How do I withdraw my application for family sponsorship?

You may want to withdraw your application for family sponsorship for various reasons.

The IRCC allows you to make the withdrawal but there are some rules and guidelines that you must follow.

How to withdraw your application

Proper timing is key to successfully withdrawing your family sponsorship application. This must be done before the sponsored relative receives their permanent residence as a result of the sponsorship. Visit the IRCC website and submit your withdrawal request by filling a web form. You will be required to fill in details such as your name, date of birth, date that the application was submitted, the type of application and reason for withdrawal.

Why family sponsorship applications are withdrawn

Family sponsorship applications can be withdrawn for several reasons. For instance, the sponsored applicant may have already received permanent residence hence the need to withdraw the application. Applicants may withdraw applications for other personal reasons such as divorce or when the sponsor believes that his/her relationship with the sponsored relative has broken down. Before submitting your application, ensure that you have read all the terms and understood your obligations as a sponsor.

Should you expect a refund?

The amount of refund you should expect, if any, will depend on where the application process had reached.

• Expect to receive all the fees back if processing of the sponsor’s application has not started.
• If the sponsor’s application processing had started, expect to receive C$75 back. This will represent the amount of sponsorship fee that you paid for this part of the application.
• If the sponsor’s application had already been processed but the application for permanent resident card of the sponsor had not started, you will not get the C$75 back. All the other fees that were paid during the sponsorship application will be refunded by the IRCC.
• If the sponsor’s application had already been completed and the application for permanent residence had also started, then you will not receive a refund of the right of permanence residence fee of C$490.
• If the application was denied, you will not get any refund back.

Ideally, if the immigration officer has not reviewed the application, you should be able to withdraw without any financial penalty. The sponsored person cannot appeal the withdrawal of an application if no decision was made regarding his permanent residence application. Withdrawal requests are only accepted when a final decision has not been made.
However, even if a withdrawal request is denied, the IRCC may still consider it as an indication that the sponsor is not willing to fulfill their obligations. This can in turn lead to the sponsored person being denied a permanent resident status. For this reason, any withdrawals of sponsorships should never be taken lightly.
Applications for family sponsorship cannot be cancelled if the sponsored relative has already been granted permanent residency before the withdrawal request is received by the IRCC. In this case, you will be required to fulfill the sponsorship obligations.