How to Withdraw Your Application for Family Sponsorship?

Canadian citizens and permanent residents are eligible for sponsorship for their family members whom they wish to bring to live with them in Canada. Spouses, common-law partners, children, and parents are some of the relationships covered under the family sponsorship program.

Family sponsorship is one of the best ways to enter Canada to unite families and households by offering a chance to obtain permanent residency status to applicants, provided that they meet the basic requirements under immigration law.

If you need to withdraw your application for family sponsorship for any reason, the Canadian Immigration authorities do allow this under specific guidelines. Sponsorships can be cancelled for any of the following reasons:

Divorce
Legal separation
A breakdown in the relationship between sponsor and sponsor applicant
Other personal reason that must be stated in the withdrawal form

If you have lodged an application for sponsorship and need information on how to withdraw it, you will need to complete a cancellation request form, which you can find here. You will need to provide details of your application and a copy of your electronic payment receipt. This request can only be made if the review process of your sponsorship has yet to start. You may check the status of your application with the use of this portal.

Sponsorship applications should not be taken lightly, and as such, if you change your mind during the process, the immigration authorities cannot guarantee that you can be refunded for your application expenses. Below are some frequently asked questions regarding cancellation requests:

Can sponsorship applications be cancelled after permanent residency is granted?

If Canadian Immigration receives your cancellation request after permanent residency status is granted, the sponsorship cannot be withdrawn.

Will my fees be refunded?

If the application review has not yet begun, then you can expect to receive a full refund for your application. You can expect a partial refund of C$75 for the sponsorship fee if processing has started.

If the review for permanent residency for the sponsored applicant has begun, you cannot expect to receive the C$75 refund, but all other processing fees will be refunded.

Should the permanent residency application already be in process, unfortunately, you will not be eligible to refund the C$490 permanent residency fee.

There will be no refund if the entire application is denied.

What happens if my withdrawal request is denied?

Any withdrawal request should take into account that the action may reflect poorly on the sponsorship applicant. If the withdrawal is denied, immigration authorities may still view the sponsor as unwilling to fulfill their obligations, and as such, reject the applicant from obtaining permanent resident status.

Can a sponsored person appeal a withdrawal?

Withdrawal requests will only be entertained if there is no decision yet on the granting of permanent residency status. No, a sponsorship applicant may not appeal to the withdrawal request.

Final Note

If a decision on permanent residency has already been made by the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) department, then withdrawal requests will no longer be entertained. Sponsors are hereby bound to abide by their obligations of Family Sponsorship, namely, to support them financially and ensure they do not require social assistance from the government. For more information and assistance, consult a Canada immigration agency who can guide you through the intricacies of your particular case.

If you’re looking for professional help from a trusted firm, please contact our Canadian immigration consultants at info@brightimmigration.com or call 1-888-404-8472