Biometrics

[Rahul81]

Service Canada is not a farmers market. Passport service are available few weeks back. Only biometrics is not available. For biometrics we need to book an appointment walk in is not accepted. Do u understand how regulated it is. People waiting for biometrics are future Canadians .

I agree with you

Well if they are so concerned why don't they stop draws for next few months and clear applications and than resume work when they think they can assign staff to do work. Lets stop marketing our immigration saying you can achieve in 6 months where the fact is that for opening biometrics centre it takes 6 months or may be more since its not finalised when they will open ..This is not a joke but a matter which needs attention.

Writing to MP - Well if they can attend problems of their own people will be good, why they will bother about people who are not even immigrants yet.

 

[EscoBlades]

I agree with you

Well if they are so concerned why don't they stop draws for next few months and clear applications and than resume work when they think they can assign staff to do work. Lets stop marketing our immigration saying you can achieve in 6 months where the fact is that for opening biometrics centre it takes 6 months .. hope this is not a joke

Service Canada DO NOT hold Express Entry draws.
IRCC do not determine when Service Canada can administer biometrics services.

What's not clicking here?

 

[kabir_krishna]

Service Canada DO NOT hold Express Entry draws.
IRCC do not determine when Service Canada can administer biometrics services.

What's not clicking here?

What’s not clicking is they both are government controlled departments. In fact
they are colleagues.

 

[EscoBlades]

What’s not clicking is they both are government controlled departments. In fact
they are colleagues.

Completely INDEPENDENT govt departments. But okay.

 

[kabir_krishna]

Completely INDEPENDENT govt departments. But okay.

Finally on something u agreed. Thanks.

 

[Mzt2020]

Finally on something u agreed. Thanks.

They are independent departments indeed. Nevertheless this gigantic backlog will create a huge problem to SC eventually so those independent govt departments should talk to each other. The EE applications are not cheap and they include Biometrics collection.
Will they try to sort it out to help all inland applicants? Unlikely...but I hope so.

 

[Rahul81]

Service Canada DO NOT hold Express Entry draws.
IRCC do not determine when Service Canada can administer biometrics services.

What's not clicking here?

Agreed, but i hope both these arms belong to Government of Canada and its not that one is related to some external government. We are talking as if we have a Company -where marketing is selling product but servicing department has stopped functioning due to Covid.

The Company cannot say that servicing is closed due to covid since they are selling product at the same time.

 

[yyzstudent]

They are independent departments indeed. Nevertheless this gigantic backlog will create a huge problem to SC eventually so those independent govt departments should talk to each other. The EE applications are not cheap and they include Biometrics collection.
Will they try to sort it out to help all inland applicants? Unlikely...but I hope so.

They are cheap compared to what they actually cost taxpayers, hence why they slightly raised the fees earlier this year.

 

[Robin1812]

can someone please take a moment to explain to me why can't IRCC use biometrics from our previous applications towards PR? Just curious.

 

[MaplePandaUK]

can someone please take a moment to explain to me why can't IRCC use biometrics from our previous applications towards PR? Just curious.

I have seen IRCC say "We ask for biometrics again at the PR stage to help verify identity. If a person provided their biometrics in the past, we compare the new ones with the previous ones to ensure that they are the same person."

 

[Mzt2020]

I have seen IRCC say "We ask for biometrics again at the PR stage to help verify identity. If a person provided their biometrics in the past, we compare the new ones with the previous ones to ensure that they are the same person."

It is the one million dollar question. For my WP I provided my biometrics in 2018 and my wife did it in Jan 2020. Yet, we have to do it again.

 

[Robin1812]

It is the one million dollar question. For my WP I provided my biometrics in 2018 and my wife did it in Jan 2020. Yet, we have to do it again.

I myself had done biometrics in Jan 2020. I really hope they put out some sort of answer as to when they will resume the biometrics services.

 

[alessainebuckley]

It says here: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2002-227/page-5.html#docCont… under 12.8, applicants can be exempted from biometrics if collection is impossible/not feasible. Inland PR applicants cannot give biometrics right now due to Service Canada restrictions. I don't want to speculate, but if Service Canada keeps refusing to open for biometrics, then IRCC has to exempt us, otherwise they are ignoring their own laws. It's just a matter of when...

 

[MaplePandaUK]

It says here: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2002-227/page-5.html#docCont… under 12.8, applicants can be exempted from biometrics if collection is impossible/not feasible. Inland PR applicants cannot give biometrics right now due to Service Canada restrictions. I don't want to speculate, but if Service Canada keeps refusing to open for biometrics, then IRCC has to exempt us sooner or later, otherwise they are ignoring their own laws.

This is very interesting! I've actually called IRCC today because my application estimated completion date is supposed to be tomorrow. Although my account doesn't reflect it online, the agent said I had passed all the other areas but a decision cannot be made because my criminal record check is on hold because I can't give biometrics. I hope a decision is made soon about biometrics because I would love to get my BOWP fees refunded as that application hasn't started processing at all yet 2 months after I have applied

 

[indianstudent96]

Look what we have here. Let’s take it easy - I am not here to debate. I understand the government has different priorities and from a complete neutral point of view, it does not make sense for March applicants to wait just because of biometrics.

So, all these applicants were able to clear security background check and are waiting because of a new requirement for inland applicants which came into effect in the new year. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great time for IRCC to reflect on the inefficiencies in the application process. For example, ‘landing’ appointments for people who are already in Canada were inefficient; they addressed it by doing virtual ‘landings.’

Likewise, biometrics request for people who already enrolled for biometrics and are already in Canada is not the best idea. With the biometrics already on file, IRCC can introduce a policy where the applicant has to have their biometrics verified at a port of entry the next time they travel back into Canada. Please be honest with each other, the COVID situation is not gonna any better in Canada until there’s a vaccine and it’s just ridiculous they have been waiting for almost 6 months to do something about this.

If they do not like any of these alternatives, they are better off resuming biometrics collection in Service Canada as the backlog is only going to make things exponentially harder for everyone. IRCC visa officers already have to deal with people with expired COPRs. The last thing they want is a huge pile of cases which should have been finalized.