On September 22, 2020, Canada announced a new biometric exemption for Permanent Residence applicants with previous biometrics on file.
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, most biometrics collection service centers have been closed since March 27, 2020. However, up to 90 centers across the country started gradually reopening in July 2020, it is still uncertain when the service in Canada and overseas will resume and operate at full capacity.
This has caused a great anxiety among the applicants for permanent residency whose files cannot be finalized as these people have been unable to fulfill the biometrics requirement.
IRCC is aware of the impact this ongoing service disruption has had on applicants in and outside Canada. Therefore, permanent residence applicants who have given their biometrics in support of an application within the last 10 years, are now exempt from the requirement to provide new biometrics.