Frequently asked questions

Most appointments are completed in approximately 15 to 20 minutes, including identity verification, capture and image review. Allow a little longer if you are bringing a foreign-government form or several applicants.

Two pieces of valid, original government-issued identification, at least one of which shows your photograph. Photocopies, scans and photographs of documents cannot be accepted. Requirements are set by the receiving agency and are confirmed against current training material.

An appointment is required and we do not accept walk-ins. Capture slots are scheduled so that each applicant has a private, unhurried appointment, which is only possible when every visit is booked in advance.

Each applicant needs their own appointment because each set of prints is a separate transaction. Tell us in the booking form how many people are attending and we will let you know which consecutive times we can offer.

Worn, cracked or heavily calloused fingertips sometimes affect capture. We review image quality on the spot and recapture during the same appointment at no extra service fee. If a submission is later rejected for a reason attributable to our capture or data entry, we recapture and resubmit without a further Acuity service fee — where a rejection results from information you supplied, a further government fee may apply. In rare cases where electronic capture is not possible, we will explain the alternatives available for your application type.

Processing times are set by the RCMP, not by Acuity. Where fingerprints do not match a criminal record, processing may take three business days or less. Applications requiring manual processing, or involving a possible match, may take approximately 120 business days. Mailing time is additional. Acuity Fingerprint Solutions does not control processing or delivery times.

Note — These processing times apply only to the RCMP criminal-record-check component. They do not include mailing time or processing by IRCC, the Parole Board of Canada, a foreign government, an employer, a licensing body or another requesting organization.

No. Searching, adjudication and release of the result are performed by the RCMP rather than by us, so we cannot commit to a date on which your result will be available. What we control is capturing quality prints and submitting them promptly.

That depends on your application type and the instructions from the requesting organization. Bring the recipient name and mailing address to your appointment so the submission is directed correctly.

The Acuity service fee is $60 for digital fingerprinting — identity verification, Livescan capture, image quality review and electronic submission. GST is not applied to this fee. Where the RCMP charges a federal fee for your application type, a further $25 is collected on the RCMP’s behalf and remitted in full. Both amounts are shown to you separately before you confirm.

Payment is taken at your appointment by card — credit, debit or a mobile wallet — processed by our payment provider, Stripe. Card details are handled by Stripe and are never stored by Acuity or on this website. No payment is collected through the booking form.

No. Vulnerable Sector Checks must be initiated through the appropriate police service or authorized provincial program. If the police gives you a fingerprint request letter as part of that process, please contact us to confirm whether we can capture and electronically submit the required fingerprints.

No. IRCC biometrics (photograph and fingerprints for immigration biometric enrolment) are collected only at designated biometric collection service points. That is a different process from the fingerprint-based criminal record check we provide.

No. We do not issue police clearance certificates, Police Information Checks, CPIC checks or FBI background-check results. We capture and submit fingerprints; the result is produced and released by the responsible authority.

Generally you should apply only after receiving written instructions from IRCC telling you that fingerprints are required. Booking beforehand can result in a submission that does not match what IRCC needs. If you are unsure, call us with the correspondence in front of you.

Fingerprint data is not stored in this website, our booking system or any customer-relationship or marketing platform. Capture and secure handling take place only within our restricted work area, and records are retained only as required for the transaction.

No. Fingerprinting records are kept separate from Acuity Immigration client records, and fingerprinting clients are not automatically added to immigration marketing lists.

Please do not. Email and web forms are not appropriate channels for identity documents, criminal-history information or request letters. Bring your original documents to the appointment instead.

Only appointment confirmations and reminders, unless you separately opt in to service updates. That consent is optional, is collected separately from your booking, and can be withdrawn at any time.