Right of permanent residence fee (RPRF) loans

This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.

Applicable forms to use:

The objective of the right of permanent residence fee (RPRF) loan is to provide financial assistance to foreign nationals, to cover the cost of the RPRF when seeking permanent residence for themselves, their family dependants or both, as well as to Canadian citizens seeking a loan on behalf of a beneficiary. Refugees and members of the humanitarian-protected persons abroad class are exempt from paying the RPRF.

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Required documents

The Right of Permanent Residence Loan, Transportation Loan, Admissibility Loan form [IMM 0500] may be used to approve an RPRF loan, along with the Terms and Conditions of Loan form [IMM 0502].

The RPRF loan may be processed in conjunction with the transportation loan, for the permanent residence of family dependants of family-class foreign nationals to be processed abroad.

Timelines for approving the RPRF loan

There is no legislative timeline to determine when an RPRF loan application that has been approved in principle by the department ceases to be valid.

To encourage a loan applicant to submit their application for permanent residence expeditiously, following the approval in principle of an RPRF loan, the validity of the approval in principle for the RPRF loan is administratively set at 180 days.

A designated officer at an immigration office in Canada may use discretion and continue to honour a loan approved in principle by the Case Processing Centre in Edmonton (CPC-E) without re-evaluating the person’s financial status if the loan applicant presents themselves for permanent residence up to 90 days after the 180-day administrative timeline mentioned above.

In-Canada clients – Processing the RPRF loan at the Case Processing Centre in Edmonton (CPC-E)

When an RPRF loan application is received at the CPC-E, a designated officer reviews the loan application and determines if it should be approved in principle, refused or returned to the client.

The designated officer notifies the client that the loan application has been approved or explains why it has been refused or returned.

The designated officer enters the appropriate code into the case processing centre system, indicating if the loan application has been approved, refused or returned.

When a loan is approved in principle, the designated officer inserts the code “LLA” for “right of landing loan approved” in the “Remarks” section of the Confirmation of Permanent Residence form [IMM 5292B] before it is electronically forwarded to the appropriate immigration office for permanent residence. This assists officers in identifying clients who have requested a loan at the time of permanent residence and allows officers to take the necessary steps to process these clients.

The following are other codes that may be entered in the “Remarks” section of the Confirmation of Permanent Residence form [IMM 5292B] for in-Canada clients:

  • LFC – RPRF paid in Canada
  • LFN – RPRF not applicable (for subsection 295(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) applications for permanent residence, Convention refugees and members of the humanitarian-protected persons abroad class)
  • LFD – RPRF payment required before the person can become a permanent resident

In-Canada clients with family members abroad – Finalizing the RPRF loan agreement at the immigration office in Canada

When an in-Canada loan applicant is ready to be a permanent resident, the immigration office in Canada contacts the loan applicant for an interview and provides loan counselling, explaining the applicant’s obligations according to the Terms and Conditions of Loan form [IMM 0502] (PDF, 1.16MB) to be included with the Right of Permanent Residence Loan, Transportation Loan, Admissibility Loan form [IMM 0500].

Once the loan applicant has been counselled, both the applicant and the designated officer must sign both documents, and the Terms and Conditions of Loan form [IMM 0502] should be uploaded to the Global Case Management (GCMS) application.

The designated officer then enters the code “T1031” into the case processing centre system, indicating that the RPRF loan agreement has been signed.

Sponsors of family class members – Finalizing the RPRF loan agreement at the immigration office in Canada

There are 2 steps required to finalize the RPRF loan agreement at the immigration office in Canada.

Step 1: At the CPC-E

In the case of an undertaking of assistance for sponsorship, the RPRF loan undergoes a 2-step process. The first step requires the CPC-E to approve the loan in principle and to notify the sponsor that they will be contacted by the immigration office in Canada for an interview.

The immigration office in Canada contacts the sponsor for an interview and provides loan counselling, explaining the sponsor’s obligations according to the Terms and Conditions of Loan form [IMM 0502], to be included with the Right of Permanent Residence Loan, Transportation Loan, Admissibility Loan form [IMM 0500].

Once the sponsor has been counselled, both the sponsor and a designated officer must sign the loan agreement. The sponsor must sign the loan agreement before submitting an undertaking of assistance to the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M).

The designated officer creates a note in the system to indicate that the RPRF loan agreement has been signed on behalf of the family dependants living abroad.

The designated officer provides copies 2 and 3 of the signed Right of Permanent Residence Loan, Transportation Loan, Admissibility Loan form [IMM 0500] and a copy of the Terms and Conditions of Loan form [IMM 0502] to the sponsor.

Step 2: At the CPC-M

The second step requires the sponsor to submit a completed IMM 1344EA form, Application to Sponsor and Undertaking, with copy 3 (file copy) of the signed IMM 0500 to CPC Mississauga. The sponsor may keep copy 2 of the signed IMM 0500 for their own records.

Forwarding copies of the Right of Permanent Residence Loan, Transportation Loan, Admissibility Loan form [IMM 0500] to National Headquarters (NHQ) Finance

IRCC Loans and Accounts Receivable ensures that the loan account is established, the payment of the RPRF loan is initiated and a refund is provided to the loan applicant who has been refused admission to Canada.

For the application for permanent residence received in Canada, upon receipt of a copy of the signed loan agreement; Right of Permanent Residence Loan, Transportation Loan, Admissibility Loan form [IMM 0500]; and signed Terms and Conditions of Loan form [IMM 0502], IRCC Loans and Accounts Receivable establishes an RPRF loan account in the Immigration Program Accounts Receivable (IPAR) system. Finance initiates billing of the loan account after verifying that the loan applicant is a permanent resident.

When the RPRF loan is requested for family members living abroad, loan accounts for the sponsor’s family dependants are established under the name of the sponsor, once the dependants become permanent residents. IRCC Loans and Accounts Receivable establishes the RPRF loan account under the name of the sponsor and initiates billing under the name of the sponsor upon receiving copy 1 of the signed Right of Permanent Residence Loan, Transportation Loan, Admissibility Loan form [IMM 0500] from the appropriate immigration office.

RPRF refunds – Refused undertakings of assistance

The RPRF is refunded to the loan applicant who has paid the fee but has not successfully established permanent residence in Canada. An unused foreign national visa can be returned for a refund of the RPRF.

The RPRF should not be confused with processing fees (that is, cost-recovery fees) for immigration services. There is no loan option for cost-recovery fees.

If an undertaking of assistance for sponsorship submitted by a sponsor has been refused or cancelled, the sponsor has the right to request an appeal of the decision from the Immigration Appeal Division (IAD).

The migration office is responsible for notifying the sponsor in writing when a family class sponsorship has been refused or cancelled and also for informing the sponsor of their right to appeal the decision.

The migration office is required to notify the CPC-M to either refund the RPRF or cancel the loan agreement for sponsors who are not seeking to appeal the decision and for sponsors whose appeals have been dismissed. A copy of the written request for an RPRF refund and, if applicable, the IAD decision to uphold the refusal are forwarded by the sponsor to the CPC-M.

The same procedures for refunding the RPRF apply if the undertaking of assistance is withdrawn by the sponsor.

Procedures for processing RPRF refunds also apply to a foreign national who, upon arriving at a Canadian port of entry (POE) with a completed Right of Permanent Residence Loan, Transportation Loan, Admissibility Loan form [IMM 0500], is reported inadmissible and is subject to a removal order and, if appealed, the decision to remove the foreign national has been upheld by the IAD.

Establishing a client file at National Headquarters (NHQ) Records

The case processing centres, immigration offices in Canada, migration offices, International Organization for Migration (IOM) and loan applicants forward all original copies of loan agreements established for each loan applicant to IRCC Loans and Accounts Receivable. After reviewing received loan agreements, Finance forwards the documentation to Information Management (IM) Records, National Headquarters (NHQ). Records establishes a loan applicant file (that is, a “TL” file), which bears the loan agreement number and the full name of the loan applicant. The loan applicant file includes the original copies of the signed loan agreements (the Right of Permanent Residence Loan, Transportation Loan, Admissibility Loan form [IMM 0500] and Terms and Conditions of Loan form [IMM 0502]) and any correspondence dealing with the loan request.

Procedures for all loans

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