The process for securing Canadian citizenship can be long and trying. Usually, when you’re applying for your Canadian citizenship, testing that includes fingerprints or biometrics is not needed or mandatory. But in some cases, one may receive a letter from the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) stating a request to record your fingerprints. There is no reason to be alarmed if you’re requested for a Canadian citizenship fingerprint.

Before we get into details of the letter requesting a citizenship fingerprint from the IRCC, it is crucial to state these two things and make it crystal clear:

Chaudhary Law Office does not make any promises, claims or comments about your personal citizenship application or status. We can also not be certain and provide you with an exact date for the IRCC to process your application for citizenship once your Canadian citizenship fingerprints have been recorded in the system.

At Chaudhary Law, we only take the fingerprints of those applicants that receive a letter from the IRCC stating that a citizenship fingerprint is necessary. In most cases, Canadian citizenship fingerprints are not necessary.

This article will give you information on fingerprinting requested by the IRCC. If you still have any questions about the same, you can reach out to the IRCC for accurate answers according to your case.

Why Does One Need Fingerprints For Canadian Citizenship?

Most people who apply for Canadian citizenship are not required to record their citizenship fingerprints. The need to record one’s fingerprints arises only when the IRCC send a letter to the applicant requesting the record of Canadian citizenship fingerprint.

This letter sent to you by the IRCC will also state the reason why they need you to record your citizenship fingerprint. Sometimes the Canadian citizenship fingerprint request can be rather vague and fail to give you a clear picture. We cannot state and lead to the specifics of why you received the Canadian citizenship fingerprint request. However, there might be a few reasons why your citizenship fingerprints were requested:

• For Quality Assurance (CA)
• Another citizenship/permanent residentship applicant may have a similar name and date of birth that (almost) matches your name and date of birth (especially if the other person’s application has been rejected)
• A name or a date of birth that is similar to another person’s name and date of birth present in the criminal records.

This makes it clear that Canadian citizenship fingerprints are conducted only to ensure no fraud is committed and your identity is kept safe from someone else who might have similar credentials.

In the case of Quality Assurance (QA), people or applicants are chosen at random. Now you may know other people who have gone through the process of gaining Citizenship, but might have a different Quality Assurance experience. They may have to present different documents, and you might have to present documents different than theirs too. If picked during QA, you are required to provide additional documents. The practice and process of Quality Assurance change regularly. These changes are made by the IRCC.

If your fingerprint is asked for because someone holds a name and date of birth similar to your name and date of birth, your fingerprint will help distinguish your identity and keep any confusion at bay in the future.

If your fingerprint is asked for because someone with a criminal record has a name or date of birth similar to yours, your fingerprints will be sent to the RCMP. The RCMP will then run your fingerprint in their criminal database to see if you are a match.

How Long Does It Take To Get A Fingerprint For Citizenship?

When you receive the letter for the CIC citizenship fingerprint, the letter will also contain the time frame in which you must submit your fingerprints for the application. Usually, the timeframe provided by the IRCC is 30 days. At Chaudhary Law, we help you record your fingerprint and send fingerprints to the RCMP on your behalf. When you send your fingerprints through us, the RCMP receives your fingerprints the same day.

We always advise our clients to not delay this process and get it done as soon as possible. As soon as your record your fingerprints, you can proceed to your application. The IRCC would also appreciate faster reverts which also builds credibility. The reason why we ask our clients to come in soon is so that they can avoid missing dates due to unforeseen circumstances. The process of recording your fingerprint does not take longer than 10 minutes.

How Long Does It Take After Recording Fingerprints To Gain Citizenship?

Chaudhary Law can not give you a specific time for your application to be processed. However, the sooner you submit your fingerprints, the sooner your application is processed.

If you need a citizenship lawyer in Toronto to help you with fingerprinting processes, Chaudhary Law lawyers would be happy to help you!