Details on VAC service changes in Asia, Asia Pacific and the Americas in November 2018

Ottawa, October 3, 2018 – Visa application centres (VACs) have contracts with the Government of Canada to give you visa application support services and biometrics services. Current contracts with the VACs in Asia, Asia Pacific and the Americas will be expiring on November 1, 2018.

Starting November 2, 2018, new contracts will result in changes to:

• services and fees
• location and service provider

Visit our VAC page regularly for updates before you go

Service and fee changes

Before November 2, 2018, you can get the following services as a package at all VACs:

• submitting your paper application
• transferring your documents (such as passport) to and from the visa office
• collecting your biometrics (fingerprints and photograph) by appointment and/or walk-in

Starting November 2, 2018, VACs in Asia, Asia Pacific and the Americas will:

• charge a separate fee to submit your application and send your documents
• collect biometrics by appointment only
• introduce other services and fees

Location and service provider changes

Some VACs will:

• close permanently
• move and change service provider
• only change service provider

VACs closing permanently on November 30, 2018

• Perth, Australia
• Surabaya, Indonesia

Important dates for Perth and Surabaya VACs:

• The last day they’ll accept applications and collect biometrics is November 1, 2018
• You can pick up your documents from November 2 to 30, 2018 (they’ll let you know when the documents are ready)
• The visa office will return your documents to you directly after November 30, 2018
• You’ll get the services you’ve paid for until November 30, 2018

VACs moving and changing service provider

The following VACs will move to a new address in the same city and change service provider on November 2, 2018.

• Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
• Port-au-Prince, Haiti
• Georgetown, Guyana
• Kingston, Jamaica
• Montego Bay, Jamaica
• Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
• Los Angeles, USA
• New York City, USA

Visit our VAC page on November 2, 2018 to learn about the new locations.

Important dates for the moving VACs at current locations:

• The last day they’ll accept applications and collect biometrics is November 1, 2018
• You can pick up your documents from November 2 to 29, 2018 (they’ll let you know when the documents are ready)
• The visa office will return your documents to you directly after November 29, 2018 (only if you submitted your application at current locations)
• You’ll get the services you’ve paid for until November 29, 2018
• They’ll have shorter business hours from November 2 to 29, 2018

VACs changing service provider

VACs in the following cities will change service provider on November 2, 2018. Their websites will keep the same addresses, but have a new look and feel.

• Buenos Aires, Argentina
• La Paz, Bolivia
• Brasilia, Brazil
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Sao Paulo, Brazil
• Bogota, Colombia
• Medellin, Colombia
• San Jose, Costa Rica
• Quito, Ecuador
• San Salvador, El Salvador
• Guatemala City, Guatemala
• Tegucigalpa, Honduras
• Mexico City, Mexico
• Managua, Nicaragua
• Panama City, Panama
• Asuncion, Paraguay
• Lima, Peru
• Montevideo, Uruguay
• Caracas, Venezuela