The Government of Canada has announced an increase in permanent residence application fees, with the new rates set to take effect from April 30, 2026.
The revised fee schedule was published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Under the new structure, applicants across various immigration pathways will pay higher fees, with increases ranging from $15 to $85 depending on the category.
What they are saying
The Canadian immigration stated that the fee adjustment is part of a regular review process designed to sustain immigration services amid rising demand.
The fee changes apply to principal applicants across several immigration pathways, including family sponsorship, business immigration, and humanitarian applications.
“To continue delivering timely, reliable services and keep pace with inflation, permanent residence fees will increase on April 30, 2026,” the statement read.
It added that under existing regulations, permanent residence fees are reviewed and adjusted every two years.
More details
The Right of Permanent Residence Fee will increase from $575 to $600 for principal applicants and accompanying spouses or common-law partners.
- Under the Federal High Skilled, Provincial Nominee Program, Quebec Skilled Workers, Atlantic Immigration Class and most economic pilot programmes, fees for principal applicants and accompanying spouses will rise from $950 to $990, dependent children will pay $270, up from $260.
- For business immigration (federal and Quebec), principal applicants will now pay $1,895, up from $1,810; accompanying spouses will pay $990, up from $950, and dependent children will pay $270, up from $260.
- Under family reunification, the sponsorship fee will increase from $85 to $90, the sponsored principal applicant fee will rise from $545 to $570, and sponsored dependent children will pay $90, up from $85.
- For protected persons, principal applicants and accompanying spouses or partners will now pay $660, up from $635, while dependent children will pay $180, up from $175.
- Applicants under humanitarian and compassionate grounds or public policy measures will pay $660 for principal applicants and accompanying spouses, up from $635, while dependent children will pay $180, up from $175.
- For the permit holders class, the fee for principal applicants will increase from $375 to $390.
What this means
The increase will affect new applications submitted on or after April 30, 2026, meaning prospective immigrants will need to budget for higher costs depending on their application category.
The changes also reflect Canada’s broader immigration strategy to manage growing application volumes while maintaining service standards.
What you should know
Canada continues to rank among the world’s top immigration destinations, with hundreds of thousands of people gaining permanent residency each year.
In 2025, the country admitted about 393,500 new permanent residents, slightly below previous years, as authorities moved to slow population growth and ease pressure on housing and public services
- As of October 1, 2025, the number of non-permanent residents stood at 2.85 million, or 6.8% of the population, down from 7.3% in July 2025, driven largely by record-high permit expirations.
- International student numbers have fallen sharply, the population of temporary foreign workers continued to rise until mid-2025 and has only recently begun to ease.
- With Canada’s population projected to reach 41.6 million by the end of 2026, the number of non-permanent residents would need to fall to about 2.08 million to meet the government’s 5% threshold highlighting the scale of adjustment still ahead.
As of January 2026, there were over 2 million applications across all immigration categories, with about 990,300 already in backlog beyond standard processing timelines.
