Immigration Loans Program
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
The Immigration Loans Program (ILP) provides eligible immigrants—that is, mainly refugees selected for resettlement to Canada—with access to loans to cover costs they would otherwise be unable to cover. These Program Delivery Instructions (PDIs) are intended for the designated officers authorized to issue ILP loans, and for other ILP implementing partners, both internal and external to IRCC.
On this page
- Types of ILP loans
- Eligibility for an ILP loan
- RAP contributions for exceptionally high-needs resettled refugees
- Repayment of loans
- Glossary
Types of ILP loans
There are 4 types of ILP loans:
| ILP loan | What it can cover |
|---|---|
| Loan for Transportation to Canada | Cost of transportation from outside Canada to the airport closest to the final destination in Canada, and associated costs |
| In-Canada Transportation Loan | Cost of accommodation and/or ground transportation while in transit from the port of entry to the final destination in Canada |
| Assistance Loan | Costs linked to the initial establishment in Canada and/or access to the labour market |
| Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) Loan | Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) |
Each ILP loan has its own terms and conditions that appear in the loan agreement. Loan recipients have only 1 ILP loan account, even if they have more than 1 type of immigration loan.
The Assistance Loan is the only ILP loan that is offered in the form of monetary assistance. For all other ILP loans, costs are covered on behalf of the loan recipient and then added to their ILP loan account.
Eligibility for an ILP loan
Generally, ILP loan recipients are refugees resettled to Canada, that is: Government-Assisted Refugees (GAR), Privately Sponsored Refugees (PSR), Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) clients, and Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) clients. Loans are also available to clients selected for permanent residence under the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot.
Some clients selected under a temporary public policy for permanent residence may be offered loans. When this applies, specific instructions on how to apply for loans will be included in the application guide.
The ILP may be a lender of last resort for other categories of clients applying for permanent residence. These applicants must provide proof they were denied access to a loan from a traditional lending institution, such as a bank. Loans are approved on the basis of the applicant’s need and ability to repay the loan.
Canadian citizens and permanent residents may apply for a loan on behalf of a beneficiary. According to section 288 of the IRPR, a loan recipient’s beneficiary can be
- their spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner
- their dependent child, or the dependent child of their spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner
- other people in a dependent relationship with the loan recipient
See PDIs on the Assistance Loan and the In-Canada Transportation Loan for additional eligibility criteria specific to these types of loans.
Minors
In the context of these Program Delivery Instructions, a person under the age of 18 is referred to as a minor.
For all loan types under the ILP, the parent or intended guardian of a minor should sign the loan agreement. This includes minors who are de facto dependants (DFD), minors who are selected under the one-year window of opportunity provision (OYW), or minors who are joining an adult relative who intends to care for them in Canada.
In exceptional circumstances only, minors who are not travelling with their parent or intended guardian, or who are joining their parent or intended guardian in Canada, (such as a minor client selected with their own Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) application) may sign an ILP agreement. Officers reviewing such cases should contact the Loans Team to confirm the correct approach for loan agreement signature.
Adult principal applicant (PA) unable to act on their own behalf
For cases involving an adult principal applicant (PA) unable to act on their own behalf due to a mental health condition, cognitive impairment or physical disability, designated officers should contact the Loans Team for guidance on how to issue loans for these clients.
Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) contributions for exceptionally high-needs resettled refugees
Through RAP, IRCC may pay for transportation costs, transportation-related costs and/or initial settlement costs on behalf of exceptionally high-needs resettled refugees, rather than having them repay these costs through a loan under the ILP.
For more information, see RAP contributions for exceptionally high-needs resettled refugees
Repayment of loans
The repayment terms for ILP loans have been designed to reduce the financial burden on loan recipients:
- payments begin 12 months after they are issued
- monthly instalments are minimized and the loan repayment terms span between 3 to 8 years, depending on the total ILP loan amount
- ILP loans are interest-free
For more information, see Repayment of loans
Glossary
- Agency: Refers to an agency other than the International Organization for Migration(IOM) identified by IRCC to provide movement assistance.
- Beneficiary: According to paragraph 288(c) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), a beneficiary notably includes a person who, at the time of their application for a permanent resident visa, or their application to remain in Canada as a permanent resident, is in a relationship of dependency with the loan recipient by virtue of being cared for by or receiving emotional and financial support from the loan recipient.
- Loan recipient: Individual who is accessing a loan on behalf of themselves, themselves and their beneficiaries, or their beneficiaries only. They are responsible for repaying the loan.
- Loan recipients: Refers to both the loan recipient and the co-signer combined.
- Co-signer: An individual who chooses to co-sign the loan agreement. The co-signer becomes responsible for the loan if the loan recipient does not repay it.
- Designated officer: Officer of the Government of Canada who has the authority to issue an ILP loan to a loan recipient.
- Intended guardian: The adult who will be responsible for the minor in Canada. This term is used as IRCC does not confer guardianship. The legal guardianship process may only be initiated through the provincial or territorial courts after a minor’s arrival in Canada.
- Minor: Individual under the age of 18. This definition applies regardless of where in Canada or outside of Canada the loan recipient(s) sign(s) the agreement and where the beneficiary(ies) is(are) located.
- RAP-eligible travellers: Refers to travellers who are eligible to receive Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) supports as per section 4A of the RAP Terms and Conditions.
- RAP-ineligible travellers: Refers to travellers who are ineligible to receive RAP supports as per section 4A of the RAP Terms and Conditions.
- Resettlement clients: Refers to Government-Assisted Refugees (GAR), Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) clients, Privately Sponsored Refugees (PSR) and Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) clients.
- Spouse: Refers to the loan recipient’s spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner.
- Travellers: The persons for whom travel costs are incurred, that is, the loan recipient(s) only, the loan recipient(s) and their beneficiaries OR the loan recipient’s beneficiaries only.