Applying for Canada Spousal Visa Online from the Philippines (Part 5: VFS Cebu Biometrics)

As part of the visa process, I was asked to provide my biometrics at the nearest visa office. More information on Canada's biometric collection is available on this link: 

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/campaigns/biometrics/how-to-give-biometrics.html#

The visa office nearest me requires an appointment so the first part of this section would include the steps I made to book an appointment and the second part is the actual collection process at the office. I had my biometrics collected at VFS Cebu. Do note that different offices may have different processes so make sure to read on your local office's website.

Note: This blog series is published months after we completed the entire process. The month and year the post was written is at the end of each post.

Outline of Part 5: VFS Cebu Biometrics

• Part One: Booking the appointment.
• Step One. Finding the nearest visa office. 
• Step Two. Booking an appointment. 
• Step Three. Printing out documents.
• Where to find the VFS Consent Form
• Part Two: Biometrics Collection Appointment in VFS Cebu City
• Steps 1-7

Part One: Booking the appointment.

Step One. Finding the nearest visa office. Go to your country's biometrics collection office website. You will find a link in the IRCC  biometrics instruction letter (BIL) pdf where you can search for your country's offices. In my case, VFS is the nearest authorised biometrics collection centre.

Step Two. Booking an appointment. I went to their booking website and tried the first option which is to book online (Option 1 - Online). The link was not working despite trying it on three different browsers. I also tried this web form (Option 3 - Email), but I did not receive any acknowledgement or response. Option 4 - Web Chat was also not working at that time.

So I decided to call them. 

VERY IMPORTANT

I prepared the following information before I called the office:

• IRCC number. It can be found in the pdf attached biometrics instruction letter (BIL) in IRCC's email and scroll all the way down. The IRCC number may be in the area nearest to the QR codes. 
• Desired dates and times for the appointment.
• They also asked for my complete name, email and date of birth. 

I was only able to succesfully book an appointment via the phone scheduling. I called the hotline that is available on Option 2 Telephone. Kindly refer to the link below for their phone number:

• https://visa.vfsglobal.com/phl/en/can/book-an-appointment

The phone call was pretty quick. It took only around 15 minutes and a majority of that was listening to the instructions for the phone menu and the waiting time for the agent to pull out their booking software.

I received an email confirming my appointment.

Step Three. Printing out documents. After the agent has booked my appointment, I was informed of the documents I needed to bring. These are what I printed out (I printed out two copies of each just for good measure):

• Biometrics instruction letter (BIL) from IRCC. 
• Appointment confirmation received via email from VFS.
• VFS Consent Form. I was able to download it here:
• https://assets.ctfassets.net/xxg4p8gt3sg6/2G0GtF7WPLvzToKOfompkv/c03d754f3eaf210cf115e35a9bfd096b/VFS-ConsentForm.pdf

Where to find the VFS Consent Form

Alternative to the VFS Consent Form linked above if it does not work or if you want to be sure of the latest version, follow these steps:

Go to https://visa.vfsglobal.com/phl/en/can/apply-visa

In the Apply From tab, choose Philippines. In the ...and I'm going to, choose Canada

In the Apply for Visa section, click Start Now.

Scroll down to 2 - Begin Your Application section and look for the words consent form. This will open a separate tab with the pdf that you can save to your computer or directly print.

In case you don't know yet, you can download or print using these icons on the upper right hand corner. Note that I am using Google Chrome browser in a Mac OS for this. 

Part Two: Biometrics Collection Appointment in VFS Cebu City

Office Address:

Unit 905 9th Floor Keppel Center, Samar Loop cor. Cardinal Rosales Avenue, Cebu Business Park, Cebu City

VERY IMPORTANT

• Arrive at the office at least 15 minutes before the scheduled appointment.
• I brought the following with me:
• Biometrics instruction letter (BIL) from IRCC
• Appointment confirmation from VFS
• Passport
• VFS Consent Form
• Black ballpen
• If you can, only bring your mobile phone, your wallet and documents. There is a Php 105 fee for the locker if you have a bag or anything similar. This fee is only paid at the room where your biometrics will be processed. The website and the emails did not inform me of any extra fee so keep this in mind especially if you’re like me who almost never carries cash. VFS fees are to be paid in cash. Check this link for the complete list of VFS fees, follow the link below and click on Service Charges.
• https://visa.vfsglobal.com/phl/en/can/apply-visa

• 

Step One. I arrived at around 6:15 am for my 7:00 am appointment. The main entrance was still closed at this time so I went to the entrance in the parking area. I informed the security guard that I have a VFS appointment for 7:00 am and I was told that another security personnel from VFS will be coming for their clients.

Step Two. The VFS security came at around 6:50 am and checked the documents of those who have a 7:00 am appointment. I presented my appointment confirmation.

VFS Security

Step Three. We were asked to come up to the office at around 6:55 am where we queued for the security screening.

Step Four. At 7:00 am, those with appointments for that time were asked to approach the VFS reception counter. I showed my appointment confirmation again and I was given a queue number for the biometrics waiting room. I was also asked to deposit my bag at this time. I was given a key and guided to the door.

Step Five. Inside the biometrics waiting area, there was a TV monitor showing which queue number is being catered to and in which room.

Step Six. When it was my turn, I went inside one of the biometrics collection room and went through the process. It took less than 10 minutes. I also paid for the locker fee of Php 105 here. The receipt was necessary to claim my bag.

Step Seven. After the process, I was given a receipt that shows I've completed the biometrics collection. I also received an email from VFS confirming the collection and also the tracking number for my application.

  

You may view all parts of the series here

Part 5: VFS Biometrics Enrollment written on October 2023