Canada Hikes Permanent Residence Fees Across All Programs
As of April 30, 2026, Canada raised permanent residence processing fees across all immigration streams. The cost changes impact Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Programs, and family sponsorship applications.
Processing Costs Rise by Up to Six Percent
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) applied a 4–5% hike across most categories. Family sponsorship fees saw the steepest jump at just under 6%. Fees for dependent children and protected persons crept up just under 4%. The Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) also increased from $575 to $600. This fee applies to most permanent residence applications. Applicants can defer this payment when they initially submit their file.
Official 2026 Permanent Residence Fee Schedule
The change affects principal applicants, accompanying spouses, and dependent children. Here is the exact breakdown of the new costs.
| Program | Applicant type | Old fee | New fee (April 30, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right of Permanent Residence Fee | Principal applicant, accompanying spouse or common-law partner | $575 | $600 |
| Federal High Skilled (Express Entry, PNP, Quebec Skilled Workers Atlantic Immigration Class, most economic pilots) | Principal applicant | $950 | $990 |
| Federal High Skilled | Accompanying spouse or common-law partner | $950 | $990 |
| Federal High Skilled | Accompanying dependent child | $260 | $270 |
| Business (Federal and Quebec) | Principal applicant | $1,810 | $1,895 |
| Business | Accompanying spouse or common-law partner | $950 | $990 |
| Business | Accompanying dependent child | $260 | $270 |
| Family reunification | Sponsorship fee | $85 | $90 |
| Family reunification | Sponsored principal applicant | $545 | $570 |
| Family reunification | Sponsored dependent child | $85 | $90 |
| Protected persons | Principal applicant | $635 | $660 |
| Protected persons | Accompanying spouse or common-law partner | $635 | $660 |
| Protected persons | Accompanying dependent child | $175 | $180 |
| Humanitarian and compassionate or public policy | Principal applicant | $635 | $660 |
| Humanitarian and compassionate or public policy | Accompanying spouse or common-law partner | $635 | $660 |
| Humanitarian and compassionate or public policy | Accompanying dependent child | $175 | $180 |
| Permit holders class | Principal applicant | $375 | $390 |
Handling Deferred Payments and Prior Applications
If you applied before April 30 but deferred your RPRF payment, you owe the new $600 amount. IRCC bases the RPRF on the rate active at the time of payment. Paying the older processing fee does not freeze your RPRF rate. Applicants who submitted their complete online files before April 30 do not need to act. IRCC received your application and fees at the previous rates. We recommend reviewing your receipts to confirm your payment status.
What This Data Tells Us
The increase itself is routine, but the timing is what costs people money. Fees rose on the same date for every stream, so anyone who was weeks away from submitting now pays the higher amount with nothing gained.
The RPRF is the item worth understanding properly. It is charged at the rate in effect when you pay, not when you apply, which means deferring it locks in nothing. A candidate who submitted in March and deferred still owes 600 dollars.
For a family, the increases compound rather than sit at 4 or 5 percent. A principal applicant with a spouse and one child under Federal High Skilled now pays 2,250 in processing fees plus 1,200 in RPRF, roughly 115 dollars more than before the change.
Family reunification took the sharpest rise at just under 6 percent, which matters because sponsors are often paying without the settlement funds that economic applicants must show anyway.
The practical response is to treat proof of funds and fee budgeting as one calculation rather than two, and to pay the RPRF when it is due rather than deferring it in the hope that rates hold.
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