Fingerprinting For Canadian Citizenship
In many cases, applicants for Canadian citizenship will have already provided biometrics to the Government of Canada in their application for Permanent Resident status. Nonetheless, fingerprinting is an essential part of many applications for Canadian citizenship.
Fingerprints are required under two circumstances:
- When they’re specifically requested by IRCC
- When you have spent more than 183 days or more in another country, and you need a police certificate from that country
When fingerprints are required, we can help. The process is simple, fast, and accurate – it often takes 10 minutes or less.
How is the screening process performed
The IRCC may request fingerprints. The request for fingerprinting must be responded to quite quickly – in most cases, it must be completed within 30 days. These fingerprint requests differ from the fingerprinting you may have had done for biometrics when you applied to become a Permanent Resident of Canada.
When you arrive at the fingerprinting agency, you will need as well as the letter from IRCC requesting fingerprints.
Why is the screening process done?
There are a number of rules and restrictions that govern who can become a citizen of Canada. If you’ve committed an indictable offence within Canada in the 4 year period preceding your application, you cannot become a citizen. These same conditions apply to offences which would be considered indictable that were committed outside Canada. That’s why police certificates are required if you spent a considerable amount of time outside Canada in the 4 years prior to your application.
How do I get my fingerprints taken?
Your fingerprints must be taken by the local police, the RCMP, or an RCMP-accredited agency, like FASTCHECK. Our fingerprinting is done quickly and efficiently – in most cases, the process is completed in about 10 minutes.
If you need fingerprinting for police certificates from other countries, you should use the how to get a police certificate tool provided by the Government of Canada.
FBI Clearance for Canada
In order to receive your police certificate from the United States, you’ll need an Identity History Summary – often referred to as an FBI Clearance. The screening process is similar to the certified criminal record checks performed by the RCMP – as such, fingerprinting is required.
How is the screening process done?
The screening process is incredibly similar to the certified criminal record checks performed in Canada. For a fee, the FBI processes the applicant’s fingerprints, then checks their database to see if any criminal records are associated with those fingerprints.
Should a criminal record be discovered, the Identity History Summary will include “the name of the agency that submitted the fingerprints to the FBI, the date of the arrest, the arrest charge, and the disposition of the arrest, if known.”, according to the FBI’s page on Identity History Summaries.
Contact us today
Whether you need fingerprinting because of an IRCC request, or you’re looking to get FBI Clearance for Canada, we’re here for you. We know how important citizenship applications are, and we’re proud to play even a small role in your journey to becoming a Canadian citizen.
Our Winnipeg fingerprinting services are fast and accurate. Even small mistakes can lead to huge delays – that’s why we pride ourselves on successfully taking fingerprints for every applicant. Book an appointment with us today.
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FASTCHECK is an RCMP accredited Fingerprinting Business.