Canada is set to increase immigration-related costs, with higher citizenship application fees already in effect from March 31, 2026, and a broader hike in permanent residence (PR) application charges scheduled from April 30, 2026. The revised fee structure will apply across almost all immigration pathways, making the process more expensive for applicants under economic, family sponsorship, and humanitarian categories.
The changes cover all major permanent residence streams, including Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), family sponsorship, protected persons, and humanitarian and compassionate applications. The Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) is also being increased as part of the revision. Under the new rates, applicants will see a rise in overall costs across categories. The RPRF will go up from CA$575 to CA$600, while processing fees for principal applicants under economic programs will increase from CA$950 to CA$990. Fees for dependent children will rise from CA$260 to CA$270.
Business immigration applicants will also be impacted, with principal applicant fees increasing from CA$1,810 to CA$1,895. In family sponsorship cases, the sponsorship fee will rise from CA$85 to CA$90, while the sponsored principal applicant fee will increase from CA$545 to CA$570.
Alongside the PR fee changes, Canada has already revised its citizenship application fee, increasing it from CA$119.75 to CA$123.00, effective March 31, 2026. Applicants who have already submitted their applications online and completed payment before the cut-off dates will not be affected by the revised charges. However, those who submitted paper applications earlier may still be required to pay the difference due to delays between submission and receipt by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Applicants who chose to defer payment of the Right of Permanent Residence Fee will have to pay the revised amount, even if their application was submitted before April 30, as the applicable fee will be based on the rate at the time of payment rather than submission. If additional payment is required, IRCC will notify applicants with instructions. Applicants must calculate the difference between the old and new fees for each person included in the application and complete the payment through the official IRCC online payment system. Payments can be made in a single transaction or multiple installments, with receipts generated for each payment that must be submitted as required by IRCC.
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