International use of biometrics

Implementing biometrics will bring Canada in line with other countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, which already use biometrics for immigration and border security purposes. Several other countries are moving in the same direction as well.

  • The United States has required fingerprints and a photograph from all foreign nationals (except most Canadians) since 2004.
  • Japan has required all foreign nationals to give their fingerprints and to be photographed upon entry since 2007.
  • The United Kingdom has required fingerprints and a photograph from all visa applicants since 2008.
  • In December 2010, Australia began collecting fingerprints and photographs for visa applications made in 15 countries, managed by 10 offices across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
  • With the exception of France, which had already implemented biometrics in its visa program, the European Union and Schengen Treaty countries began rolling out their biometric (fingerprint and digital photograph) visa program in October 2011.
  • New Zealand is in the planning phase of its biometric visa program.

Canada is working closely with its trusted international partner countries through the Five Country Conference (FCC) forum on biometric information sharing. Canada signed arrangements with the U.S., the U.K., Australia and New Zealand in 2009 (High Value Data Sharing Protocol), allowing for the exchange of a limited number of fingerprint records in an effort to counter fraud and reduce the abuse of our respective immigration programs.

Case example: Through a series of bilateral information exchanges under the High Value Data Sharing Protocol, an individual was determined to have claimed refugee status in all five FCC countries, and had been granted status in three. While claiming asylum in Ireland, the individual was matched using biometrics to a previous UK asylum claim, and subsequently removed to the U.K. where he was arrested. There, the individual was sentenced to three months in prison for identity fraud.