ARCHIVED – Operational Bulletins 153 – September 1, 2009

This Operational Bulletin has expired.

Credit Card Payment Option for Applications for Permanent Residence in the Federal Skilled Worker Class

Purpose

The purpose of this operational bulletin is to provide notice of the upcoming implementation of a new payment option to applicants in the federal skilled worker (FSW) class.

Background

All applicants for permanent resident visas in the FSW class currently mail their applications with proof of payment to the Centralized Intake Office (CIO) in Sydney, Nova Scotia. The payment options currently available to applicants are a certified Canadian bank instrument or, for residents of certain countries, payment at the responsible visa office.

Notice

As of September 8, 2009, Citizenship and Immigration Canada will offer FSW applicants the option of paying by credit card. Those applying for permanent residence in the FSW class on or after September 8, 2009, will be required to submit a fee payment form [IMM 5620] for all forms of payment along with their application to the CIO. If the applicants choose to pay by credit card, they will be required to enter the credit card information at the bottom of the form.

With the introduction of this new payment option, some visa offices will no longer accept FSW processing fees at the mission.

The FSW application guide and visa office-specific forms are being updated to this effect. Form IMM 5620 will be included in the FSW application guide and will be an added item on the document checklist, IMM 5612.

Note: The option to pay by credit card is only open to FSW applicants. If an IMM 5620 fee payment form is received by a Case Processing Centre or a visa office for any other type of application, return the application and payment form to the applicant with instructions to consult the appropriate application guide or visa office website.