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From Pakistan · Biometrics

Biometrics for Canada, in Islamabad, Lahore or Karachi.

Your fingerprints and photo, given in person at a visa application centre. Who must give them, the 30-day deadline, what to bring — and when you won’t need to give them again.

Book at a Pakistan centreAll the paperwork from Pakistan

How it works

Four steps, one deadline

From IRCC’s how to give your biometrics and where to give them.

  1. 1

    Pay with your application

    The biometrics fee is paid to IRCC when you apply. IRCC publishes the amount, including a capped amount for a family applying together.

  2. 2

    Get your instruction letter

    IRCC then sends a biometric instruction letter (BIL). This is what lets the centre take your biometrics.

  3. 3

    Book within 30 days

    You have 30 days from receiving the letter. IRCC’s advice is to book as soon as it arrives.

  4. 4

    Go with your letter and passport

    Bring the BIL and your valid passport. Your fingerprints and photo are taken there and sent to IRCC.

Where, in Pakistan

Three visa application centres

IRCC lists Canada visa application centres in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. Check the centre’s own site for its address, hours and services before you go.

  • Islamabad
  • Lahore
  • Karachi

Book on the centres’ website. Living in the Gulf or elsewhere? Use a centre where you live — IRCC lists them by country.

Appointments are free

IRCC says booking a biometrics appointment costs nothing, and warns not to pay anyone for one. If an agent is charging you for “getting a slot”, that is not an IRCC charge.

Who gives them

Almost everyone aged 14 to 79

Biometrics are needed for visit visas, study and work permits, permanent residence, and extending your stay in Canada. IRCC’s exemptions that matter most for Pakistani applicants:

  • Children under 14
  • Applicants over 79 (there is no upper age limit for asylum claimants)
  • Visitors who only need an eTA — Pakistani passport holders need a visa, so this rarely applies
  • Anyone applying for a visit, study or work permit who already gave biometrics for a permanent residence application that is still in process
  • Canadian citizens and existing permanent residents

How long they last

Ten years — for temporary stays

For visit, study and work applications you give biometrics once every 10 years. IRCC cannot issue a visa or permit valid beyond 10 years from the date you gave them.

For permanent residence, most applicants must give them again every time they apply — even if they gave them recently for a visit.

IRCC: when to give your biometrics.

Straight answers

Biometrics questions

Where can I give biometrics in Pakistan?
At one of the three Canada visa application centres IRCC lists for Pakistan: Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. Book through the centres’ website, which IRCC links from its “where to give your biometrics” page.
How long do I have to give my biometrics?
30 days from receiving your biometric instruction letter. IRCC advises booking your appointment as soon as the letter arrives.
Do I have to pay for the appointment?
No. IRCC says appointments at visa application centres are free, and warns not to pay anyone for one. The biometrics fee itself is paid to IRCC with your application.
I gave biometrics for a visit visa before. Do I need to give them again?
For temporary residence — visiting, studying, working — you give biometrics once every 10 years, and IRCC cannot issue a visa or permit valid beyond 10 years from that date. For permanent residence, most applicants must give them again every time they apply.
Do my children and parents need to give biometrics?
Children under 14 are exempt, and so are applicants over 79 (except asylum claimants). Everyone else in the application aged 14 to 79 normally needs to give them.
I live in Dubai or Riyadh. Do I have to travel to Pakistan?
No. You give biometrics at a visa application centre, and you can use one where you live. IRCC’s “where to give your biometrics” page lists the centres by country.
Are biometrics the same as the fingerprints for a police certificate?
No. Fingerprints taken by the police for a police certificate are a separate thing. Biometrics are the fingerprints and photo IRCC takes for your application.

Also from Pakistan: the police certificate and the immigration medical exam.

Reviewed by the Tashfeen legal teamLast reviewed October 2026

Before you book

Get the whole file right, not just the appointment

Biometrics are one step. We’ll check the application they belong to — forms, documents, funds — before it goes in. No one can guarantee an outcome, and we won’t.

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