Canadian immigration fee refunds

Most people who pay an IRCC fee don't get it back. The processing fee is for the work of reviewing your application — refused applications are still reviewed, so the fee is gone either way. But there are specific cases where IRCC doesissue refunds, and there are scams that pretend to. Here's the actual rule.

Fees IRCC will refund

IRCC issues automatic refunds in a small set of cases:

Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) on a refused PR application. The RPRF is CAD $575. If your PR application is refused, IRCC refunds it automatically. You don't need to ask. The processing fee is not refunded.
Withdrawn application before a decision is made. If you formally withdraw an application before IRCC has started processing it, you may get the processing fee back. Once review begins, the fee is forfeit.
Duplicate payment. If the same fee was paid twice for the same application, IRCC refunds the duplicate.
Open Work Permit Holder fee paid in error — this is a CAD $100 fee that some applicants pay when they shouldn't have. Refunded if claimed.
Biometric fee if you were exempt and paid it anyway, or if you've given biometrics in the last 10 years and your fingerprints are still on file.

Fees IRCC will NOT refund

Processing fees on refused applications. The fee paid for the assessment, not the outcome.
Right of Citizenship Fee if you fail the test or back out of the ceremony.
Visa fees for visitor visas, study permits, and work permits, even if your application is refused.
Permanent Residence fees after a decision is made — refused or approved.
Biometric fees if you submitted biometrics, even on a refused application.

How to actually request a refund

For automatic refunds (refused PR with RPRF, duplicate payment), IRCC processes them automatically. Refund timeline is usually 30–60 days from the decision letter, returning to the original payment method.

For non-automatic cases (withdrawn application, fee paid in error), you submit a refund request through the IRCC web form on canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/contact-ircc/web-form.html. Include your application number, payment receipt, and reason. Response usually comes within 60 days.

If you've been scammed

Refund scams are common. Patterns to watch for:

Anyone calling, emailing, or messaging you saying they're "from IRCC" and asking you to pay a fee to claim a refund. IRCC never asks for payment to issue a refund.
Websites that look like canada.ca but charge $50–$300 to "process" an eTA or visa application that is actually $7 directly from IRCC. These aren't illegal but they're a waste of money. Report misleading sites to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Anyone offering to "guarantee" an immigration outcome for a fee. Both refusals and approvals depend on IRCC's assessment, not the consultant's persuasion.

If you've sent money to a fraudulent site or person, report it to:

Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: 1-888-495-8501 or antifraudcentre.ca
Your bank or credit card issuer — most will reverse the charge if reported within 60–120 days.
The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) if a registered consultant is involved: college-ic.ca.

If you paid an unauthorised representative

Only licensed RCICs (consultants registered with CICC), Canadian lawyers in good standing with a provincial law society, and Quebec notaries can charge for immigration advice. Anyone else is operating illegally. You can usually get a refund through your bank's chargeback process and report the unlicensed practice through the CICC complaint portal.

For most straightforward applications you don't need to hire anyone. The IRCC instruction guides on canada.ca/immigration are accurate and free. Our form walkthroughs add plain-English explanations.

What this site does and doesn't do

IRCC.com is an independent news and information site. We don't collect application fees, we don't process applications, and we don't take payments for immigration services. We have no refund policy because we don't charge for anything. If someone has billed you saying they're from IRCC.com, that's fraud — please report it to seo@ircc.com and to the Anti-Fraud Centre.

IRCC.com is an independent news site and not affiliated with the Government of Canada. For official forms and case-specific guidance, see canada.ca/immigration.