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By November 2019, there will be at least 149 Canadian Visa Application Centres locations in 99 countries, allowing more than 96 percent of applicants to apply for a Canadian visa in their country of residence.

As of November 17, 2017, there were 137 Visa Application Centres in 95 countries.

These commitments from Canada’s department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) come with the announcement that VF Worldwide Holdings Ltd. is the of the winning supplier for the Visa Application Centre contract. A subsidiary of VFS Cayman Limited, VF Worldwide Holdings Ltd is the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, currently serving 58 client governments.

Canada uses a network of Visa Application Centres around the world. Each year, hundreds of thousands of individuals submit their applications and, if required, provide biometrics (fingerprints and a photo) to come to Canada. By ensuring that applications are complete, VACs help avoid unnecessary delays or refusal due to incomplete applications.

Since 2000, VACs have helped provide administrative support to visa applicants before, during, and after their application is assessed at a Canadian visa office.

Visa Application Centres are managed by third-party service providers authorized to provide specific services to visa applicants under the terms of a formal contract with IRCC.

Under the terms of the new contract, the extended VAC network in Asia will open on November 2, 2018. Similarly, on November 2, 2019, the extended VAC network in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East will begin opening.

“We are very pleased to announce the winning supplier of the Visa Application Centre contract,” said Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Ahmed Hussen.

“More than ever, people around the world are interested in applying to come to visit, work, or study in Canada. Canada competes with other countries for students, workers and visitors, who inject billions of dollars into Canada’s economy. VAC services, with competitive fees, help facilitate people’s travel, and ensure Canada remains an attractive destination.”

Whether or not an individual needs a visa to come to Canada, for example as a visitor, worker, or student, depends on his or her country of citizenship. Individuals from visa-required countries need to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), whereas individuals from visa-exempt countries typically need an electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before coming to Canada by air travel.

Visa Application Centres complete list

CityCountryWebsiteBiometricsUpdates
AbidjanIvory CoastIvory Coast VACBy appointment or walk inNone
Abu DhabiUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates VACsBy appointment or walk inNone
AbujaNigeriaNigeria VACsBy appointment or walk inNone
AccraGhanaGhana VACBy appointment or walk inNone
Addis AbabaEthiopiaEthiopia VACBy appointment or walk inNone
AhmedabadIndiaIndia VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
Al KhobarSaudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia VACsBy appointment or walk inNone
AlgiersAlgeriaAlgeria VACBy appointment or walk inNone
AlmatyKazakhstanKazakhstan VACBy appointment or walk inNone
AmmanJordanJordan VACBy appointment or walk inNone
AnkaraTurkeyTurkey VACsBy appointment or walk inNone
AntananarivoMadagascarMadagascar VACBy appointment or walk inNone
AsuncionParaguayParaguay VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services* & New service provider
AthensGreeceGreece VACBy appointment or walk inNone
AucklandNew ZealandNew Zealand VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
BakuAzerbaijanAzerbaijan VACBy appointment or walk inNone
BaliIndonesiaIndonesia VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
BamakoMaliMali VACBy appointment or walk inNone
BangaloreIndiaIndia VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
BangkokThailandThailand VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services
BeijingChinaChina VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
BeirutLebanonLebanon VACBy appointment or walk inNone
BelgradeSerbiaSerbia VACBy appointment or walk inNone
BerlinGermanyGermany VACsBy appointment or walk inOctober 25, 2018: Opening date
BishkekKyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan VACBy appointment or walk inNone
BogotaColombiaColombia VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
BridgetownBarbadosBarbados VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
BrasiliaBrazilBrazil VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
BucharestRomaniaRomania VACBy appointment or walk inNone
Buenos AiresArgentinaArgentina VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
CairoEgyptEgypt VACBy appointment or walk inNone
CaliColombiaColombia VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
Cape TownSouth AfricaSouth Africa VACBy appointment or walk inNone
CaracasVenezuelaVenezuela VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
CebuPhilippinesPhilippines VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
ChandigarhIndiaIndia VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
ChengduChinaChina VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
ChennaiIndiaIndia VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
ChisinauMoldovaMoldova VACBy appointment or walk inNone
ChittagongBangladeshBangladesh VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
ChongqingChinaChina VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
ColomboSri LankaSri Lanka VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
ConakryGuineaGuinea VACBy appointment or walk inNone
DakarSenegalSenegal VACBy appointment or walk inNone
Dar es SalaamTanzaniaTanzania VACBy appointment or walk inNone
DhakaBangladeshBangladesh VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
DohaQatarQatar VACBy appointment or walk inNone
DubaiUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates VACsBy appointment or walk inNone
Dublin (Now open)IrelandIreland VACBy appointment or walk inMarch 1, 2019: Opening date
DushanbeTajikistanTajikistan VACBy appointment or walk inNone
DüsseldorfGermanyGermany VACBy appointment or walk inNone
ErbilIraqIraq VACBy appointment or walk inNone
GeorgetownGuyanaGuyana VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
GuangzhouChinaChina VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
Guatemala CityGuatemalaGuatemala VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
HangzhouChinaChina VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
HanoiVietnamVietnam VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
HarareZimbabweZimbabwe VACBy appointment or walk inNone
Ho Chi MinhVietnamVietnam VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
Hong KongHong Kong SARHong Kong VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
HyderabadIndiaIndia VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
IslamabadPakistanPakistan VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
IstanbulTurkeyTurkey VACsBy appointment or walk inNone
JakartaIndonesiaIndonesia VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
JalandharIndiaIndia VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
JeddahSaudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia VACsBy appointment or walk inNone
JinanChinaChina VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
KampalaUgandaUganda VACBy appointment or walk inNone
KarachiPakistanPakistan VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
KathmanduNepalNepal VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
KigaliRwandaRwanda VACBy appointment or walk inNone
KingstonJamaicaJamaica VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
KinshasaDemocratic Rep. of CongoDemocratic Rep. of Congo VACBy appointment or walk inNone
KolkataIndiaIndia VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
Kuala LumpurMalaysiaMalaysia VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
KunmingChinaChina VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
Kuwait CityKuwaitKuwait VACBy appointment or walk inNone
KyivUkraineUkraine VACsBy appointment or walk inNone
La PazBoliviaBolivia VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
LagosNigeriaNigeria VACsBy appointment or walk inNone
LahorePakistanPakistan VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
LimaPeruPeru VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
LondonUnited KingdomUnited Kingdom VACBy appointment or walk inNone
Los AngelesUnited StatesUnited States VACBy appointment onlyAs of April 1, 2019: no longer accepts study permit applications

As of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
LvivUkraineUkraine VACsBy appointment or walk inNone
LyonFranceFrance VACsBy appointment or walk inNone
MadridSpainSpain VACBy appointment or walk inNone
ManaguaNicaraguaNicaragua VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
ManilaPhilippinesPhilippines VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
MedellinColombiaColombia VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
MelbourneAustraliaAustralia VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
MendozaArgentinaArgentina VACs018: New set of As of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
Mexico CityMexicoMexico VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
Montego BayJamaicaJamaica VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
MontevideoUruguayUruguay VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
MoscowRussiaRussia VACsBy appointment or walk inNone
MumbaiIndiaIndia VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
MuscatOmanOman VACBy appointment or walk inNone
NairobiKenyaKenya VACBy appointment or walk inNone
NanjingChinaChina VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
New DelhiIndiaIndia VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
New YorkUnited StatesUnited States VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
NiameyNigerNiger VACBy appointment or walk inNone
OuagadougouBurkina FasoBurkina Faso VACBy appointment or walk inNone
Panama CityPanamaPanama VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
ParisFranceFrance VACBy appointment or walk inNone
Phnom PenhCambodiaCambodia VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
PodgoricaMontenegroMontenegro VACBy appointment or walk inNone
Port LouisMauritiusMauritius VACBy appointment or walk inNone
Port of SpainTrinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago VACVACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
Port-au-Prince (New)  Opening soonHaitiAvailable November 2, 2018By appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
Porto AlegreBrazilBrazil VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
PretoriaSouth AfricaSouth Africa VACBy appointment or walk inNone
PristinaKosovoKosovo VACBy appointment or walk inNone
PuneIndiaIndia VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
QuitoEcuadorEcuador VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
RabatMoroccoMorocco VACBy appointment or walk inNone
Rangoon (Yangon)Burma (Myanmar)Burma (Myanmar) VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
RecifeBrazilBrazil VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
Rio de JaneiroBrazilBrazil VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
RiyadhSaudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia VACsBy appointment or walk inNone
RomeItalyItaly VACBy appointment or walk inNone
Saint PetersburgRussiaRussia VACsBy appointment or walk inNone
San FranciscoUnited StatesUnited States VACsBy appointment onlyOnly offers biometrics services — no other immigration services available. Opened temporarily in November, 2020, to address backlogs caused by COVID-19.
San JoseCosta RicaCosta Rica VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
San SalvadorEl SalvadorEl Salvador VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
SantiagoChileChile VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
Santo DomingoDominican RepublicDominican Republic VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
Sao PauloBrazilBrazil VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
SarajevoBosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina VACBy appointment or walk inNone
SeattleUnited StatesUnited States VACsBy appointment onlyOnly offers biometrics services — no other immigration services available. Opened temporarily in November, 2020, to address backlogs caused by COVID-19.
SeoulSouth KoreaSouth Korea VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
ShanghaiChinaChina VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
ShenyangChinaChina VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
SingaporeSingaporeSingapore VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
SkopjeMacedoniaMacedonia VACBy appointment or walk inNone
SofiaBulgariaBulgaria VACBy appointment or walk inNone
StockholmSwedenSweden VACBy appointment or walk inNone
SuvaFijiFiji VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
SydneyAustraliaAustralia VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
SylhetBangladeshBangladesh VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
TaipeiTaiwanTaiwan VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
TbilisiGeorgiaGeorgia VACBy appointment or walk inNone
TegucigalpaHondurasHonduras VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018:
New set of services* & New service provider
Tel AvivIsraelIsraelVAC By appointment or walk inNone
TiranaAlbaniaAlbania VACBy appointment or walk inNone
TokyoJapanJapan VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
TunisTunisiaTunisia VACBy appointment or walk inNone
UlaanbaatarMongoliaMongolia VACBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
ViennaAustriaAustria VACBy appointment or walk inNone
VladivostokRussiaRussia VACsBy appointment or walk inNone
WarsawPolandPoland VACBy appointment or walk inNone
WuhanChinaChina VACsBy appointment onlyAs of November 2, 2018: New set of services*
YaoundéCameroonCameroon VACBy appointment or walk inNone
YerevanArmeniaArmenia VACBy appointment or walk inNone

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