Canada is officially raising application fees for permanent residency. This was announced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in a statement on the Government of Canada website. The new fees will take effect on April 30, 2026 and will apply to applications for permanent residency received on or after that date.
According to IRCC, the fee increase is necessary to continue providing timely and reliable services, as well as to account for inflation. The government also notes that permanent residence fees are reviewed every two years in accordance with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations to partially cover the costs of operating immigration programs and respond to high demand.
The changes will affect most major categories of permanent residence, including economic immigration, the Provincial Nominee Program, business immigration, family sponsorship, protected persons, humanitarian programs, and the Permit Holders Class.
New Fees for Principal Applicants
Effective April 30, 2026, the following new fees will apply:
- Right of Permanent Residence Fee increases from $575 to $600.
- Federal High Skilled, Provincial Nominee Program, Quebec Skilled Workers, Atlantic Immigration Class, and most economic pilot programs — from $950 to $990 for the principal applicant.
- Business class — from $1,810 to $1,895 for the principal applicant.
- Family Reunification / Family Class — the fee for the sponsored principal applicant increases from $545 to $570.
- Protected Persons — from $635 to $660 for the principal applicant.
- Humanitarian and Compassionate or Public Policy Programs — from $635 to $660 for the principal applicant.
- Permit Holders Class — from $375 to $390 for the principal applicant.
Separately, fees for family members added to the application are changing. For example, for a spouse or common-law partner in many economic categories, the fee also increases from $950 to $990, and for a dependent child — from $260 to $270. For family sponsorship, the sponsorship fee increases from $85 to $90, and the fee for an accompanying dependent child — from $175 to $180.
Who is affected by the new rules
The new fees will apply to permanent residence applications received by IRCC on April 30, 2026, or later. Therefore, it is important for applicants to verify the current fee amount before submitting their documents, especially if the application is being submitted online.
IRCC explains that when applying online, the application is considered received immediately upon submission, so you must ensure the correct amount is paid before submitting. If an applicant mistakenly paid the old fee or did not pay the full amount, IRCC may require them to pay the difference.
An important detail concerns the Right of Permanent Residence Fee. If a person submitted an application earlier but decided to pay this fee later, they will have to pay the new amount—$600—even if the application itself was submitted before the fee increase.
What This Means for Applicants
The fee increase is not drastic, but it covers almost all key streams of permanent immigration to Canada. The largest increase applies to business immigration, where the fee for the principal applicant rises by $85. For most other categories, the increase ranges from $15 to $40.
For those planning to apply for PR in the near future, the main advice is to check the fee amount immediately before submitting your application. If you pay the wrong amount, it could lead to delays or the need for additional payment.
Thus, starting April 30, 2026, applying for permanent residency in Canada will become slightly more expensive for most applicants. Although the increase is moderate, it is important for anyone preparing documents for PR through economic programs, the PNP, family sponsorship, humanitarian grounds, or other permanent residency categories.