Below is all the info that I've put together from the CIC site and this site about RPRF. Hope it helps. If you have more to add, please let me know and I'll put it all together to help out the next person who has questions about it.
I highly recommend that you pay the RPRF fee before you get the letter saying to pay it. It may save you a lot of time. If at all possible pay it at the very beginning when you pay your other fees.
The reason why mine was rejected was because my husband paid it with a regular old check.
How should I pay:
It must be paid online through CIC or from a financial institution. Do not send cash or personal checks.
1) To pay online: https://services3.cic.gc.ca/epayweb/Welcome.do?&lang=en
Note: The online payment will not allow me to pick Buffalo, so pick Mississauga.
-Send the receipt that they email you to Mississauga.
2) If you cannot or do not want to pay online, you must get an original receipt of payment form IMM 5401 so you can pay at a financial institution (such as a bank or Western Union). This form is not available online, so you must order an original receipt by mail.
-You must send a copy of this receipt to Mississauga.
-To order the form:
http://services3.cic.gc.ca/kmsweb/introinit.do?dispatch=introinit&language=en&appno=5401
3) If you are unable to or do not wish to use this order form, you may also order by contacting the Call Centre at 1-888-242-2100.
Common Questions:
Who do I pay?
-iarblue wrote on July 3 2010: Mississauga you always pay Mississauga, even if you sent the payment to the visa office they will send it to Mississauga. Once you have made your payment, get two copies of the receipt that they email you. Send one to Mississauga with your client number from the first paper you received then send the other to the visa office doing your application.
-Ljane79 wrote on Sep 9, 2010; Send 2 copies of the receipt to Mississauga to verify payment. One for Mississauga and another so Mississauga can send a copy to Buffalo once the payment is processed. Buffalo won't accept a copy from you, only Mississauga. But many people fax, email or mail a copy to Buffalo just in case.
Who's name to put on the receipt?
-The sponsor's name and info should be on the RPRF receipt.
-SaugaBoss on September 3, 2010; Please note that if the applicant's credit card was used in order to pay the fees online, then the applicant's information must be indicated in the payer information field of your receipt.
(SO BASICALLY MAKE SURE WHO EVER PAID IT IS ON THE RECEIPT!!! I REMEMBER ONE CALL CENTER AGENT SAID TO FORWARD TO BUFFALO ONE SAID NOT TO. IT DOESNT HURT DOING IT SO I DID ) And you click mississauga not buffalo for all the buffalo applicants.
Where do I send my payment?
CPC Mississauga
P.O. Box 6100, Station A
Mississauga, ON
L5A 4H4
-Note: Please check to make sure on the CIC website because sometimes these things change. The website is:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/offices/canada/mississauga.asp
Should I send my RPRF receipt to my outland visa office in addition to Mississauga?
SaugaBoss on September 3, 2010; To inform the visa office that you paid the Right of Permanent Residence Fee, you must send a copy of your proof of payment by mail to the CPC in Mississauga. The CPC will transfer this information to the visa office.
-iarblue on August 14 said: Send original to Mississauga, you don't need to send it to the visa office. Mississauga will inform them once it has been processed but if you want to you could fax, email it or mail it.
Ljane79 on septemer 1 said: I sent a copy of my RPRF receipt via email and they responded: "Mississauga will inform us when they have processed the RPRF."
I take that to mean that they do not need it in Buffalo and that it doesn't save you any time to send a copy to Buffalo.
How long does it take to process my RPRF?
arezoonia wrote on May 19: I send RPRF a month ago, when I called CIC .. I was told it takes 3-4 weeks for them to send confirmation to visa offices outside Canada.
silverbee on Aug 27 If they requested RPRF I except it will be very short since they only request that if you were approved, right?
Good luck!
sbwv09 on Aug 27 ljane, I agree with silverbee that if they are asking for your fee that you are probably approved. However, I think that the fact that the fee wasn't paid up front can delay it for a few more weeks. but you are still very close to getting your PR!
Ljane79 on Sep 9: I just called CIC in Miss today. The lady said that it can take 1 to 3 months to process the fees!!!! I hope that she doesn't know what she is talking about.
steaky wrote on Sept 2 2010; I think one should double check with the visa office's website before making payment from a financial institution to be pay in the visa office. Every visa office is different.
steaky wrote on Sept 1 2010; According to the Canadian Consulate website in Beijing, the RPRF and other fees related to the sponsorship and application of a Family Class immigration visa must be paid in Canada or Online. The Beijing Office cannot accept payment of processing fees or the right of permanent residence fees.