Digital photo for the Canadian Temporary Resident Permit

The temporary resident permit is a document allowing immigrants to remain in Canada for the duration of the permit's validity, which can range from one day to three years. Although a holder of a TRP is not immediately eligible for another TRP or a permanent resident visa, they can apply for a work or study visa if their TRP is valid for more than six months.

The TRP has a lengthy application process with multiple documents that must be filled out correctly and an interview that has to be conducted. As the temporary resident permit costs a 200 $CAN per person who applies it is important that all the required documents are correct. One of the very important aspects of the application process for a temporary resident permit is that the regulations for the biometrics, especially the two identical photos, are adhered to. This article is there to help you in creating the ideal image for your TRP application by making sure all the expectations for the biometric photo are fulfilled.

What do you have to consider when taking a photo for your temporary resident permit? 

There are not too many rules, but you need to know them as they must be followed. Remember that your permit photo must meet the following requirements: 

• It must not be older than 6 months 
• It must be a colour picture
• The format of the picture must be 35 mm x 45 mm ( 1 ⅜ x 1 ¾ inches)
• The photo must be sharp and in focus
• Your face must be properly exposed (no shadows)
• The photo must have a white or light background

You also need to know how to pose properly for the picture and how to position your head, which framing is correct and which accessories and objects are allowed or prohibited. We will help you step by step to understand and correctly implement this information. 

Pose and composition 

When you are in front of the camera, remember to keep your head straight and look directly into the lens. You should not be too far or too close to ensure that your entire head and the top of your shoulders are in the frame. The recommended distance is 0.5 m from the background and about 1.5 m from the camera. The permit image must show the entire front of the head (only the en face view is acceptable) and the face must be in the centre of the image. 

Facial expression 

Do not smile in the photo for the temporary resident permit. Maintain a neutral facial expression, with your mouth closed and eyes open. Smiling, frowning and grimacing will disqualify the photo. It is said that a biometric photo looks a bit like a mug shot and we agree with that. But this requirement is demanded to facilitate the process of machine reading photos. Smiling could distort facial recognition, so is not allowed. 

A perfect crop 

The whole head with hair, the neck and possibly the upper part of the shoulders must be visible in the picture. The size of the head (from chin to crown) must be between 27 mm and 36 mm. The recommended distance from the top of the photo and the crown is 3 mm. Does this sound very cumbersome? The good news is that you don't have to remember all these requirements.

Simply select a document on our website (in this case, the Canadian temporary resident permit) and our smart photo tool will automatically crop it according to the official specifications. The process is supported by high quality technology so you don't have to check the dimensions yourself. They will simply be perfect through the programme! 

Quick info on colours 

The rules for colours for your temporary resident permit photo are quite simple: 

1. It must be a coloured image, not a black and white photo. 
2. The background must be white or another light colour. 

There is no recommendation for the colour of clothing, but our tip is to wear a darker top to contrast better with the background. As for the background itself.... read more about it in the next paragraph!

Background with a smart biometric photo tool 

As you already know, the photo background must be white or light, but there are a few more specifications. It must be a solid colour and have no patterns or shadows. No other people or objects must be visible behind you in the picture. In short, you need a professional background! You are probably now asking yourself: is this even possible? Or: how do I remove the background from my temporary resident permit photo?

We know all the answers! You are right: creating a professional background under domestic conditions can be quite difficult. And yet, removing the entire background from the photo and changing its colour scheme is really easy! In fact, all you need to do is download our smart biometric photo app and let it do the job. Artificial intelligence will remove your original image background in a few seconds and you will get a photo with an ideal solid white or light background! 

The best lighting... 

... is always natural light! We advise you to stand or sit about 1.5 - 2 metres from the window when taking the photo. The light on your face must be evenly distributed on both halves of your face for the picture. This way you avoid possible shadows that can disqualify your photo. A torch is not recommended because it can create glare on the skin and the unnatural effect of "red eyes". Apart from making "red eyes" look unattractive, this effect will cause your photo to be rejected for the TRP. Remember that any shadows on your face are undesirable, but even an overexposed photo will not meet the requirements.

Permitted and prohibited items 

The most frequently asked questions about Canadian permit photos concern items that are allowed or prohibited on them. We explain all of this below. 

Glasses 

You are welcome to wear your glasses if you need them. Remember that prescription glasses must not be tinted and make sure your eyes are clearly visible. The frame must not cover any part of your eyes, especially the pupils. Sunglasses are not permitted.

Hairstyle - Wigs and Hair Accessories

Any hair accessory is acceptable as long as it does not alter your normal appearance. Whether you wear a wig or have natural hair, make sure your hair does not cover your face below the eyebrow line. It should also not cover your facial oval. By the way, a beard is allowed in the photo for your temporary resident permit.

Head coverings 

If you wear headgear for religious reasons and it is therefore part of your daily attire, you may wear it in the photo. However, make sure that your whole face is clearly visible and that your facial features are not obscured. 

Even if you like to wear fashionable hats or caps, you may not wear any. Fashionable headgear is not permitted in photographs for the temporary resident permit.

Jewellery and piercings 

There are no specific rules for facial piercings and jewellery, but a key requirement for biometric photos is that such accessories must not obscure your face or blind your skin. If you have a piercing on your face, you do not need to remove it. If you like jewellery, take a few small pieces with you, just to make sure that large earrings or clips do not "touch" your oval facial line.

Clothing 

Generally, you can wear whatever you like on your temporary resident permit photo. However, we recommend choosing something dressy or casual as you will probably be showing your temporary resident permit to other people, but this is absolutely up to you. A good idea is to wear a dark shirt or blouse so that your clothes are easier to see against the light background. We also advise against wearing a tank top if you don't want to look naked in your photo for the Canadian temporary resident permit.

Disqualifying mistakes 

If you want to get your temporary resident permit quickly and without hassle, make sure you are eligible, have filled out the application correctly and have included a biometric photo that meets the requirements. If you don't do it correctly, your application will most likely be rejected and you will have to take pictures again for the TRP. To avoid possible mistakes, check out the list of most common mistakes:

• Tilted head or a non-frontal view 
• Seeing patterns or shadows in the background 
• Smile or grimace distorts the face 
• Gaze not directed directly at the camera 
• Face partially obscured by hair or headgear 
• Glare from eyeglass lenses (consider removing them during the shot) 
• Face not in the centre of the frame

Important things not to do

Remember that your photo for a Canadian temporary resident permit must not be the following: 

• Altered by computer software
• Cropped out of an overall picture
• Bad light (underexposed or overexposed)
• Faded or blurred image 
• Damaged or scratched print 
• Printed on a generic ink printer

Intelligent biometric photo app 

Creating an ideal photo for a Canadian temporary resident permit doesn't have to be expensive or time-consuming. For those who don't want to waste time, we have excellent news: you can take an temporary resident permit picture in 10 seconds and save yourself a big chunk of the cost you would have to pay at a professional photo studio. The biometric Photo Maker is available online and with its help you will be able to:

• resize and crop your photo correctly 
• remove the wrong background and replace it with a suitable one 
• ensure that you get a 100% correct image

Photo check 

As you know, it is essential that the photos you attach to the application form meet the specifications above. If they do not, you will need to produce new photos before your application for an temporary resident permit can be accepted. For this reason, we use artificial intelligence to check the photos created on our website. Every photo you have validated by our tool has a guarantee of acceptance.

You may not be able to remember the right size or the colour of the background, but once you select a preferred document (not just a temporary resident permit, you can also select a passport or driving licence in any country in the world, for example), the technology does the rest. You get a photo of guaranteed best quality, ready to be sent or printed.

No financial risk!  

Still not convinced? Maybe this argument will help you: we guarantee to return your money if the image marked as "correct" is rejected for any reason. Why do we do this? Because it has never happened to us! All our customers are fully satisfied and when they come back to us, it is always just to create a new image for the next document!

Advantages of using the Biometric Photo Maker 

Nowadays, we often tend to do everything formally through the internet. It is a time saving way and also we have learnt to take care of our health in these times. Hence, there is no need to go to the mall for shopping or wait in a long queue in many institutions anymore. Now you can easily create your perfect temporary resident permit photo at your home whenever you have the time and inclination. You don't need to risk your health by leaving the house, and thus avoid catching an infection or wasting your time.

Instead, you have many new opportunities that would not have been possible if you were taking photos in a photo booth or studio. Here are some of them: 

• You can try as many outfits and hairstyles as you want to look perfect in your picture. 
• You can quickly correct your mistakes and only pay for the final correct shot.
• You don't have to take care of a plain, needed background yourself, because it will be cut and replaced in the end anyway 
• You save your money because our prices are much cheaper
• you can create your own picture for an important document when you want, regardless of when a photo studio is open
• no one pressures you for time when taking your photo!

Are you convinced now? We sincerely hope so! We are convinced that our biometric Photo Editor is the best photography assistant you could possibly use!

Photo app for iPhone and Android 

If you are the owner of an iPhone or iPad, simply download our Photo App from the AppStore. For other smartphone manufacturers such as Samsung, LG, Huawei, HTC, Lenovo and Sony, you can download Photo Editor from the Google Play Store. 

Reusable template

Once you have ordered your temporary resident permit photo, you will receive a photo template by email. You can print this out on photo paper at a photo shop near you or attach a digital image when applying online. Since biometric permit photos in many countries usually have the same required size, cropping and composition, you can reuse your temporary resident permit photo for your next trip if needed. And you still only pay once!

Sources:

https://www.canada.ca/fr/immigration-refugies-citoyennete/services/nouveaux-immigrants/carte-rp.html 

https://www.canada.ca/fr/immigration-refugies-citoyennete/services/nouveaux-immigrants/carte-rp/demande-renouvellement-remplacement.html