Can I get an immigration loan, and how do I repay it?
IRCC's immigration loans are mainly for refugees resettled to Canada. They are interest-free and repaid monthly over 3 to 8 years, and payments can sometimes be delayed. A few questions find IRCC's rule for you.
Every quote below was checked word for word on IRCC’s own pages on October 25, 2026. Each answer names its source page and that page’s date.
What IRCC says, situation by situation
Yes
Yes, generally: resettled refugees are who the loans are mainly for
In IRCC’s words:
“Generally, ILP loan recipients are refugees resettled to Canada, that is: Government-Assisted Refugees (GAR), Privately Sponsored Refugees (PSR), Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) clients, and Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) clients.”
“There are 4 types of ILP loans:”
“Loan for Transportation to Canada ... Cost of transportation from outside Canada to the airport closest to the final destination in Canada, and associated costs”
“Assistance Loan ... Costs linked to the initial establishment in Canada and/or access to the labour market”
“Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) Loan ... Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF)”
Source: IRCC, page dated March 31, 2016
Yes
Yes: loans are also available through the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot
In IRCC’s words:
“Loans are also available to clients selected for permanent residence under the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot.”
“There are 4 types of ILP loans:”
Source: IRCC, page dated March 31, 2016
Yes, if your application guide offers loans.
It depends: your application guide says so if loans are offered
In IRCC’s words:
“Some clients selected under a temporary public policy for permanent residence may be offered loans. When this applies, specific instructions on how to apply for loans will be included in the application guide.”
Source: IRCC, page dated March 31, 2016
Not yet: IRCC's loans are for people applying for permanent residence.
Not yet: IRCC's loans are for people coming to Canada as, or applying to become, permanent residents
Every group IRCC's loan instructions name is coming to Canada as, or applying to become, a permanent resident: resettled refugees, the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot, some public policies, and, as a last resort, other permanent residence applicants. A pending refugee claim is not one of them; IRCC's Help Centre answers this exact question.
In IRCC’s words:
“The ILP may be a lender of last resort for other categories of clients applying for permanent residence. These applicants must provide proof they were denied access to a loan from a traditional lending institution, such as a bank. Loans are approved on the basis of the applicant’s need and ability to repay the loan.”
“Generally, ILP loan recipients are refugees resettled to Canada, that is: Government-Assisted Refugees (GAR), Privately Sponsored Refugees (PSR), Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) clients, and Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) clients.”
“The Immigration Loans Program (ILP) provides eligible immigrants—that is, mainly refugees selected for resettlement to Canada—with access to loans to cover costs they would otherwise be unable to cover.”
IRCC Help Centre: can asylum seekers get an immigration loan?
Source: IRCC, page dated March 31, 2016
Yes, if a bank refused you and you can repay.
Only as a last resort, if a bank has refused you a loan
In IRCC’s words:
“The ILP may be a lender of last resort for other categories of clients applying for permanent residence. These applicants must provide proof they were denied access to a loan from a traditional lending institution, such as a bank. Loans are approved on the basis of the applicant’s need and ability to repay the loan.”
Source: IRCC, page dated March 31, 2016
Yes
Travel to Canada, travel inside Canada, getting settled, and the PR fee
In IRCC’s words:
“There are 4 types of ILP loans:”
“Loan for Transportation to Canada ... Cost of transportation from outside Canada to the airport closest to the final destination in Canada, and associated costs”
“In-Canada Transportation Loan ... Cost of accommodation and/or ground transportation while in transit from the port of entry to the final destination in Canada”
“Assistance Loan ... Costs linked to the initial establishment in Canada and/or access to the labour market”
“Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) Loan ... Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF)”
“Loan recipients have only 1 ILP loan account, even if they have more than 1 type of immigration loan.”
Source: IRCC, page dated March 31, 2016
Yes.
Yes: a loan can cover your partner and others who depend on you
In IRCC’s words:
“Canadian citizens and permanent residents may apply for a loan on behalf of a beneficiary. According to section 288 of the IRPR, a loan recipient’s beneficiary can be ... their spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner ... their dependent child, or the dependent child of their spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner ... other people in a dependent relationship with the loan recipient”
“Loan recipient: Individual who is accessing a loan on behalf of themselves, themselves and their beneficiaries, or their beneficiaries only. They are responsible for repaying the loan.”
Source: IRCC, page dated March 31, 2016
Yes, but a parent or guardian signs the agreement.
Yes: a dependent child can be covered; a parent or guardian signs
In IRCC’s words:
“Canadian citizens and permanent residents may apply for a loan on behalf of a beneficiary. According to section 288 of the IRPR, a loan recipient’s beneficiary can be ... their spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner ... their dependent child, or the dependent child of their spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner ... other people in a dependent relationship with the loan recipient”
“For all loan types under the ILP, the parent or intended guardian of a minor should sign the loan agreement.”
“In the context of these Program Delivery Instructions, a person under the age of 18 is referred to as a minor.”
Source: IRCC, page dated March 31, 2016
Yes, if they're your dependent child or depend on you.
It depends on whether they count as your dependent child
IRCC's loan instructions cover a dependent child, but do not set an age on this page. Whether an adult child counts as dependent follows IRCC's definition; IRCC's Help Centre answers this exact question.
In IRCC’s words:
“Canadian citizens and permanent residents may apply for a loan on behalf of a beneficiary. According to section 288 of the IRPR, a loan recipient’s beneficiary can be ... their spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner ... their dependent child, or the dependent child of their spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner ... other people in a dependent relationship with the loan recipient”
“In the context of these Program Delivery Instructions, a person under the age of 18 is referred to as a minor.”
IRCC Help Centre: is a 19-year-old covered under the principal applicant's loan?
Source: IRCC, page dated March 31, 2016
Yes: no later than 12 months after you arrive or get the loan.
Yes: payments start no later than 12 months after you arrive or get the loan, over 3 to 8 years
In IRCC’s words:
“Loan recipients must begin repaying their loan no later than 12 months after the travellers arrive in Canada for transportation loans (that is, the Loan for Transportation to Canada and the In-Canada Transportation Loan), and no later than 12 months after the issuance of the Assistance Loan or RPRF Loan.”
“Depending on the total amount borrowed under the ILP, amounts must be repaid within the following periods: ... 36 months (3 years), if the loan amount is not more than $1,200 ... 96 months (8 years), if the loan amount is more than $4,800”
“A loan recipient must repay their Immigration Loans Program (ILP) loan with consecutive monthly payments, starting one year after it is issued.”
“Payments must be made in Canadian funds. A loan recipient can make loan payments using any of the following methods of payment: ... Online with a debit or credit card ... Online banking”
IRCC: repayment of immigration loans, and how to contact Collection Services
Source: IRCC, page dated September 18, 2026
No
No: immigration loans are interest-free
In IRCC’s words:
“ILP loans are interest-free”
“The repayment terms for ILP loans have been designed to reduce the financial burden on loan recipients: ... payments begin 12 months after they are issued ... monthly instalments are minimized and the loan repayment terms span between 3 to 8 years, depending on the total ILP loan amount ... ILP loans are interest-free”
Source: IRCC, page dated March 31, 2016
Yes, if Collection Services grants it in special circumstances.
Possibly, in special circumstances: contact IRCC Collection Services
In IRCC’s words:
“Under special circumstances, an IRCC Collection Services agent may grant a deferral of loan payments, a variation of payments or an extension of the repayment period.”
“If a loan recipient is unable to make full, regular loan payments, they must contact Collection Services as soon as possible.”
“A loan recipient must notify Collection Services of their email and/or mailing address as soon as possible, and within 10 days of any change of address.”
IRCC: repayment of immigration loans, and how to contact Collection Services
Source: IRCC, page dated September 18, 2026
No: more than 3 missed payments in a row means default.
No: payments are monthly, and more than 3 missed in a row puts the loan in default
In IRCC’s words:
“If loan recipients miss more than 3 consecutive monthly loan payments, they will be considered in default. As a result, applications they submit under the family class (FC) of the Permanent Residence Program or under the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program, may be refused.”
“A loan recipient must repay their Immigration Loans Program (ILP) loan with consecutive monthly payments, starting one year after it is issued.”
“Their ILP loan account information will also be shared with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), which may retain the owing amount from their income tax returns, GST credits and/or any other credit managed by CRA until the loan balance is paid in full.”
“If a loan recipient is unable to make full, regular loan payments, they must contact Collection Services as soon as possible.”
IRCC Help Centre: what happens if I don't make my loan payments?
Source: IRCC, page dated September 18, 2026
What would change the answer
- How you come to Canada: resettled refugee, the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot, a public policy, or another program.
- The total you borrow: it sets your repayment period.
- Special circumstances: IRCC Collection Services may defer or vary payments.
What you might not have asked yet
- Want to help a refugee come to Canada? Find out who can sponsor one
- Once you're settled, can you take free government-funded language classes?
Sources
- IRCC › publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/service-delivery/immigration-loans-program · page dated March 31, 2016
- IRCC › publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/service-delivery/immigration-loans-program/repayment-of-loans · page dated September 18, 2026
Other answers
- Am I eligible for an Express Entry program?
- As a caregiver, can I change jobs, move, or apply for PR?
- As an asylum claimant, can I get a work or study permit?
- Can a positive LMIA be changed?
- Can I apply for a study permit from inside Canada (or for my child)?
- Can I apply for a work permit from inside Canada?
- Can I apply for a work permit when I arrive at the border?
- Can I change employers on my work permit?
- Can I change the sex or gender identifier on my IRCC documents?
- Can I come to Canada as a business visitor, without a work permit?
- Can I come to Canada with a criminal record?
- Can I get a bridging open work permit?
- Can I get a post-graduation work permit, and can I work while I wait?
- Can I get two-week work permit processing?
- Can I immigrate as a self-employed person or start-up founder?
- Can I include or sponsor my child, and up to what age?
- Can I keep my permanent resident status, and travel without a PR card?
- Can I keep working while my work permit extension is processed?
- Can I leave Canada and come back on my permit or status?
- Can I sponsor a refugee?
- Can I sponsor my parents or grandparents?
- Can I stay in Canada as a visitor, and for longer than I was given?
- Can I take a short course in Canada without a study permit?
- Can I take free government-funded language classes?
- Can I take part in International Experience Canada (again)?
- Can I work while I study in Canada?
- Can my family come with me while I work or study in Canada?
- Can my spouse or partner work in Canada?
- Could a health condition make me inadmissible to Canada (excessive demand)?
- Do I need a language test, and which one counts?
- Do I need a representative, and who may help me?
- Do I need a visa or an eTA to come to Canada?
- Do I need an immigration medical exam?
- Do I need police certificates?
- Do I need to give biometrics (fingerprints and photo), or give them again?
- Does my credential assessment (ECA) let me work in my profession?
- Does the employer have to invite Job Match candidates?
- Does the low-wage cap apply to this employer?
- Does this LMIA job ad meet ESDC's advertising rules?
- My application was refused: can I still do something about it?
- My employer is treating me unfairly: can I get help and keep my status?
- Will I lose my other citizenship if I become Canadian?
Written by AHI Life from IRCC’s own pages; the quotes are IRCC’s words, re-read on their pages every day. General information, not legal advice, and not yet reviewed by a licensed consultant (RCIC). Only a licensed representative may charge you for immigration advice.