Discover Canada – Cultural Exchange Program

Effective Date: September 15, 2026

This Refund & Cancellation Policy applies to payments made under the Self-Funded Participation category of the Discover Canada – Cultural Exchange Program.

1. SELF-FUNDED PARTICIPATION FEE

The total Self-Funded Participation Fee is USD $550.

This amount includes a USD $52 Application & Processing Fee.

The USD $52 fee covers application processing, eligibility review, document review, administrative assessment, applicant communication, and related processing services.

2. NON-REFUNDABLE APPLICATION & PROCESSING FEE

The USD $52 Application & Processing Fee is non-refundable once the application has been submitted and processing has commenced, except where a refund is required by applicable law.

The remaining USD $498 is subject to the refund conditions below.

3. CANCELLATION BEFORE INVITATION LETTER ISSUANCE

If a participant voluntarily cancels their registration before an official invitation letter has been issued, the participant is eligible for a 100% refund of the remaining USD $498.

Total Payment: USD $550
Amount Retained: USD $52
Amount Refunded: USD $498

No additional cancellation charge applies at this stage.

4. CANCELLATION AFTER INVITATION LETTER ISSUANCE

Once an official invitation letter has been issued, the participant’s place is considered formally confirmed and reserved within the program’s limited capacity.

If the participant voluntarily cancels their participation after the official invitation letter has been issued, Discover Canada will retain:

• USD $52 – Application & Processing Fee;
• USD $100 – Participation Commitment / Reserved Capacity Charge.

In this case:

Total Payment: USD $550
Total Amount Retained: USD $152
Amount Refunded: USD $398

The additional USD $100 is not a fee for the invitation letter. Discover Canada does not sell invitation letters separately.

This amount relates to the administrative and operational commitments associated with formally confirming participation and reserving a place within the program’s limited capacity.

5. VISA REFUSAL OR TRAVEL CANCELLATION

An invitation letter does not guarantee approval of a Canadian visa or admission to Canada.

All visa and immigration decisions are made independently by the competent Canadian authorities.

If a participant cancels after an invitation letter has been issued due to:

• visa refusal;
• visa processing delays;
• inability to travel;
• changes in personal circumstances;
• changes in travel plans; or
• any other voluntary withdrawal,

the refund conditions applicable after invitation letter issuance will apply.

The standard refund will therefore be USD $398, subject to applicable law and any eligible additional costs described below.

6. PARTICIPANT-SPECIFIC NON-RECOVERABLE COSTS

In addition to the standard amounts above, Discover Canada may deduct actual participant-specific costs only where such costs:

• have already been incurred or contractually committed;
• are non-refundable or non-recoverable by Discover Canada;
• relate directly to the participant;
• were disclosed or agreed to where required; and
• may lawfully be deducted.

Such costs may include, where applicable:

• non-refundable accommodation reservations;
• participant-specific transportation or activity reservations;
• admission or event tickets;
• personalized printed materials;
• participant badges, credentials, or identification materials; and
• other specifically disclosed participant-related costs or commitments.

Discover Canada will not deduct arbitrary, unsupported, or undisclosed costs.

7. LIMITED PROGRAM CAPACITY

Discover Canada programs may operate with a limited number of participant places.

Once an official invitation letter has been issued, the participant’s place may be reserved and may no longer be available to another applicant.

By completing registration, the participant acknowledges and accepts the applicable cancellation and refund conditions associated with reserving a limited program place.

8. INVITATION LETTER POLICY

Discover Canada does not sell invitation letters separately.

An invitation letter is issued only in connection with legitimate and confirmed participation in an eligible Discover Canada cultural exchange program.

No payment made under this Policy constitutes the purchase of a visa, immigration service, immigration decision, or visa guarantee.

9. REFUND SUMMARY

Where applicable, additional participant-specific, documented, non-recoverable costs that may lawfully be deducted may be considered separately.

10. REFUND REQUESTS

Refund requests must be submitted through an official Discover Canada communication channel and must contain sufficient information to identify the participant and their registration.

The date on which Discover Canada receives the cancellation request will be used to determine the applicable refund amount.

11. REFUND PROCESSING TIME & METHOD

Approved refunds will be processed within 15 business days and returned to the original payment method.

Additional processing time may be required by the participant’s bank, card issuer, or payment provider before the refunded amount appears in the participant’s account. Such third-party processing times are outside Discover Canada’s control.

12. CURRENCY & EXCHANGE-RATE DIFFERENCES

All payments and refunds under this Policy are calculated in United States dollars (USD).

Where the participant’s bank or payment provider converts the transaction into another currency, the applicable exchange rate and any foreign transaction fees are determined by the relevant financial institution.

As a result, the amount received in the participant’s local currency following a refund may differ from the original local-currency amount paid due to exchange-rate fluctuations or third-party charges.

13. PROGRAM CANCELLATION BY DISCOVER CANADA

If Discover Canada cancels a program and does not provide a reasonable alternative, rescheduled program, or another solution agreed with the participant, any refund entitlement will be determined in accordance with the applicable program terms and applicable law.

Nothing in this Policy permits Discover Canada to retain amounts that applicable law requires to be refunded.

14. MANDATORY LEGAL RIGHTS

Nothing in this Refund & Cancellation Policy excludes, restricts, or overrides any consumer protection, cancellation, refund, contractual, or other right that cannot legally be waived or limited under applicable law.

Where applicable law requires a refund or cancellation treatment different from this Policy, the mandatory legal requirement will prevail.

15. ACCEPTANCE OF THIS POLICY

Participants must review this Refund & Cancellation Policy before completing payment.

By completing registration and payment, and by providing affirmative electronic acceptance where required, the participant confirms that they have read, understood, and accepted the refund and cancellation conditions applicable to their registration.