In some cases, the authorities might deny citizenship to certain applicants. These individuals would get a refund of Canada Right of Citizenship Fee (ROCF) once the 180-day waiting period has ended. However, they would only get this refund if they have not filed any appeal. In case they file an appeal, they would only get a refund once the authorities deny the appeal. As such, these individuals would not obtain a refund if the authorities allow the appeal and the applicants become Canadian citizens.

The Time for Processing Refunds

It would take approximately one to three months from the time the Case Processing Centre in Sydney receives the file for processing a Right of Citizenship Fee (ROCF) refund. This is in addition to the six-month holding period i.e. the 180-day waiting period) at the local office for the non-approved files. The officers would be able to send withdrawn applications immediately to the Case Processing Centre in Sydney for a refund. The officers would typically mail the refunds to the payer on file.

The Application Processing Fee

Generally, the officers do not provide a refund of the application processing fee for either grants or proofs. They would only refund the application processing fee if:

• The applicant dies before a citizenship official made a decision or,
• The applicant applied for a grant or proof of citizenship on the basis of incorrect information given by officials of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)
• In this scenario, the applicant would need to provide the relevant documentation that supports the error

No Fee for Minors, No Refund

The authorities do not levy any Right of Citizenship Fee (ROCF) on a minor’s application. As such, they would not provide any refunds for applications made on the behalf of minors for whom the authorities have refused to provide citizenship. Similarly, the officers would not refund the processing fee for applications made by or on behalf of minors if the authorities refuse to grant citizenship to the minor’s parent. It is worth mentioning that in case the authorities refuse to provide citizenship to the parents of the minor, the officers cannot:

• Hold the application processing fee for minors pending a new application by a parent or,
• Credit the application processing fee for minors towards a subsequent application

The Decision Making Process

If the authorities refuse the application, then the Case Processing Centre Sydney would need to automatically initiate the refund after the regulatory 180-day period, if the applicants have not filed any appeal.

• If the client files an appeal, then the Case Processing Centre Sydney would only refund the fee if the authorities deny the appeal
• If the client has no intention of appealing, the client can request a refund before the 180-day period by writing to the designated local Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) office

In some situations, parents and a minor might apply at the same time. The authorities might not approve the parent’s application. In this scenario, the authorities would not refund the processing fee for the child’s application even if the parents were to withdraw the child’s application.

Clients wanting to withdraw the application would need to make a withdrawal request in writing to the responsible office. Only then would the authorities be able to initiate a refund.

Officers would need to provide a refund if the applicant dies before the authorities make a decision or issue a proof certificate. In this scenario, the refund request would typically need to come from a spouse or common-law partner (CLP), a parent or an executor. The applicant submitting the refund request would need to include a copy of the death certificate along with the refund request. The officers would typically pay the refund to the applicant’s estate.

Similarly, the officers would need to provide a refund when the applicant applies for a proof or a grant of citizenship on the basis of receiving incorrect information from officials of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). However, in this scenario, the applicant would need to provide the relevant documentation supporting the error. Thereafter, the authorities would process the refund once Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) confirms that it’s officials have provided incorrect information to the applicant.

 Source: CIC