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Frequently Asked Questions

On May 2, 2006, the Government of Canada announced a reduction of 50 percent in the $975 Right of Permanent Residence Fee. You may be eligible for a refund if you paid the Right of Permanent Residence Fee and you have not become a permanent resident of Canada as of 12:00 a.m. EDT on May 3, 2006.

1. Why are you reducing the Right of Permanent Residence Fee?
2. Who is eligible for refunds?
3. I am the principal applicant on my application for permanent residence in Canada. Does the refund apply to the other people on my application or just to me?
4. How much of the fee will be refunded?
5. If I receive a refund in a country outside of Canada, will the amount of the refund be equal to the amount that I paid above $490 (the new Right of Permanent Residence Fee)? If so, why?
6. I don’t have a bank account yet. Can you issue my refund in cash?
7. Will the processing fee be refunded as well?
8. How do I claim my refund?
9. I have paid the fee and received my visa, but I have not yet travelled to Canada. How will I get my refund?
10. I have paid the fee and received my visa. I have changed my mind and decided not to become a permanent resident of Canada. Am I eligible for a refund? How do I get it?
11. When will I receive my refund?
12. Why do applicants who paid the fee outside of Canada have to request a refund, while those who paid in Canada do not?
13. Is there a deadline by which I must request a refund?
14. How much is the new Right of Permanent Residence Fee?
15. When does the new fee come into effect?
16. Does the reduction in the Right of Permanent Residence Fee mean there will be less money available for programs to help immigrants settle when they arrive in Canada?
17. How many people are eligible to receive a refund?
18. I am now in Canada and have lost the receipt proving I paid the RPRF overseas, how can I obtain my refund?

1: Why are you reducing the Right of Permanent Residence Fee?

Canada values the many contributions that immigrants make to our society and our economy, and the government is taking steps to ease the financial burden of immigrating to Canada.

For this reason, the Right of Permanent Residence Fee is being reduced by 50 percent for immigrants in all social, humanitarian and economic classes.

2: Who is eligible for refunds?

Everyone who paid the $975 Right of Permanent Residence Fee is eligible for a refund if they have not become a permanent resident of Canada as of 12:00 a.m. EDT on May 3, 2006. Immigrants in all social, humanitarian and economic classes are entitled to a refund.

3: I am the principal applicant on my application for permanent residence in Canada. Does the refund apply to the other people on my application or just to me?

The refund applies to the principal applicant and all other applicants who paid the fee and who have not become permanent residents of Canada as of 12:00 a.m. EDT on May 3, 2006.

4: How much of the fee will be refunded?

The amount of the refund will be $485 (Canadian dollars). The refund applies to every person on your application who paid the fee. Due to fluctuations in exchange rates, there may be differences in refund amounts for refunds issued in local currencies outside of Canada.

5: If I receive a refund in a country outside of Canada, will the amount of the refund be equal to the amount that I paid above $490 (the new Right of Permanent Residence Fee)? If so, why?

Refunds are issued in Canadian currency, and then converted into the currency of the country where they are paid. Because of fluctuations in exchange rates, there may be differences in refund amounts for refunds issued in local currencies outside of Canada.

For example, if your currency went down against the Canadian dollar since you paid the Right of Permanent Residence Fee, your refund will be higher than the amount that you paid above $490 (the new Right of Permanent Residence Fee). If your currency went up relative to the Canadian dollar, your refund will be less than the amount that you paid above $490.

6: I don’t have a bank account yet. Can you issue my refund in cash?

Refunds issued in Canada can only be issued by cheque. If you do not already have a bank account, you will have to open one to cash the cheque.

7: Will the processing fee be refunded as well?

Immigrants must still pay a processing fee to become permanent residents. The processing fee is not affected by the reduction in the RPRF.

8: How do I claim my refund?

If you (or your sponsor) paid the fee in Canada

If you or your sponsor paid the fee in Canada, you do not have to request the refund. You will receive it by mail. CIC expects to begin issuing refunds within a few weeks of the effective date and to have issued the majority of them within one year.

If you have moved since you paid the Right of Permanent Residence Fee, you can use our On-line services to notify us of your new address. If you do not have a permanent address, or if you have trouble using our on-line service, please contact the CIC Call Centre at 1 888 242-2100 (only in Canada). There is no charge for this call.

If you paid the fee in another country

If you paid the Right of Permanent Residence Fee in another country before 12:00 a.m. EDT on May 3, 2006, and you have not yet received a visa, you can request a refund from the CIC mission where you paid the fee. If you do not request a refund, you will receive one when your visa is issued.

If you paid the Right of Permanent Residence Fee in another country, and you have received your visa but you have not yet become a permanent resident of Canada as of 12:00 a.m. EDT on May 3, 2006, you can request a refund by completing the necessary form after you become a permanent resident of Canada.

If you have not received a refund before you become a permanent resident, you will be given information on how to request one when you arrive in Canada.

9: I have paid the fee and received my visa, but I have not yet travelled to Canada. How will I get my refund?

If you have already received your visa, but you have not yet become a permanent resident of Canada, you will receive information on how to claim your refund when you arrive in Canada. If you are sponsored, your sponsor is eligible for the refund and does not have to apply for it.

10: I have paid the fee and received my visa. I have changed my mind and decided not to become a permanent resident of Canada. Am I eligible for a refund? How do I get it?

Yes, you are eligible for a refund of the full amount of the Right of Permanent Residence Fee. Contact the CIC mission where you paid the fee. Mission staff will process your request for a refund. In order to receive it, you will have to surrender your visa.

11: When will I receive my refund?

CIC expects to begin issuing refunds within a few weeks of the effective date for applicants or sponsors who paid the Right of Permanent Residence Fee in Canada. The majority of refunds will be issued within one year.

The processing of refunds for applicants who paid the Right of Permanent Residence Fee abroad will begin as soon as possible. The time required to issue refunds to individuals who paid the Right of Permanent Residence Fee abroad will vary depending on individual circumstances.

12: Why do applicants who paid the fee outside of Canada have to request a refund, while those who paid in Canada do not?

CIC can process in-Canada refunds quite efficiently through its centralized departmental records, without needing specific requests. Overseas, however, centralized systems are not available and refunds will be based on requests to the mission where the fee was paid. If an applicant does not request a refund, the refund will be issued at the same time as the visa.

If you applied from abroad and you have not received a refund before you become a permanent resident, you will receive information on how to request a refund when you arrive in Canada.

13: Is there a deadline by which I must request a refund?

There is no deadline to request a refund. As long as you can show that you paid the $975 Right of Permanent Residence Fee, and that you did not become a permanent resident of Canada until after 12:00 a.m. EDT on May 3, 2006, you are entitled to a refund.

14: How much is the new Right of Permanent Residence Fee?

The new Right of Permanent Residence Fee is $490 for immigrants in all social, humanitarian and economic classes. Refugees, protected persons and dependent children of the principal applicant are exempt from the fee.

15: When does the new fee come into effect?

The change came into effect at 12:00 a.m. EDT on May 3, 2006.

16: Does the reduction in the Right of Permanent Residence Fee mean there will be less money available for programs to help immigrants settle when they arrive in Canada?

No. There is no link between revenues generated by the Right of Permanent Residence Fee and settlement funding.

17: How many people are eligible to receive a refund?

Approximately 185,000 people who have paid the fee but who have not yet become permanent residents of Canada as of 12:00 a.m. EDT on May 3, 2006, are eligible for a refund.

18: I am now in Canada and have lost the receipt proving I paid the RPRF overseas, how can I obtain my refund?

You should submit the application for the refund and inform CIC that the receipt for payment was lost. In instances where immigrants have lost their receipt, CIC will verify the payment information directly from their file.