Immigration Refunds!!

The new Conservative government’s budget made quite the splash in May – the GST was cut and a series of tax credits were introduced. Barely competing for headlines with the glamour of the tax breaks was a small gift to new Canadians – a reduction in the Right of Permanent Residence Fee from $975 to $490.

This fee is payable by principal applicants (with some exceptions) and accompanying spouses and common-law partners. It must be paid before the immigrant visa is issued overseas or before the applicant becomes a permanent resident in Canada.The following applicants are not required to pay this fee:
dependent children of a principal applicant or sponsor, a child to be adopted, or an orphaned brother, sister, niece, nephew or grandchild; and
protected persons, including Convention refugees.

And for those who have already paid the fee up front, but haven’t been landed yet? You get a refund of the difference - $485!

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.
How do you claim the refund? Simple. According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s website, 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 and to have issued the majority of them within one year. Be sure to update your address with CIC if you have moved, so they know where to send the cheque.

If you paid the fee outside of Canada 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 outside of Canada, 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 forms easily found of CIC’s website.
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.

The financial burden of applying and moving one’s family is difficult enough as it is. With a few extra dollars in hand, moving to Canada becomes that much easier. Many observers agree that it is about time that the fee often thought of as a cash grab by the government be returned to those who need it most.