Canada Visitor Visa After Biometrics: What’s Next

If you’ve recently completed your biometrics appointment for your Canada Visitor Visa, congratulations, you’re one step closer to exploring the beauty and diversity that Canada has to offer. But naturally, one question remains: What happens next?

At IMygrate, we understand how important it is to stay informed during every stage of your visa journey. This blog post walks you through the steps that follow your biometrics submission and offers insights to help you prepare for what’s to come.

Step 1: Biometrics Acknowledgement

Once you’ve submitted your biometrics at a VAC (Visa Application Centre), the system updates your profile to reflect that your fingerprints and photo have been received. You may receive an update via your IRCC account confirming this.

Timeline: Usually within a few days.

Step 2: Application Review by IRCC

After biometrics, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) begins reviewing your visitor visa application in full. This includes:

Background checks
Verification of financial documents
Travel history and purpose of visit
Ties to home country

This is the most time-consuming part of the process.

Timeline: It can take several weeks to a few months, depending on factors like the country of application, season, and completeness of your documents.

Step 3: Additional Requests (If Any)

In some cases, IRCC may ask for additional documents or clarification. This is not unusual and does not mean your application is in trouble.

Check your IRCC account and email often, and reply quickly to any request.

Step 4: Final Decision

Once IRCC completes the review, you’ll receive a decision:

Approved: You will get a Passport Request Letter (PPR) asking you to submit your passport for visa stamping.
Refused: You will receive a letter outlining the reasons for refusal. At IMygrate, we help clients analyze refusals and determine the next step, whether that’s applying again or asking for reconsideration.

Timeline after biometrics to final decision: Times change often. Check IRCC’s processing times page for your country.

Step 5: Visa Stamping and Passport Return

If approved, submit your passport as per the instructions in the PPR. Once your visa is stamped, your passport will be returned to you by courier or pick-up option.

You can then travel to Canada.

Final Thoughts

Knowing the steps after biometrics makes the wait easier to plan around. IMygrate helps with visitor visa applications, from preparing the file to questions after biometrics.

After Biometrics: What’s Next for Your Canada Visitor Visa Application?