Important Update: Refund for pre 2008 applicants

We have just received an email from FSWFeeReturn@cic.gc.ca in response to our inquiry regarding the refund on processing fee for applicants who filed their application prior to February 2008.  

This applies to all applicants from the Philippines. 

 For those who is not familiar with this Canada has ruled that applicants who applied for a Permanent Residents Visa prior to February 27, 2008 under the old processing system, will have their applications returned and filing fee refunded by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada. 

 This was published in the Canadian Immigration and Citizenship website in the last quarter of 2012. Together with this publication, they sent a check refund for that was for the applicant to fill out.  We have waited since then for the result of the refund until we got a message from the Centralized Intake office, the entity that handles the funds of the Canadian Government.

This message is in response to your inquiry about the return of the immigration fees paid in relation to your FSW application to immigrate to Canada.

    Most fees are being returned in the form of a cheque from the Receiver General of Canada.  However, as a result of banking restrictions on foreign cheques in your country of residence, you will not be able to cash a Receiver General cheque issued from Canada.  Alternative payment options are currently being investigated by CIC.

    In the mean time, the only payment option available to you is to request that fees be returned to someone else who is not residing in your country of residence.   If you choose this option, please complete another “Return of Processing Fee, Right of Permanent Residence Fee or Right of Landing Fee” form at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM5741E.pdf and designate an alternate payee.  The form must be signed by the principal applicant for CIC to proceed with the payee change.

    Fees will be returned in the appropriate currency known to be accepted in the recipient’s country of residence.  The exchange rate will be calculated on the date of the fee return.            

    We sincerely apologize for the inconveniences of the delays you are experiencing and are doing our best to expedite the fee return process.

    Thank You,
    Citizenship and Immigration Canada

If you are one of those waiting for the refund from CIO, this explains the delay.  If you know someone in Canada whom you can trust, you may designate them to expedite the process. You can download the said form at the Canadian government website cic.gc.ca or by clicking this link:
 
Return of fees pre February 2008 appplicants