Why IRCC asks for digital fingerprints when applying for Canadian residency?

 For many of us, Canada is the dream country to live in. Every year, hundreds and thousands of people apply for permanent residency in Canada. The process is very detailed and the Canadian immigration agency ensures that an inappropriate person secures permanent resident status. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is the agency responsible for taking care of the immigration process. While you may be aware of the immigration laws and requirements in Canada well, many people aren’t aware of citizen fingerprinting in Langley. 

As you follow the process to apply for permanent residency in Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) may ask you to submit your biometrics, including fingerprints and photographs to check your criminal record. This is usually the case for people who have lived in Canada for more than 6 months since the age of 18.

The IRCC asks for the said details to run an effective background check and ensure that you are the right candidate for permanent resident status to be granted. Not all people have to submit their biometrics. There are certain categories that are exempted including children, adults over the age of 79, and those who have reliable biometrics with them.

So, why does IRCC needs your fingerprints in the first place?

The aim is to establish your unique identity and check your background. Biometrics are primarily used to:

1- Confirm your identity

2- Prevent ID misuse (someone stealing your identity)

3- To check your criminal record

Submitting biometrics is a mandatory requirement when filing for permanent residency in Canada. However, IRCC may on certain occasions ask you to submit your fingerprints as well. It is recommended to reach a credible digital fingerprint service in Langley for the purpose.

In the most common cases, IRCC would use your fingerprints to check and confirm your identity. However, there are other reasons as well for IRCC demanding citizenship fingerprinting in Langley. These reasons include:

· To avoid confusion:

More than two people can have the same name and date of birth and this can be a very confusing situation for IRCC when evaluating the credibility of permanent residency applications. Whereas, fingerprints are unique to a person and the best tool to identify someone. To avoid any confusion, IRCC uses fingerprints to identify one person from another who shares the same name and date of birth.

· High-quality assurance:

To maintain the quality of the selection process, the IRCC picks a few applications randomly and asks them to submit additional documents including fingerprints. There are special digital fingerprinting services in Langley that are accredited by RCMP to offer fingerprinting services.

· To identify you:

At times, the name of an individual along with their date of birth matches with someone who has a criminal record. To ensure no criminal is offered permanent residency in Canada the agency checks the criminal record against the fingerprints and provides a go-ahead if nothing alarming shows up.

How do I undergo citizenship fingerprinting in Langley?

If IRCC has asked you to submit your digital fingerprints for a criminal record check, here is the process you should follow:

1- Get your fingerprints collected. Note that the fingerprints must be collected inside Canada.

2- You will need the demand letter to the RCMP-accredited digital fingerprinting services in Langley office along with the following documents:

· Landing paper or Confirmation of Permanent Resident

· Permanent Resident card

· Two valid IDs, such as a driver’s license, passport, birth certificate, etc.

Once the fingerprints are captured, the digital fingerprinting service in Langley will forward them to RCMP from where a report of your criminal record check will be sent to the IRCC. If you are applying for Canadian citizenship from any other country, you will have to provide a police certificate instead.