July 30, 2018 – Ottawa, ON – The Government of Canada is committed to the safety and security of all Canadians and to the integrity of our immigration system.
On July 31, 2018, all nationals from countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East are required to provide biometrics (fingerprints and a photo) if they are applying for a Canadian visitor visa, a work or study permit, or permanent residence.
Accurately establishing identity is an important part of immigration decisions and helps keep Canadians safe. For more than 20 years, biometrics (fingerprints and a photo) have played a role in supporting immigration screening and decision-making in Canada.
Canada currently collects biometrics from in-Canada refugee claimants and overseas refugee resettlement applicants, individuals ordered removed from Canada and individuals from 30 foreign nationalities applying for a temporary resident visa, work permit, or study permit.
Biometric screening has proven effective in protecting the safety and security of Canadians and the integrity of the immigration system. Systematic fingerprint verification allows border service officers to confirm a traveller’s identity and better manage traffic flow at the border. This will in turn make international travel a convenient, predictable and secure process for travellers with genuine identities.
The Government of Canada has taken several steps to make giving biometrics easier for travellers, including only requiring that temporary residents provide their biometrics once every 10 years (those applying for a visa, or a study or work permit). Canada is also increasing its Visa Application Centre (VAC) presence in the next 2 years. Canada has one of the largest VAC networks in comparison with other countries; more than 97% of applicants can access a VAC in their country of residence. By November 2019, Canada will have a network of at least 157 VACs in 105 countries. In addition, applicants living in the U.S. can use the extensive network of 135 U.S. Application Support Centers for biometrics collection.
In advance of additional VACs opening this summer and fall, some Canadian embassies in Europe will offer interim biometrics collection service points for applicants who have applied online or by mail and have received a Biometrics Instruction Letter. Please see: To support biometrics expansion, Canada is opening new Visa Application Centres and offering interim services at some missions.
More than 70 countries are using biometrics in immigration and border management. Canada’s Migration 5 partners – the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, and New Zealand – have implemented biometric programs; so have the 26 Schengen states in Europe, and other countries around the world like Japan, South Africa and India.

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News releaseJune 29, 2018 – Ottawa, ON – In 2018, Canada will expand its biometrics program. Expanding biometrics will strengthen Canada’s immigration programs through effective screening and will also facilitate application processing and travel – while maintaining public confidence in our immigration system.
Canada currently collects biometrics from in-Canada refugee claimants and overseas refugee resettlement applicants, individuals ordered removed from the country and individuals from 30 foreign nationalities applying for a temporary resident visa, work permit, or study permit.
On July 31, 2018, nationals from countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East will be required to provide biometrics (fingerprints and a photo) if they are applying for a visitor visa, a work or study permit, or permanent residence.
To accommodate increased demand this summer and fall in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, the Government of Canada is pleased to announce that additional Visa Application Centres (VACs) will open in:

• Kigali, Rwanda; Stockholm, Sweden; and Tel Aviv, Israel by mid-September 2018
• Athens, Greece; Berlin, Germany; Lyon, France; and Vienna, Austria in early November 2018 and
• Antananarivo, Madagascar and Cape Town, South Africa in early December 2018

Additional VACs will also open in 2019. These will be announced at a later date.
In advance of these VACs opening, some Canadian embassies in Europe will offer interim biometrics collection service points for applicants who have applied online or by mail and have received a Biometrics Instruction Letter.
Applicants can also provide their biometrics at any nearby VAC:

• From July 31 to mid-September 2018: In Stockholm, at the Embassy of Canada to Sweden, for applicants from Sweden and neighbouring countries.
• From July 31 to early November 2018: Canadian embassies in Athens, Greece; Berlin, Germany; and Vienna, Austria for applicants from Greece, Germany, Austria and neighbouring countries.
• From July 31 to early November 2018: In a leased commercial space in Lyon, France for applicants from France and neighbouring countries.

All of the above temporary service points will only collect biometrics. Applications will not be accepted at these locations.
Applicants must first apply on Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada’s website or by mail, and must have received a Biometrics Instruction Letter, before providing their biometrics in support of an application.

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As of June 5th, 2018, Emirati citizens will no longer need a visa to visit Canada for up to six months. This is a major step for UAE’s Race to the Very Top, with the UAE’s Passport Force Initiative.  
In addition to Canada, UAE has visa waivers coming in force from Brazil and Guyana, resulting in a total visa-free score of 151 by beginning of June, pushing it on the 14th rank on the Passport Index’ power ranking shared with Cyprus. 
In 2017, the UAE announced a daring goal: position the country’s passport on the list of the five most important passports in the world by 2021. Having the tallest, biggest, and the best is part of their DNA, and being granted visa-free access into Canada is a key step in achieving this goal. 
The UAE has strong ties with Canada, with nearly 40,000 Canadians living and working in the nation, and some 150 Canadian companies with strong operational presence in the UAE. Additionally, the UAE is Canada’s top export market in the Middle East and North Africa with recorded exports of C$1.79 B in 2016. 
“Trade ties between the UAE & Canada are robust and evolving steadily” stated His Excellency Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Minister of Economy, UAE. 
Emirati citizens, like other visa-exempt travelers, will need an electronic travel authorization (eTA) to fly to, or transit through a Canadian airport. The eTA allows Canadian officials to screen travelers for admissibility before they board their flight to Canada.  
“The United Arab Emirates is a key strategic partner and lifting the visa requirement will help reaffirm the strong relationship between our two countries. It will also promote increased tourism, cultural, academic and study exchanges, as well as foster new business, trade, and investment opportunities”, confirmed The Honorable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. 
Over the last decade, the UAE passport has seen immense growth in its global visa-free score and is amongst the list of nations that has experienced the fastest growth in the world. Having gained the trust and respect of over 35 countries in the past decade, UAE’s passport power is slowly but surely reaching the su

StatementOttawa, June 13, 2018--The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, issued the following statement:
“Canadian workers are among the most highly educated and skilled workers in the world, but for Canadian firms to stay competitive in the global marketplace, we must attract the best minds from other countries and sustain the prosperity of our businesses across Canada. That’s why the Government of Canada launched the Global Skills Strategy (GSS) one year ago, which gives Canadian employers fast and reliable access to top talent from around the world.
“The goals of the GSS are simple: to help get skilled temporary workers into our country faster, so that they can help propel businesses across Canada forward. 
“The GSS has four pillars:

• First, we are processing work permit applications in two weeks for high-skilled workers, providing Canadian employers across the country an edge in recruitment. Gone are the days when a highly specialized expert chose a job opportunity elsewhere because of a slow and daunting process to get a work permit in Canada.
  This policy has yielded very positive results: Between the launch last June, and the end of March 2018, we received more than 10,000 work permit applications, with an approval rate of 96 per cent. The top occupations of those approved for work permits under the GSS include computer analysts, software engineers, interactive media designers and university professors – precisely the type of talent we envisioned when the GSS was announced. 
  

• Second, we have developed new work permit exemptions for highly skilled talent coming for 30 days or less and researchers coming for 120 days or less. This has reduced the administrative burden on employers and research institutions, and cleared the way for short-term collaboration on everything from scientific research to product launches.

• Third, we have implemented a dedicated service channel to help meet the needs of companies seeking to make a job-creating investment in Canada. This measure provides firms with tailored client service to navigate the immigration system. As of May 2018, nearly 100 companies across the country have been referred for immigration help as a result of this measure.

• Finally, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) facilitates the labour market impact assessment process for companies seeking unique talent using the Global Talent Stream. ESDC has committed to a 10 business day service standard for jobs in high demand, jobs offering high wages, and jobs with a short work duration – the types of workers we need to grow industries across the country.

“The impact of the GSS has been keenly felt by flourishing companies in Canada, such as Ubisoft, who have used these policies to help expand in both Toronto and Montreal. Ubisoft representatives noted that they “are now able to quickly bring top talents to [their] studio which allows [their] studio to remain a key player in [their] industry.”
“Similarly, up and coming tech firm Thalmic Labs has leveraged the fast visa processing times to secure 12 visas under the new program. CEO Stephen Lake has said that the GSS has helped Thalmic recruit PhD candidates across the world to help with a new highly specialized product for the consumer market.
“The speed and reliability of the GSS process helps “…reflect the pace of change and the need to cross borders quickly, instead of being stuck in a visa queue,” says Paul Davidson, president of Universities Canada. Mr. Davidson also notes that the GSS has helped facilitate a global research infrastructure, by allowing inter-disciplinary, international and collaborative research to flourish, thanks to the speed at which short-term researchers can be brought into Canada.
“After only one year, the GSS is already filling a need in Canada’s economy. By helping highly skilled, experienced workers get work permits faster, and by helping Canadian companies grow, the GSS is creating more jobs for Canada’s middle-class and a stronger economy for all.
“Financial-tech company Wave, based in Toronto, is the perfect example of what the GSS aims to achieve. According to CEO Kirk Simpson, “[i]n the last 12 months, Wave created just shy of 100 brand-new jobs in technology, and hired three people through this program. Hiring specific, skilled workers doesn’t take jobs from Canadians. Rather, it keeps Wave growing quickly, so we can create a number of new jobs that employ even more Canadians.”
“With that sort of success to draw on, I am confident that the GSS will continue to help fuel economic growth in Canada.”
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News releaseMay 28, 2018 — Ottawa, ON – Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, announced today during a meeting with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, that the Government is lifting the visa requirement for UAE citizens on June 5, 2018.
This decision is based on a comprehensive and rigorous evaluation of the UAE against Canada’s visa policy criteria. The evaluation found that the UAE meets Canada’s criteria for a visa exemption.
Emirati citizens will no longer need a visa as of 5:30 a.m. ET (1:30 p.m. Gulf Standard Time) on June 5, 2018, to travel to Canada for short stays (normally for up to six months) for business, to visit family and friends or for tourism.
However, Emirati citizens, similar to other visa-exempt travellers, will need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to, or transit through a Canadian airport. The eTA allows Canadian officials to screen travellers for admissibility before they board their flight to Canada. Emiratis will be able to apply online for an eTAafter 5:30 a.m. ET (1:30 p.m. Gulf Standard Time) on June 5.
In the meantime, they can continue to apply online for a visitor visa, or use the services of one of the visa application centres (VACs), including the VAC in Abu Dhabi or Dubai.

News ReleaseFrom Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Potential sponsors will soon have the opportunity to express their interest to sponsorDecember 22, 2017 – Ottawa, ON – Canadian citizens and permanent residents will soon be able to take the first step in applying to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada, when the Parents and Grandparents Program reopens in 2018.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced a new process in 2017 for application intake for sponsoring parents and grandparents to make it fairer and more transparent for applicants. Now, potential sponsors must first notify IRCC that they are interested in sponsoring their parents and grandparents by submitting an “Interest to Sponsor” form. Using a random selection process, IRCC will then invite potential sponsors to apply to sponsor their parents and grandparents.
Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced that the “Interest to Sponsor” form will be available at noon EST on January 2, 2018. Those who wish to apply to sponsor their parents and grandparents in 2018 must first fill out this online form. It will be available until noon February 1, 2018.
To help ensure the efficiency of the system and to allow as many eligible sponsors as possible to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada, it is important that only those who meet the sponsorship eligibility requirements submit an “Interest to Sponsor” form. Additional questions have been added to the 2018 version of the “Interest to Sponsor” form to help potential sponsors self-assess whether they are eligible to sponsor.

November 17, 2017 – Ottawa – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is expanding its Visa Application Centre (VAC) Network in China, increasing its geographic reach as Canada looks for new ways to support the growth in applications. So far this year, more than 500,000 applications have been received from China, a 15 per cent increase from 2016.

By offering greater flexibility and accessibility for Chinese travellers, Canada continues to demonstrate its commitment to a growing cultural exchange between the two countries.

Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, attended the opening ceremony of a VAC in Nanjing this week to mark the opening of seven new centres located in Chengdu, Hangzhou, Jinan, Kunming, Nanjing, Shenyang and Wuhan. They join the existing network of VACs in Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

These new VACs will play an important role in meeting the growing demand for visas for Chinese residents.

VACs offer support to applicants before, during and after their temporary resident visa application is assessed by an IRCC officer. VAC service agents are available by phone, email or in person to answer questions in local languages and to make sure that applications are complete.

As ties between Canada and China continue to grow, IRCC remains committed to making it easier than ever for Chinese residents to apply for a visa.

To this end, a new pay option will also be put into place beginning in early 2018. IRCC will begin accepting payments through UnionPay, one of the largest payment processing providers in China.
    
This improved flexibility will make it easier for travellers to come to Canada, and by extension, open the door to new opportunities for economic and cultural exchange.

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Processing surge puts Government on track to largely eliminate Live-in Caregiver Program backlog by end of 2018December 3, 2017— Toronto, ON – Caregivers and their families will be reunited and the inventory of Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) applications will be largely eliminated by the end of 2018, thanks to the commitments made today by the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
Great progress has been made on the backlog in recent years. As of October 1, 2017, there was a 63% reduction in the number of caregivers and their family members waiting for their permanent residence applications to be finalized since reaching its highest level in May 2014.
This fall, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) dedicated additional resources to process LCP applications and encourage caregivers and their family members to submit any documents that were missing from their applications. With this focus, IRCC is on track to finalize 5,000 more cases than originally planned by the end of 2017. This surge will allow IRCC to welcome 20,000 new permanent residents in the caregiver category in total this year, reaching the high end of the target range as set out in the 2017 levels plan.
Having taken these steps, IRCC is committing to:

• Finalizing a minimum of 80% of the cases that were in the LCP inventory as of October 1, 2017 by the end of 2018;
• Processing 80% of new, complete LCP applications submitted on or after October 1, 2017 within 12 months; and
• Admitting high numbers of LCP caregivers and their family members as permanent residents until the remaining cases are processed.

The multi-year levels plan for 2018-2020 set out targets for the number of permanent resident admissions in the caregiver category that will allow IRCC to meet these commitments.
Earlier this year, the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration recommended that the Government deliver a plan to end the backlog of Live-in Caregiver Program applications. With this plan in place, caregivers waiting for their Live-in Caregiver Program applications to be finalized should get decisions on their cases and be reunited with their families soon.

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News ReleaseFrom Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
November 17, 2017 – Ottawa – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is expanding its Visa Application Centre (VAC) Network in China, increasing its geographic reach as Canada looks for new ways to support the growth in applications. So far this year, more than 500,000 applications have been received from China, a 15 per cent increase from 2016.

By offering greater flexibility and accessibility for Chinese travellers, Canada continues to demonstrate its commitment to a growing cultural exchange between the two countries.

Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, attended the opening ceremony of a VAC in Nanjing this week to mark the opening of seven new centres located in Chengdu, Hangzhou, Jinan, Kunming, Nanjing, Shenyang and Wuhan. They join the existing network of VACs in Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

These new VACs will play an important role in meeting the growing demand for visas for Chinese residents.

VACs offer support to applicants before, during and after their temporary resident visa application is assessed by an IRCC officer. VAC service agents are available by phone, email or in person to answer questions in local languages and to make sure that applications are complete.

As ties between Canada and China continue to grow, IRCC remains committed to making it easier than ever for Chinese residents to apply for a visa.

To this end, a new pay option will also be put into place beginning in early 2018. IRCC will begin accepting payments through UnionPay, one of the largest payment processing providers in China.
    
This improved flexibility will make it easier for travellers to come to Canada, and by extension, open the door to new opportunities for economic and cultural exchange.

Active applicationsAs of December 13, 2016, an application in progress is no longer subject to cumulative duration, whether it is work with a permit [R200] or without a permit [R186]. However, officers must continue to be satisfied that the requirements of paragraph 183(1)(a) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) are met, along with other eligibility criteria, such as the need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
Clients who are within the restoration period may reapply for a work permit. Foreign nationals in Canada who do not hold a valid work permit and are not eligible to apply for restoration must apply for a work permit from outside Canada.
Applications under processingIn situations where the processing officer has requested that the client provide further evidence that they are within the four-year limit, the client may need to be contacted. The officer will inform the client that cumulative duration no longer applies, and further evidence is no longer required. Other eligibility criteria, such as the need for an LMIA, will be assessed.
Applications where a decision is made before December 13, 2016For applications where a final decision is reached before December 13, 2016, cumulative duration applies. Closed files will not be re-opened for reconsideration; however, an applicant previously refused solely on the basis of paragraph R200(3)(g) may submit a new work permit application if all other requirements are met. This includes the payment of any applicable fees.
Applicant in CanadaIf an applicant wishes to remain in Canada on a work permit and the period of time they have been working in Canada meets or exceeds four years, they may apply to extend their stay in Canada as a worker, provided they meet the eligibility requirements.
Applicant outside CanadaIf an applicant departed Canada because they had previously met the four-year cumulative duration limit, they may apply for a new work permit without having remained outside Canada for four years.