Are you eligible for a refund?

The Government of Canada has announced the lowering of the Right of Permanent Residence or Right of Landing fee by 50 percent from $975 to $490.
This reduction took effect May 3, 2006. A refund of up to $485 applies to every person who paid the fee but has not received permanent residence at this same date. Due to fluctuations in exchange rates, there may be differences in refund amounts for refunds issued in local currencies outside of Canada.

You are eligible for a refund if:

• You paid the $975 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

If you are eligible and you or your sponsor paid the fee in Canada you will obtain your refund as follows:

• If you or your sponsor paid the $975 fee in Canada, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will issue a refund to you. You do not have to request it, you will receive it by mail.
• If you applied under the family class, the permit holder class or the live-in caregiver class, or if you applied for permanent residence in Canada on humanitarian or compassionate grounds, you or your sponsor are eligible for a refund.
• If you moved since you paid the Right of Permanent Residence Fee, you can use CIC on-line services or contact them at 1-888-242-2100 to notify them of your new address.

To obtain a refund if you (or your sponsor) 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 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 a refund when your visa is issued.
• If you paid the Right of Permanent Residence Fee in another country, and you have received your visa but have not yet become a permanent resident of Canada by 12:00 am. EDT on May 3, 2006 you can request a refund after you become a permanent resident of Canada.

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

While news of the reduction of landing fee is welcome, it still does not respond to the original demand to eliminate it and the steep processing fee of $550 altogether. INTERCEDE has always opposed the landing fee as unfair to refuges and new immigrants, particularly to those, like caregivers, who have few resources and come to Canada to fill a labour need. They should not be "penalized" with such a burdensome fee which is reminiscent of the "head tax" against Chinese immigrants of earlier times.