After you apply

Your fingerprints and photo (biometrics)

Book your biometrics collection appointment as soon as you can to avoid processing delays.

We’ll check your application to make sure you have all the documents you need.

If it's incomplete, your application may be refused.

We may also ask you to

We’ll tell you what to do if you need to do any of these.

We process most applications in a few weeks or less. Processing times depend on the visa office and if you need to do any extra steps (listed above).

Foreign nationals living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Uganda can’t travel to Canada as of May 27, 2026.

The way to check your application status depends on how you applied. Find out how to check your application status.

If you applied online

You’ll get a letter in your IRCC account with instructions to submit your passport.

You can’t travel to Canada until we put the visa in the passport you submit to us.

You should submit the same passport that you provided in your application. If you submit a newer passport

it may delay the processing of your application
it doesn’t mean that you’ll get a visa with longer validity
- An officer will decide when your visa will expire, depending on your circumstances.

If you applied on paper

When your application is approved, any original documents, including your passport with the visa inside, will be returned to you.

If you applied online

You’ll get our decision in your IRCC account. This will explain why we refused your application.

If you applied on paper

An explanation of why your application was refused will be sent to you, along with any original documents, including your passport.

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2026-05-27