I wasn't sure whether to post this here or under Family Class Sponsorship, so I apologize if this is the wrong choice. A bit of background: I applied for permanent residence under the family sponsorship (common-law) category in December 2012 and recently was refused because I didn't respond to a letter asking for more information because I never received it. I've accepted that I basically have to start over, my main question is that now since I have to leave the country and start over with my visitor status, how long should I stay out of the country before I can come back and how difficult will it be for me to return since I've been here for so long?