Can I pay my immigration fees by cheque instead of online?

Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Minister has broad powers to decide how people apply for permits and how they pay for them. Specifically, the regulations may "require that payments that are required to be made or evidence of payment that is required to be provided under this Act must be made or provided by means of an electronic system" [cite:ca-irpa-sec186p3]. This means that if the official portal you were instructed to use on the 14th of last month requires electronic payment, the government has the legal authority to enforce that requirement. Furthermore, the law allows the Minister to set the rules for how these electronic systems work, including "the circumstances in which those payments may be made or evidence of payments may be provided by other means" [cite:ca-irpa-sec186p3]. While the law does allow for the possibility of using other methods, this is only if the specific regulations for your application type permit it. In your situation, because you were told to use an official online portal and settle the $155 fee immediately, you are subject to the specific electronic rules established by the Minister. The law also allows the Minister to use electronic means to "administer this Act" [cite:ca-irpa-sec186p1]. This includes the power to use automated systems to process your work permit application. It is currently uncertain whether the specific regulations governing your work permit application allow for a bank draft or cheque as an alternative 'other means' of payment. The statutes provided do not confirm if your specific application type has an exception for manual payments; they only state that the Minister has the power to create such exceptions.