Last Updated On 28 April 2026, 9:27 AM EDT (Toronto Time)
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is raising permanent residence fees across every PR category effective April 30, 2026.
Anyone preparing to submit a permanent residence application or pay the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) should verify the correct amount before making any payment.
Paying the wrong amount can delay processing or require an additional payment to cover the difference between the old and new fee.
The fee changes apply to all applications received by IRCC on or after April 30, 2026, regardless of when the applicant began preparing their file.
This article provides the full updated fee table, explains who is affected, outlines transitional rules for mailed applications, and covers what applicants should do before the deadline.
Table of Contents
Canada Permanent Residence Fees Increasing Effective April 30
The federal government is increasing fees for all permanent residence applications effective April 30, 2026.
Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, IRCC adjusts permanent residence fees every two years to offset the cost of running the immigration program and to respond to growing demand.
The last permanent residence fee increase took effect on April 30, 2024, when many categories increased by roughly 11% to 13%, depending on the fee type.
The 2026 increases are more modest in dollar terms but still affect every PR category, from economic immigration and family sponsorship to protected persons, humanitarian cases, and the permit holders class.
The official IRCC notice confirms that the updated fee schedule applies to all applications received on or after April 30, 2026.
Applicants who submit online will have their applications received immediately, which means they must pay the correct fee before clicking submit.
Applicants who mail paper applications should be aware that IRCC may still ask them to pay the fee difference if the fee changes while the application is in the mail, even if the department does not reject the application.
Full List Of New Canada Permanent Residence Fees
| Application or Fee Category | New Fee (April 30, 2026) | Current Fee | Increase |
| Right of Permanent Residence Fee (principal applicant and spouse/partner) | $600 | $575 | $25 |
| Federal High Skilled / PNP / Quebec Skilled Workers / Atlantic Immigration / Most Economic Pilots – Principal Applicant | $990 | $950 | $40 |
| Federal High Skilled / PNP / Quebec Skilled Workers / Atlantic Immigration / Most Economic Pilots – Spouse or Partner | $990 | $950 | $40 |
| Federal High Skilled / PNP / Quebec Skilled Workers / Atlantic Immigration / Most Economic Pilots – Dependent Child | $270 | $260 | $10 |
| Business (Federal and Quebec) – Principal Applicant | $1,895 | $1,810 | $85 |
| Business (Federal and Quebec) – Spouse or Partner | $990 | $950 | $40 |
| Business (Federal and Quebec) – Dependent Child | $270 | $260 | $10 |
| Family Reunification – Sponsorship Fee | $90 | $85 | $5 |
| Family Reunification – Sponsored Principal Applicant | $570 | $545 | $25 |
| Family Reunification – Sponsored Dependent Child (under 22, not a spouse/partner) | $90 | $85 | $5 |
| Protected Persons – Principal Applicant | $660 | $635 | $25 |
| Protected Persons – Spouse or Partner | $660 | $635 | $25 |
| Protected Persons – Dependent Child | $180 | $175 | $5 |
| Humanitarian and Compassionate / Public Policy – Principal Applicant | $660 | $635 | $25 |
| Humanitarian and Compassionate / Public Policy – Spouse or Partner | $660 | $635 | $25 |
| Humanitarian and Compassionate / Public Policy – Dependent Child | $180 | $175 | $5 |
| Permit Holders Class – Principal Applicant | $390 | $375 | $15 |
This table summarizes the main permanent residence fee increases published by IRCC.
Some family sponsorship totals combine sponsorship, processing, and RPRF components, so applicants should verify their exact total using IRCC’s official fee tool before paying.
The exact amount each applicant owes depends on their program category, the number of accompanying family members, and whether the RPRF applies.
For example, a principal applicant under Express Entry applying with a spouse and one dependent child would owe the processing fee for each person plus the RPRF for the principal applicant and spouse.
Applicants should use the official IRCC fee list to calculate their exact total before making any payment.
Who Will Be Affected By The New PR Fee Increase
The fee increase affects permanent residence applicants who submit applications or pay applicable permanent residence fees on or after April 30, 2026.
Economic immigration applicants under Express Entry, the Provincial Nominee Program, Quebec Skilled Workers, the Atlantic Immigration Class, and most economic pilots will see their principal applicant processing fee rise from $950 to $990.
Accompanying spouses and common-law partners in these economic categories will also see their processing fee rise from $950 to $990, while dependent child fees rise from $260 to $270.
Family sponsorship applicants will see the sponsorship fee increase from $85 to $90 and the sponsored principal applicant fee rise from $545 to $570.
Federal and Quebec business class applicants face the largest dollar increase, with the principal applicant fee climbing from $1,810 to $1,895.
Protected persons, including convention refugees, will see their principal applicant fee increase from $635 to $660. Humanitarian and compassionate or public policy applicants are listed separately by IRCC, with the same principal applicant increase from $635 to $660.
Dependent children in the protected persons and humanitarian categories will see a smaller increase from $175 to $180.
Permit holders class applicants, who apply individually without accompanying family members, face an increase from $375 to $390.
The Right of Permanent Residence Fee, which is separate from the processing fee and is paid by principal applicants and their spouses or common-law partners, increases from $575 to $600.
This means a couple applying through Express Entry with the RPRF included will pay an additional $130 in combined fees under the new schedule.
Who May Not Be Affected Immediately
Applicants who have already submitted a complete application with the correct fee before April 30 will not be affected by the fee increase.
Their application was received by IRCC before the new fee schedule took effect, so the old fee amount applies to their file.
Applicants who mailed a complete application before the fee change date may be protected from having the application rejected only because they paid the old fee, but IRCC may still ask them to pay the fee difference.
According to IRCC, the department will generally not reject a mailed application if the old fee was paid, the application was complete, and it was sent before the fee change.
However, IRCC will ask these applicants to pay the difference between the old and new fees.
Applicants who have already received an Invitation to Apply through Express Entry but have not yet submitted their full application should pay close attention to the deadline.
An ITA provides you 60 days to submit a complete application, but the fee you owe is determined by the fee schedule in effect when IRCC receives your application.
If you submit after April 30, you must pay the new fee amounts.
The same rule applies to the RPRF specifically: the amount you owe is based on the fee in effect when you pay it, not when you applied.
What Happens If You Pay The Old Fee
Applicants who submit an online application with the old fee amount on or after April 30, 2026, may need to pay the difference before IRCC will continue processing their file.
When you apply online, IRCC receives your application immediately, so the fee in effect at the time of submission determines what you owe.
If you mail your application, there may be a delay between when you send it and when IRCC receives it.
According to the official IRCC fee guidance, IRCC will generally not reject a mailed application if the applicant paid the old fee, the application was complete, and it was mailed before the fee change date.
In that scenario, IRCC will contact the applicant with instructions on how to pay the fee difference using the online payment tool.
Applicants must calculate the fee difference for each fee that changed, including fees for accompanying family members, and pay the total in a single transaction or multiple transactions through the additional payment category.
IRCC will provide specific instructions on how to submit the receipt once payment is made.
Right Of Permanent Residence Fee Explained
The Right of Permanent Residence Fee is a separate fee from the application processing fee.
It is paid by principal applicants and their accompanying spouses or common-law partners before they can become permanent residents.
Dependent children do not pay the RPRF.
Protected persons, including convention refugees, are exempt from the RPRF. Applicants in eligible humanitarian and compassionate categories are also exempt under IRCC fee rules.
The RPRF can be paid at the same time as the application processing fee or at a later stage before permanent residence is finalized.
IRCC encourages applicants to pay the RPRF upfront to avoid delays during processing.
If an applicant pays the RPRF upfront and their application is not approved, the RPRF is refunded.
The RPRF is the only fee that IRCC can refund after processing has begun.
If you applied without paying the RPRF and the fee increases before you pay it, you must pay the new amount in effect at the time of payment, not the amount that was in effect when you applied.
The RPRF is increasing from $575 to $600 on April 30, 2026, which means applicants who have not yet paid this fee should consider paying before the deadline to lock in the lower amount.
Why Canada Immigration Fees Are Increasing
Permanent residence fees are adjusted every two years under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
The adjustments are designed to offset the cost of delivering immigration services and to keep pace with inflation.
The 2024 increase was based on the cumulative percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index released by Statistics Canada during 2022 and 2023, rounded to the nearest five dollars.
The 2026 increase follows the same regulatory framework.
IRCC has not published a public statement attributing the 2026 increase to a specific CPI calculation, but the official notice confirms that the increase is consistent with the existing biennial adjustment schedule.
Applicants should always check the latest official fee list on the IRCC website before paying any immigration fee, as amounts can change without extensive advance notice.
What Applicants Should Do Before April 30
Applicants who are ready or nearly ready to submit a permanent residence application should take several steps before the April 30 deadline.
First, review the updated fee table on the official IRCC website to confirm the exact amount owed for your specific program and family composition.
Second, calculate the total cost for all family members included in the application, including the processing fee for each person and the RPRF for the principal applicant and spouse or partner.
Third, make the payment online through the official IRCC payment portal and save the receipt immediately after the transaction is confirmed.
Fourth, upload the correct payment receipt with your application to avoid processing delays.
Fifth, do not submit an application with an outdated payment amount, as this will require an additional payment and will likely delay your file.
Sixth, if you plan to mail a paper application, send it before April 30 and make sure it is complete.
IRCC generally will not reject a mailed application only because the old fee was paid if it was complete and mailed before the fee change, but the applicant may still be asked to pay the difference.
The fee increase comes during a busy period for Canadian immigration policy, including Bill C-12 receiving royal assent in March 2026, ongoing Express Entry category and reform discussions, and the federal commitment to transition up to 33,000 work permit holders to permanent residence over 2026 and 2027.
Why This Matters For Canadian Immigration Applicants
The fee increase may appear modest in individual dollar terms, but the cumulative effect on families applying together is significant.
A couple applying through Express Entry without dependent children will now pay $3,180 in combined processing fees and RPRF, compared to $3,050 under the old schedule.
A family of four applying through the Provincial Nominee Program with two dependent children will see their total fees increase by $150 under the new schedule, assuming the principal applicant and spouse or partner both pay the RPRF.
For applicants in the business class, the principal applicant processing fee alone is now $1,895, making federal and Quebec business immigration among the most expensive PR pathways in Canada.
The fee increase also creates urgency for applicants who have been delaying their submissions.
Those with complete or nearly complete applications may want to submit before April 30 to avoid paying the higher amounts.
At the same time, rushing to submit an incomplete application just to beat the deadline is not advisable, as IRCC may return incomplete applications, causing further delays.
Canada’s 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan maintains permanent resident admission targets at 380,000 annually through 2028, meaning demand for PR processing is expected to remain significant.
Processing times vary by immigration category, and applicants should check the latest IRCC processing times before making plans around travel, work, or landing timelines.
Applicants currently in the Express Entry pool who receive an ITA should act quickly on their 60-day deadline while also factoring in the new fee schedule.
Recent IRCC inventory data shows permanent residence inventory exceeded 1 million applications by the end of February 2026, underscoring the importance of submitting a complete and correctly paid application to avoid avoidable delays.
Applicants Should Confirm Fees Before Submitting
The April 30, 2026, permanent residence fee increase applies to every PR category in Canada’s immigration system.
Principal applicants, spouses, common-law partners, and dependent children across economic, family, protected persons, humanitarian, and permit holders’ categories will all pay higher fees under the new schedule.
The Right of Permanent Residence Fee is also increasing from $575 to $600, and the amount owed is based on the fee in effect at the time of payment, not the time of application.
Applicants who pay the wrong amount may face processing delays and will need to pay the difference through IRCC’s online payment tool.
The single most important step for any permanent residence applicant right now is to verify the correct fee amount on the official IRCC fee schedule before submitting any payment.
Paying the correct fee upfront avoids unnecessary delays and keeps your application on track.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When do the new Canada permanent residence fees take effect?
The new permanent residence fees take effect on April 30, 2026. All applications received by IRCC on or after that date will be subject to the updated fee amounts. Online applications are received immediately upon submission, so applicants must pay the new fee if they submit on or after April 30.
Which PR fees are increasing on April 30?
Every permanent residence fee category is increasing on April 30, 2026. This includes the Right of Permanent Residence Fee, Express Entry and PNP processing fees, family sponsorship fees, business class fees, protected persons fees, humanitarian and compassionate fees, and permit holders class fees. Both principal applicant and accompanying family member fees are affected.
What happens if I pay the old permanent residence fee?
If you submit an online application with the old fee on or after April 30, IRCC will ask you to pay the difference between the old and new fee amounts. This will delay processing until the additional payment is received and the receipt is submitted. If you mailed a complete application before the fee change date, IRCC says it generally will not reject it only because the old fee was paid, but it will still tell you how to pay the difference.
Is the Right of Permanent Residence Fee refundable?
Yes, the RPRF is refundable if your application is refused, withdrawn, or cancelled before you become a permanent resident. It is the only fee that IRCC can refund after processing has begun. IRCC says the RPRF is refunded if an application is withdrawn or refused, but refund timing can vary.
Do dependent children pay the Right of Permanent Residence Fee?
No, the dependent children are exempt from the Right of Permanent Residence Fee. Only principal applicants and their accompanying spouses or common-law partners are required to pay the RPRF. Protected persons, including convention refugees, are also exempt from the RPRF. Applicants in eligible humanitarian and compassionate categories are also exempt under IRCC fee rules.
Should I pay my PR fees before April 30?
If your application is ready to submit and you are confident it is complete, paying before April 30 will allow you to lock in the current lower fee amounts. However, you should not rush to submit an incomplete application solely to beat the deadline, as IRCC may return incomplete files, causing more significant delays. If you have already applied but have not yet paid the RPRF, you should pay the current $575 amount before April 30 to avoid the $600 charge that takes effect on that date.
Fact-Checked: All fee amounts and regulatory information in this article have been verified against official Government of Canada sources, including the IRCC permanent residence fee increase notice published on March 27, 2026, and the IRCC fee changes page on ircc.canada.ca, as of April 28, 2026.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. IRCC policies change frequently and individual circumstances vary. Consult a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or licensed immigration lawyer for guidance specific to your situation.
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