Visitor Record - How do you avoid paying the biometric fee?

[gallagher11]

So my wife and I are in the process of applying online for a visitor record for her. She is in Canada on a TRV and her status expires next week.

The biometric fee requirement has been waived from inside Canada, however I don't see anywhere on the application/fee payment page an option to uncheck or opt out of this payment. Does anyone here have success doing this?

I made it all the way to the payment page where you enter your CC information and canceled out of it... and now for some reason it won't let us re-open the saved application.

 

[bian07]

They will refund it if you are exempt

 

[gallagher11]

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/biometrics-exemption-temporary-residents.html

It mentions in the above link not to pay the biometric fee even if prompted. The implication in what they said is that there is a way to avoid paying it in the first place.

I know they will refund the fee if I pay it, but (if it's possible) I'd rather not wait 16 years for when they finally get around to processing the application.