Citizenship and Immigration Department of Canada has announced the new plans to include biometric data in the new applications that would be lodged with the department. By doing so Canada has now joined a list of countries that would demand biometric details from visitors or prospective immigrants while filing for a visa for the country. By the end of 2010, The Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada plans to begin the roll out of biometric data processing and proposed that the new system would be fully functional in all provinces by 2013.
Discussing the topic, the spokesperson of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) said, “Biometrics will significantly contribute to Canada’s existing measures designed to reduce identity fraud and enhance the safety and security of Canadians.” After the requirement is implemented the biometric tests connote that applicants for temporary resident visas, Canadian work visas and Canadian study visas will have to submit fingerprints and have their photographs taken in person before arriving in Canada. Some foreign countries already implemented this requirement but Canada by this move has now joined countries like France, the US and the UK, who all have biometric requirements in place. The US has had such a database in place for the last 5 years whereas the UK plans to have all UK visa applicants’ biometric details on their biometric database by 2011.
When the rules would be implemented in late 2010, approximately 15,000 fingerprints and facial images will be collected from field trial participants out of which analysis of the information collected will be conducted separately. The Biometric test will check the impact of introducing fingerprint and facial recognition technologies on CIC operations. The trial will help determine how biometrics could be used to identify people entering Canada and to reduce the potential for identity fraud. It will only involve a limited number of temporary resident visa applicants and refugee claimants. CIC has been consulting with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner to ensure that appropriate measures are put in place to protect the personal information of field trial participants. Apart from Canada, in order to ensure that people immigrating to various countries are not fraud, the European Union, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States are also testing or using biometrics to enhance the integrity of their border control systems.

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