application and wait for any BIL. They should then use the current letter’s directions rather than relying on an older letter or guessing whether the child needs to attend.

Québec applicants may have provincial steps as well as federal ones, but those do not replace IRCC’s biometrics instructions. Families can read our CAQ for studies page and our guide to studying in Québec alongside the federal instructions.

Who may need biometrics for a Canadian application

Unless exempt, you give biometrics when you apply for temporary residence (visitor visa, study permit, work permit), permanent residence, an extension of your stay, or refugee or asylum status. Follow IRCC’s guidance and the instructions for the specific application.

• Visitor visa: check the requirements that apply to your application and circumstances. Our visitor visa page and our list of visitor visa documents give more context. A super visa is also a temporary residence application, so biometrics are generally required unless an exemption, such as age, applies.
• Study permit: follow the biometrics instructions for the study permit application, including any directions in a BIL. See our study permit guide.
• Work permit: check the biometrics rule for the work permit application. Our work permit guide discusses the application routes, including the Québec context.
• Permanent residence: use the requirements for the specific permanent residence process and follow any BIL issued for that application.

Someone else’s biometrics request does not establish what you need to do: different application types, personal circumstances and places of application can lead to different instructions. For students considering work after graduation, our post-graduation work permit page covers that separate permit process.

Age exemptions and other reasons biometrics may not be required

IRCC lists these exemptions:

• children under 14;
• applicants over 79, except asylum claimants, for whom there is no upper age limit;
• U.S. nationals, for temporary residence applications;
• Canadian citizens and permanent residents, except permanent residents renewing or replacing a PR card;
• visa-exempt visitors travelling with an eTA, for their visit;
• a few others, such as heads of state and holders of diplomatic or official visas.

The age that counts is your age on the day you submit the application. If you were 79 when you applied and turned 80 while it was processed, you still have to give biometrics.

An exemption for one type of application does not automatically carry over to another. A visa-exempt visitor who later applies for a work permit, for example, may need to give biometrics. Use the official rules for the application type instead of assuming an exemption that applies to one process also applies to another.

How much biometrics cost, including the family fee

IRCC sets the government biometrics fee for one applicant at CAN$85. Families applying at the same time pay a maximum total biometrics fee of CAN$170.

Who is applying	Government biometrics fee	What the amount covers
One applicant	CAN$85	The government biometrics fee for an individual applicant.
Family applying at the same time	Maximum total fee of CAN$170	The family cap applies to the government biometrics fee, not necessarily to every optional service at the collection point.
Group of 3 or more performing artists and their staff applying for work permits together	Maximum total fee of CAN$255	The group cap for the government fee.

Follow the payment directions for your application. The government fee and any separate charge for an optional service at a visa application centre are different costs; check IRCC’s biometrics location guidance and the centre’s website for the place where you will give biometrics.

How long biometrics last and when earlier biometrics can be reused

For temporary residence, a visa or permit cannot be issued for more than 10 years from the date your biometrics were last collected. Biometrics still within that period may save you a new appointment for a temporary application; if you want a longer validity for a new visa or permit, you can choose to give them again. This is a rule about biometrics, not the validity period of a visitor visa, study permit or work permit.

Permanent residence has its own biometrics rules. Check the current IRCC instructions for the new application instead of carrying over a temporary residence assumption.

Use this decision path if you have given biometrics before:

1. Identify the application type. Decide whether the new application is for temporary residence or permanent residence.
2. Check your biometrics status. Use IRCC’s tool to check whether your biometrics are still valid, through its guidance on when to give biometrics.
3. Follow the current BIL. If IRCC issues a new letter, follow its directions even if you have given biometrics in the past.

A trap worth knowing: IRCC says that once a visa or permit has been issued for a shorter period because your biometrics were about to expire, you can’t give biometrics again to extend that document. You would need a new application, with its fees, biometrics fee included, and a new collection. So if your biometrics expire within the life of the permit you want, choose to give them again when you apply: pay the fee, wait for that application’s instruction letter and book.

Example: Mei first came to Canada on a work permit and gave biometrics in June 2017. In spring 2027, her employer supports a two-year extension. Her biometrics reach their 10-year limit in June 2027, so an extension approved without a new collection would stop there, just weeks later. She checks her status in IRCC’s tool, pays the biometrics fee with the extension and books as soon as the letter arrives.

Do not judge biometrics validity by the age of a visa or permit. IRCC can request biometrics again when the rules for the new application call for them. For readers comparing federal and Québec permanent residence routes, our permanent residence overview explains how the route varies by intended destination; biometrics requirements still come from the federal instructions.

From instruction letter to appointment: what to do next

A BIL gives instructions and a deadline. IRCC states that you have 30 days from the time you get your BIL to give your biometrics.

1. Read the whole letter. Note the deadline, the appointment directions and any instructions for children.
2. Book promptly. Book at a collection point: a visa application centre abroad, or a designated service point in Canada. The available locations and booking process depend on where you are.
3. Bring the requested items. Take the BIL and your passport or the document specified in the letter.
4. Act if no appointment is available. If you can’t meet the deadline, IRCC asks you to use its web form to explain your situation and need for more time, with the date of your appointment and a screenshot of the confirmation.

Applicants inside Canada and applicants abroad use different collection arrangements, so follow the directions for your location rather than another applicant’s experience.

Booking is free and collection is in person. At a designated Service Canada office you need an appointment; at a visa application centre, an appointment is preferable, though walk-ins or urgent appointments are sometimes possible. Use IRCC’s official site to find the collection point, to avoid fake booking sites. For the photo and fingerprints: eyes clearly visible, no glare, no sunglasses or tinted lenses; hair away from the face; head coverings only if worn daily for religious or medical reasons, without shadows on the face. Avoid henna on your hands and let cuts on your fingers heal first: if the prints aren’t good enough, you may have to come back.

Common problems: missed appointments, refusals and old letters

Failing to give biometrics by the deadline can affect how IRCC processes an application. If you cannot attend in time, use IRCC’s web form before the deadline passes, as described above.

For a new application or one filed after a refusal, follow the current file’s instructions rather than an old letter, and check whether your earlier biometrics are still valid.

A refusal is a decision on the application, while biometrics are one part of the process. Giving biometrics does not determine the outcome. Our guide on reading an officer’s decision notes and our visa refusal page explain practical next steps.

Before moving forward, check:

• the application type and the requirements that apply to it;
• whether an age or other exemption applies;
• your biometrics status and whether earlier biometrics can be reused;
• the instructions and the 30-day deadline in the current BIL;
• the government fee and any separate optional service charges.

If you need help understanding a Québec application sequence, you can describe your situation or book a consultation.

Frequently asked questions

What should a child bring to a biometrics appointment?

A child 14 or older who has been instructed to attend brings the BIL and the identity or travel document specified in that letter. Children under 14 are exempt.

I gave biometrics for my study permit. Do I need them again for my work permit?

Not necessarily, if they are still valid, but the permit cannot run beyond 10 years from the collection date. Follow your application’s instructions.

What should I do if my fingerprints cannot be captured clearly?

Tell the collection staff during the appointment so they can record the difficulty and explain the next step. Follow any later instructions from IRCC rather than arranging another collection on your own.

If my application was refused, can I use the old instruction letter when I apply again?

No. Follow the instructions for the new file and check whether you need to give biometrics again.

Conclusion

For families in Québec, the most reliable way to handle biometrics is to identify the application type, check the official exemptions and fees, and follow the current BIL within its 30-day deadline. Earlier biometrics may be reusable for some temporary residence applications, while permanent residence has its own instructions, so check your status rather than guessing.

Official sources

Official pages consulted on October 17, 2026:

• IRCC — Biometrics
• IRCC — Who needs to give biometrics (French page)