Due to the incredibly high demand for appointments at Visa Application Centres in Bangladesh, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has temporarily extended the validity of issued Biometric Instruction Letters (BILs) and Passport Submission letters by an extra thirty days, a VFS Global spokesperson announced on Friday, December 29.

According to the spokeswoman, this means that for applicants, their passport request or IRCC BIL letter will be valid for an additional 30 days following the letter's stated expiration date.

According to a media statement, applicants should get in touch with IRCC to seek a new BIL or Passport Submission letter if they are still unable to make an appointment or submit their passports during this extended validity time.

Any newly issued letters will only be valid for the standard 30 days.

"We urge applicants to plan their travel early and apply for their Canada visa or permit in advance to avoid the last-minute rush," said the spokesperson.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is the department of the Government of Canada with responsibility for matters dealing with immigration to Canada, refugees, and Canadian citizenship.