The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis of changes to the visa application process that have been announced by the government of Canada.
In a statement released on Friday, the government of Canada informed that it “is expanding its biometrics collection program and is now taking steps to prepare for 31 December, 2018, when nationals from countries in Asia, Asia Pacific and the Americas will need to give their biometrics (fingerprints and a photo) when applying for a visitor visa, study, or work permit, or for permanent residence.”
To make service accessible to applicants, Canada is expanding its worldwide network of Visa Application Centres (VACs). As of 2nd November 2018, citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis will be able to submit their applications to the Visa Application Centres in Barbados, Trinidad or Guyana. Citizens will also be able to go to any VAC in any country they are legally allowed to enter, or, if already legally in the United States, to one of the 135 US Application Support Centers.
As the new biometrics collection program is expanded, the Government of Canada has indicated that it will monitor the impact of biometrics collection to ensure that the level of service meets the needs of applicants.
The High Commission of St. Kitts and Nevis has been working closely with the Canadian authorities on behalf of the government of St. Kitts and Nevis to ensure that our nationals benefit from travel facilitation and accessibility options as these new measures go into effect.
Citizens currently applying for Canadian visas will not be required to provide biometrics at this time. The biometrics requirement goes into effect on December 31, 2018. Additional information can be found at https://www.vfsglobal.ca/Canada/Trinidad-and-Tobago/.