# Canada Visa Processing Time & Biometrics (from Dubai) Source: https://visadoctor.ae/canada-visa-processing-time-biometrics-dubai/ Last updated: 2026-09-23 Publisher: Visa Doctor FZC, licensed visa documentation agency in Dubai (SPC Free Zone licence 4417571.01) # Canada Visit Visa Processing Time from Dubai and the UAE Last reviewed: September 2026 · Reviewed by the Visa Doctor documentation team, Dubai. See our [editorial policy](/editorial-policy/). Timing matters for a [Canada visitor visa](/country-post/canada/). This guide gives realistic 2026 processing times for UAE residents and explains the biometrics step. See also the requirements and [documents guide](/canada-visa-documents-financial-requirements-dubai/). **IRCC’s official processing time for a Canada visitor visa applied for from the United Arab Emirates is 56 days, in its figures last updated on 22 September 2026.** The time is IRCC’s estimate for a complete application, and it already includes the time it takes to give your biometrics. The decision belongs to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and your own application can take more or less time. IRCC updates these figures regularly. To see today’s number, open the official [IRCC processing times tool](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html), choose “Visitor visa (from outside Canada)” and select the United Arab Emirates as the country you are applying from. ## Canada Processing Times for Applications from the UAE These are IRCC’s published times for applications made from the United Arab Emirates, whether you live in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or another emirate. Application | Official IRCC time from the UAE | Notes | Visitor visa (temporary resident visa), from outside Canada | 56 days | Includes the time to give biometrics. Ends when IRCC makes a decision. | Biometrics appointment step | You have 30 days from your biometric instruction letter to give them | Already counted inside the visa time above. The appointment itself is free; the CAD 85 fee is paid when you apply. | Super visa | 72 days | Separate IRCC figure for the UAE. | Study permit, from outside Canada | 6 weeks | Separate IRCC figure for the UAE. | Work permit, from outside Canada | 7 weeks | Separate IRCC figure for the UAE. | Source: IRCC processing times data, last updated 22 September 2026. Figures change, so check the IRCC tool before you plan travel. ## What the Canada Visa Processing Time Includes and Excludes **IRCC’s clock starts on the day it receives your complete application and stops when it makes a decision, and it includes the time to give your biometrics.** Anything before you submit, and anything after the decision, sits outside that figure. ### Included in the IRCC figure - Giving your fingerprints and photo at a visa application centre after you apply. - IRCC’s review of your application up to the decision. ### Not included in the IRCC figure - Preparing your documents and completing the online application before you submit it. - Sending your passport after approval. IRCC puts a letter in your online account asking for your passport, and you submit it through the visa application centre. - The visa application centre returning your passport to you, in person or by courier. IRCC also says processing depends on whether you need any extra steps. If IRCC asks for more documents, an interview or a medical exam, your application can take longer than the published figure. ## Canada Visitor Visa Timeline from Dubai, Step by Step - **Apply online and pay.** Submit your application through your IRCC account and pay CAD 100 for the visitor visa plus CAD 85 for biometrics. IRCC’s processing time starts once it receives your complete application. - **Get your biometric instruction letter.** IRCC sends it after you apply. You have 30 days from receiving it to give your biometrics. - **Give biometrics in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.** Book a free appointment at the VFS Global Canada visa application centre in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. - **IRCC reviews your file.** IRCC may contact you if it needs more information or documents. - **Decision and passport request.** If IRCC approves your application, you get a letter in your IRCC account with instructions to submit your passport. IRCC places the visa in your passport. - **Collect your passport.** The visa application centre returns it, either at the centre or by its paid courier service. ## Where UAE Residents Give Biometrics for a Canada Visa **UAE residents give Canada biometrics at one of two VFS Global Canada visa application centres, in Dubai or in Abu Dhabi.** IRCC lists both as the visa application centres for the United Arab Emirates. You need an appointment, and booking it is free. - **Dubai:** Wafi Mall, Level 1, Phase 5, Umm Hurair 2, Dubai. - **Abu Dhabi:** Level B2 (Lower Ground), The Mall, World Trade Centre, Khalifa Bin Zayed The 1st Street (Airport Road), Abu Dhabi. Both centres open Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 16:00, and on Fridays from 08:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 16:00. Check the VFS Global Canada UAE website for holiday closures before you go. Your biometrics are valid for 10 years. If you gave them for a Canadian application in the last 10 years, IRCC attaches them to your new visitor visa application and you do not need to give them again. Children under 14 and applicants over 79 are exempt. ## Canada Visitor Visa Processing Time and Fees The official IRCC fees for a Canada visitor visa are CAD 100 per person plus CAD 85 for biometrics, so CAD 185 for one applicant. IRCC’s official processing time for applications from the UAE was **56 days** at its 22 September 2026 update, and that figure includes the time to give biometrics. A family of five or more applying together pays one visa fee of CAD 500, and the biometrics fee for a family of two or more applying together is CAD 170. You pay online to IRCC when you apply. ## When to Apply for a Canada Visitor Visa from Dubai Apply **well before** your travel date. Plan around the current IRCC figure for the UAE, then add time to prepare your documents before you apply and time to send and collect your passport after approval. A complete, well-prepared file is the best way to avoid the delays that come from requests for additional documents. Visa Doctor prepares and reviews Canada visitor visa files for UAE residents. See our [Canada visit visa from Dubai and Abu Dhabi](https://visadoctor.ae/country-post/canada/) guide for the full application process and our [Canada visa documents and financial requirements](https://visadoctor.ae/canada-visa-documents-financial-requirements-dubai/) guide for what to prepare. [Contact us](/contact-us/). ## Frequently asked questions ### How long does a Canada visit visa take from Dubai? IRCC’s official processing time for a visitor visa applied for from the UAE is 56 days, in its figures last updated on 22 September 2026. That figure includes giving your biometrics, but not the time to send and collect your passport after approval. It is an estimate, and the decision belongs to IRCC. ### How long are Canada biometrics valid? Biometrics given for a Canadian visa are generally valid for 10 years, so you may not need to repeat them for a future application within that period. ### Does the Canada visa processing time include biometrics? Yes. IRCC says its published processing time includes the time it takes to give your biometrics. You have 30 days from receiving your biometric instruction letter to give them, so booking your appointment in Dubai or Abu Dhabi quickly helps avoid delays. ### What is the Canadian Embassy Abu Dhabi processing time? There is no separate processing time for the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi. The Embassy and the Consulate General in Dubai direct visa applicants to apply online with IRCC and to give biometrics at a visa application centre. The processing time that applies is IRCC’s figure for applications from the United Arab Emirates. ## Related Canada visa guides - Canada visitor visa requirements - [Documents & financial requirements](/canada-visa-documents-financial-requirements-dubai/) - [Processing time & biometrics](/canada-visa-processing-time-biometrics-dubai/) - [Canada visa service](/country-post/canada/) - Canada visa blog guide - [Contact Visa Doctor](/contact-us/)