Canada hikes permanent residence and citizenship fees

The federal government is increasing fees for all permanent residence (PR) applications, effective April 30, 2026.

Fees will similarly go up for citizenship applications (via the right of citizenship fee) as of March 31, 2026.

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The PR fee changes affect processing fees across every PR category, including economic programs like Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), family sponsorship, protected persons, and humanitarian and compassionate cases.

The Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) will also be increased.

If you applied online and paid the old fees before April 30 or March 31 (depending on your application), you won't be affected by these changes.

Those who mailed a paper application before this date may need to pay the difference, since there can be a delay between when you send it and when Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) receives it.

Which fees are increasing?

Below is a full list of the PR fees affected by this change.

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
	Accompanying spouse or common-law partner	$950	$990
	Accompanying dependent child	$260	$270
Business (Federal and Quebec)	Principal applicant	$1,810	$1,895
	Accompanying spouse or common-law partner	$950	$990
	Accompanying dependent child	$260	$270
Family reunification	Sponsorship fee	$85	$90
	Sponsored principal applicant	$545	$570
	Sponsored dependent child (under 22, not a spouse/partner)	$85	$90
Protected persons	Principal applicant	$635	$660
	Accompanying spouse or common-law partner	$635	$660
	Accompanying dependent child	$175	$180
Humanitarian and compassionate or public policy	Principal applicant	$635	$660
	Accompanying spouse or common-law partner	$635	$660
	Accompanying dependent child	$175	$180
Permit holders class	Principal applicant	$375	$390

Dependent child definition

IRCC defines a dependent child as:

Being under the age of 22; and
Not having a spouse or partner.

Children over the age of 22 can qualify as dependents as long as they:

Have depended on their parents for financial support since before they were 22; and
Can’t financially support themselves due to a mental or physical condition.

IRCC will also raise the right of citizenship fee:

Fee type	Old fee	New fee (March 31, 2026)
Right of citizenship	$119.75	$123.00

Consult with a lawyer at Cohen Immigration Law

What are these fees for?

Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF): This is a separate fee that most PR applicants must pay on top of their processing fee. It applies to the principal applicant and their accompanying spouse or common-law partner. You can pay it when you submit your application or later, after IRCC approves you in principle.

Right of Citizenship Fee: Similar to the RPRF, this fee is separate from processing fees for a citizenship application and is required upon submission of a citizenship application. It applies to all applicants 18 or older.

Federal High Skilled: Express Entry, PNP, etc.: These processing fees apply to applicants in Canada's main economic immigration programs. This includes Express Entry programs, PNP applicants, and candidates in programs like the Atlantic Immigration Program, Rural and Francophone Community Immigration Pilots, and the Agri-Food Pilot.

Business immigration: Fees under this umbrella cover applicants under federal and Quebec business immigration streams, including the Start-Up Visa Program and the Self-Employed Persons Program.

Family reunification: Fee totals here apply when you sponsor a spouse, partner, child, parent, or grandparent for permanent residence. The sponsorship fee is paid by the sponsor. The processing fee is paid for the person being sponsored.

Protected persons: These fees apply to refugees and protected persons applying for PR in Canada, along with their accompanying family members.

Humanitarian and compassionate or public policy: Processing fees for this category apply to people seeking PR on humanitarian and compassionate grounds or through a public policy measure. This includes cases where you don't qualify under other programs but have strong reasons to stay in Canada.

Permit holders class: Permit holder class fees apply to people who already hold a temporary resident permit and are applying for PR through the permit holders class.

You can find the exact fee for your application using IRCC's online fee tool, which walks you through the correct amount based on your program and situation.

Important: if you deferred your RPRF payment

If you applied for PR before April 30 but chose to pay the RPRF later, you must pay the new amount of $600 — even if you already paid the processing fee at the old rate.

The RPRF is based on the amount in effect when you pay it, not when you applied.

I paid the old fee — what should I do?

If you applied online before April 30 (for PR applications) or March 31 (for citizenship applications), IRCC received your application and fees right away. You don't need to do anything.

If you mailed a paper application before the fee change, IRCC generally won't reject it as long as it was complete and sent before the relevant date.

However, if you do need to pay the difference between the old and new fees, IRCC will contact you with instructions.

To pay the difference:

Work out the gap between the old fee and the new fee for each applicant in your application.
Go to IRCC's online payment tool and select "Make an additional payment or pay other fees."
Enter the total difference under "Quantity."
- You can pay everything in one transaction or split it into several. You'll get one receipt per payment.
Submit your receipt by following the instructions IRCC sent you.

Consult with a lawyer at Cohen Immigration Law