The federal government, in an effort to partially offset the costs of the PR and Citizenship process, has raised the PR and Citizenship Fees. These changes respect the relevant legal requirements.

Effective April 30, 2026, the federal government will increase the cost of all applications for permanent residency (PR).

As of March 31, 2026, fees for citizenship applications (via the right of citizenship fee) will also increase.
Processing fees for all PR categories—including economic programs like Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), family sponsorship, protected individuals, and humanitarian and compassionate cases—are impacted by the changes in PR fees.

Additionally, there will be an increase in the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF).

You won’t be impacted by these changes if you applied online and paid the previous costs by April 30 or March 31, depending on your application. Due to the possibility of a delay between submission and receipt by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), those who mailed a paper application before to this date may be required to pay the difference.

Which fees are going up?

A complete list of the PR fees impacted by this modification is here:

Application	Applicants Type	Old Fee	New Fee from (April 30, 2026)
Right of Permanent Residence Fee	Principal applicant, accompanying spouse or common-law partner	$575	$600
Federal High Skilled, Provincial Nominee Program, and Quebec Skilled Workers, Atlantic Immigration Class, and most Economic Pilots (Rural Communities and Francophone Communities, Agri-Food, Home Care Worker Immigration (Child Care) Class, Home Care Worker Immigration (Home Support) Class)	Principal applicant Accompanying spouse or common-law partner Accompanying dependent child	$950 $950 $260	$990 $990 $270
Business (federal and Quebec)	Principal applicant Accompanying spouse or common-law partner Accompanying dependent child	$1,810 $950 $260	$1,895 $990 $270
Family reunification (spouses, partners, and children; parents and grandparents; and other relatives)	Sponsorship fee Sponsored principal applicant Sponsored dependent child (principal applicant under 22 and not a spouse/partner)	$85 $545 $85	$90 $570 $90
Protected persons	Accompanying spouse or partner Accompanying dependent child Principal applicant Accompanying spouse or common-law partner Accompanying dependent child	$635 $175 $635 $635 $175	$660 $180 $660 $660 $180
Humanitarian and compassionate or public policy	Principal applicant Accompanying spouse or common-law partner Accompanying dependent child	$635 $635 $175	$660 $660 $180
Permit holders class	Principal applicant	$375	$390

 

What is a Dependent child?

According to IRCC, a dependent child is:

• Being less than 22 years old, and
• Without a companion or spouse.

Children who are older than 22 may be considered dependents if they:

• Have been financially dependent on their parents since they were younger than 22, and
• They are unable to support themselves because of a medical or mental illness.

The right of citizenship fee will also be increased by IRCC:

TYPE OF FEE	PREVIOUS FEE	CURRENT FEE
CITIZENSHIP RIGHT FEE	$119.75	$123.00

Click for a Big update from 31st March 2026 in Canada super visa income requirements

What are the uses of these fees?

1. Right of Permanent Resident Fee– Most PR candidates are required to pay the Right of Permanent Residence charge (RPRF) in addition to their processing charge. Both the primary applicant and their accompanying spouse or common-law partner are covered. You can pay it at the time of application submission or after the IRCC has given you an initial approval.
2. Federal High Skilled: Express Entry, PNP, etc.- Applicants in Canada’s major economic immigration programs are subject to processing fees for Federal High Skilled: Express Entry, PNP, etc. This covers candidates in initiatives including the Agri-Food Pilot, Rural and Francophone Community Immigration Pilots, and the Atlantic Immigration Program, as well as Express Entry programs and PNP applicants.
3. Business (federal and Quebec): Applicants under federal and Quebec business immigration streams, such as the Start-Up Visa Program and the Self-Employed Persons Program, are subject to fees under this category.
4. Family reunification (spouses, partners and children; parents and grandparents; and other relatives): When you sponsor a spouse, partner, minor, parent, or grandparent for permanent residency, the fee totals shown above apply. The sponsor pays the sponsorship price. The sponsored individual pays the processing charge.
5. Protected persons: Refugees, protected persons, and their accompanying family members who seek permanent residence in Canada are subject to these normal costs.
6. Humanitarian and compassionate or public policy: Those requesting permanent residence (PR) based on public policy or on humanitarian and compassionate grounds are subject to processing fees under this category. This covers situations in which you have compelling reasons to remain in Canada but are not eligible for other programs.
7. Permit holders class: Those who are applying for permanent residence through the permit holders’ class and already possess a temporary resident permit are subject to permit holder class fees.
8. Right of Citizenship Fee: Like the RPRF, this charge is necessary at the time a citizenship application is submitted and is different from a processing fee. All applicants who are at least 18 years old are eligible.

Using the IRCC’s online fee tool, which guides you through the appropriate amount based on your program and circumstances, you may determine the precise charge for your application.

Important to note: if you postponed making your RPRF payment
Even if you previously paid the processing fee at the previous rate, you must pay the additional $600 if you applied for PR before April 30 but decided to pay the RPRF later.

The amount in effect at the time of payment, not the time of application, is what determines the RPRF.

What should you do if you have paid the old fee?

The IRCC immediately received your application and fees if you applied online before April 30 (for PR applications) or March 31 (for citizenship applications). Nothing needs to be done by you.

In general, the IRCC won’t reject a paper application that was mailed before the fee change if it was completed and sent by the deadline.

However, IRCC will get in touch with you with instructions if you do have to pay the difference between the old and new fees.

To cover the difference:

• For each applicant in your application, calculate the difference between the old and new fees.
• Go to the online payment tool provided by the IRCC and choose “Make an additional payment or pay other fees.”
• The full difference should be entered under “Quantity.”
  You have the option of making all the payments at once or in multiple transactions. Each payment will result in a single receipt.
• Follow the guidelines provided by the IRCC to submit your receipt.