Filipino Association of Goose Bay-Labrador welcomes biometrics services coming to Happy Valley-Goose Bay

Erma Nardon, president of the Filipino Association of Goose Bay-Labrador, told CBC that federal plans to open a biometrics collection site in Happy Valley-Goose Bay in 2027 will be a huge relief for newcomers who now travel out of Labrador to give fingerprints and a photograph.

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Federal plans to bring biometrics collection services to Happy Valley-Goose Bay will be a "huge relief" for newcomers in Labrador, Filipino Association of Goose Bay-Labrador president Erma Nardon told CBC News, which reported her comments on 19 October.

Most people seeking immigration to Canada need to provide biometrics, which are fingerprints and a photograph. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador said in a 7 October release that biometrics services in the province are currently available in St. John's, so people elsewhere have to travel to provide them. Federal Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced that services are on track to become available in Happy Valley-Goose Bay in 2027.

Nardon told CBC Radio's Labrador Morning that having the service closer to home "removes a significant financial burden for the newcomers." She said the process means taking time off work and paying for flights to places like St. John's or Halifax, along with accommodation and meals, for an appointment that usually takes 15 minutes.

Nardon, who is now a Canadian citizen, credited Labrador MP Philip Earle, saying the Filipino community met with him during his election campaign and raised the lack of biometrics services as a major concern. "He listened to our concerns and made sure that our voices were heard at the federal level," she said.

Labrador Affairs Minister Lela Evans said in the provincial release that the service "will save individuals time and money while making immigration services more accessible."