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In depth
Biometrics are the physical identifiers — fingerprints, photographs, signatures — collected by some authorities as part of the CBD application process. They are most commonly required for passport issuance (after citizenship is recognized) rather than for the citizenship application itself.
For CBD cases, biometrics are typically required when: (1) applying for a passport after citizenship recognition (most countries), (2) filing certain naturalization applications (US N-400, Canadian citizenship application), and (3) registering at certain consulates (Italian AIRE registration does not require biometrics, but passport applications do).
Biometrics are typically collected at the consulate, embassy, or designated application support center. The process takes 15-30 minutes and the biometrics are valid for a certain period (e.g., 10 years for US passport applications).
Related terms
The oath of allegiance is the formal declaration of loyalty to a state that a new citizen makes as the final step in acquiring citizenship.
Consular filing is the process of submitting a citizenship application through the country's consulate in the applicant's country of residence, rather than through a court or ministry in the country of origin.
A retainer is a formal agreement between a client and a lawyer establishing the scope of legal services and the fee arrangement, required before Ancestra begins work on a CBD case.
An engagement letter is a written agreement specifying the terms of legal services, synonymous with retainer in CBD practice.
A fixed fee is a flat-rate pricing model where the total cost of legal services is agreed in advance, in contrast to hourly billing, used by Ancestra for all CBD cases.
A conflict check is the process of verifying that a lawyer can represent a client without a conflict of interest, performed before Ancestra accepts a new CBD case.