Notice: Visa application centres gradually starting to offer services
Ottawa, June 11, 2020— In response to changing country conditions, some visa application centres (VACs) have begun resuming limited services while still ensuring important safety measures are maintained.
As some services such as biometrics collection have resumed, it’s important to understand that travel restrictions remain in place. Currently, you can travel to Canada only if you are exempt from the travel restrictions or are coming for an essential purpose. All travellers arriving into Canada must quarantine for 14 days immediately upon arrival.
While the travel restrictions are still in place, completing further steps in the application process, such as providing biometrics when possible, will help expedite processing once travel restrictions are lifted.
Find out what services, if any, are available at the VAC nearest you, and be sure to pay close attention to instructions they have included. If your local VAC has not yet resumed services, visit How COVID-19 is affecting IRCC.
The health and safety of VAC and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) staff, as well as that of our clients, is IRCC’s top priority. IRCC, along with all its government partners, continues to closely monitor the situation and any impacts on clients and our operations.
Common health and safety measures implemented at VACs may include
- use of hand sanitizer by staff and clients
- limiting the number of people allowed inside the VAC at any given time
- checking temperature of staff and clients
- use of gloves, face masks and face shields by staff
- frequent cleaning of the VAC
Clients should visit this page often as more VACs gradually begin to resume limited services.
Here is a list of VACs reopened for limited services as of June 11, 2020:
- Tel Aviv, Israel
- Erbil, Iraq
- Vienna, Austria
- Düsseldorf, Germany
- Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Tokyo, Japan
- Osaka, Japan
- The Hague, Netherlands
- Rome, Italy