New Immigration Costs: Canada to Raise PR Fees in April

The Government of Canada has announced that fees for permanent residence applications will go up starting from April 30, 2026.

The new fees were released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada as part of its regular review process. The agency said the increase is necessary to keep up with rising costs and growing demand for immigration services.

What is Changing

The fee increase will affect different types of applicants, including those applying through family sponsorship, business immigration, and humanitarian programmes. The increases range between $15 and $85 depending on the category.

Here are some of the key changes:

The Right of Permanent Residence Fee will increase from $575 to $600 for main applicants and their spouses or partners.

Under economic programmes like the Federal Skilled Worker and Provincial Nominee Programme, fees for main applicants and spouses will rise from $950 to $990, while fees for dependent children will increase from $260 to $270.

For business immigration, main applicants will now pay $1,895 (up from $1,810), spouses will pay $990 (up from $950), and children will pay $270 (up from $260).

Under family sponsorship, the sponsorship fee will increase from $85 to $90, the main applicant fee will rise from $545 to $570, and children will pay $90 (up from $85).

For protected persons, main applicants and spouses will pay $660 (up from $635), while children will pay $180 (up from $175).

Applicants under humanitarian and compassionate grounds will also pay $660 for adults and $180 for children.

For the permit holders class, the fee will increase from $375 to $390.

What This Means

Anyone submitting a new application on or after April 30, 2026, will have to pay the new, higher fees. People planning to move to Canada should prepare for these extra costs.

Why the Fees Are Increasing

Canadian immigration authorities explained that fees are reviewed every two years. The increase helps them continue to provide fast and reliable services while dealing with more applications.

Additional Information

Canada remains one of the top destinations for immigrants around the world. In 2025, about 393,500 people became permanent residents.

However, the country is also trying to slow population growth slightly to reduce pressure on housing and public services.

As of early 2026, there are more than 2 million immigration applications being processed, with many still delayed.