Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is indicating a return to the procedures that were in place before the pandemic for all applications for permanent residency.
The IRCC plans to go back to the procedures used before the pandemic for all people applying for permanent residency. They made a rule in the Global Case Management System (GCMS) that allowed permanent residency applicants to not have to give their biometric data again if they met specific criteria.
The applicants had already given their biometrics when they applied for permanent residency within the last decade.
Biometrics Now Required for Canadian Permanent Residence: How to Submit Yours
Returning to the procedures in place before the pandemic: Establishing the need for biometrics from all individuals applying for permanent residency.
The IRCC, in September 2020, made it possible for new permanent resident applicants to submit their application if they had previously provided their biometrics during their temporary resident application. However, this specific policy is only valid if the temporary resident application was made within the last ten years. This decision was taken as a response to the temporary shutdown of numerous Visa Application Centres (VACs) during the pandemic.
During that period, the IRCC acknowledged that numerous individuals who were applying for permanent residency had already provided their biometric information when applying for temporary residency in Canada. However, the sudden surge of the pandemic and the resulting challenges posed great difficulties for new applicants, as they would be obligated to submit their biometric data once again.
Nevertheless, as the pandemic restrictions gradually loosen, the IRCC is gradually returning to its pre-pandemic service norms. The organization now requires all individuals applying for permanent residency to re-submit their biometrics. Thankfully, the considerable backlog of applications from 2020 has been considerably diminished, enabling the department to operate at maximum efficiency. As long as applicants have all the necessary information and documentation in order, their applications will now be processed swiftly.
