Online payments introduced for Canada immigration applications

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People using Canadian immigration services will be able to pay for them using a credit card over the Internet, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) reports.

From now on applicants for citizenship or immigration services made through case processing services in Canada can pay for them online. Currently the service is restricted to clients in Canada, but CIC hopes it will eventually also be available for overseas users.

Canada's Immigration Minister Joe Volpe officially launched the scheme on February 3. 20,00 clients have already used it under trial programs running since may 2004.

This is part of an ongoing project by the Canadian government to out citizenship and immigration services online. CIC clients can already use the Internet to give notification if they change address, to view the status of their citizenship and immigration applications, and to download application kits.