Canada to Increase Fees for Certain Permanent Residency Programs Effective April 30

Securing permanent residency in Canada is set to become more costly starting next month for certain applicants.

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have declared a hike in specific permanent residence (PR) fees, set to take effect at 9 am Eastern Time on April 30, 2024. This adjustment aligns with Canada's Immigrant and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) and mirrors the aggregate percentage rise in the Canada Consumer Price Index, as Statistics Canada reported.

Click & check your eligibility for immigration. Find out

Here are the updated fee adjustments effective from April 2024 through March 2026:

Fee for Right of Permanent Residence:

• Principal applicant and accompanying spouse or common-law partner: $575 (formerly $515)

Federal Skilled Worker Program, Provincial Nominee Program, Quebec Skilled Worker Program, Atlantic Immigration Pilot, and the majority of economic pilot programs (including Rural and Agri-Food):

• Principal ApplicantApplicant: Increased to $950 from the previous $850
• Accompanying spouse or common-law partner: Raised to $950, up from $850
• Accompanying dependent child: Now $260, formerly $230

Live-in Caregiver Program and Caregivers Pilots (Home Child Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot):

• Fee for the principal ApplicantApplicant: $635 (previously $570)
• Fee for an accompanying spouse or common-law partner: $635 (previously $570)
• Fee for each accompanying dependent child: $175 (previously $155)

Business (Federal and Quebec):

• Principal Applicant: Increased to $1,810 from $1,625
• Spouse or Common-Law Partner Accompanying: Now $950, up from $850
• Accompanying Dependent Child: Raised to $260 from $230

Family Reunification (including spouses, partners, and children; parents and grandparents, along with other relatives):

• Sponsorship Fee: Now $85, increased from $75.
• Fee for the Sponsored Principal Applicant: $545 from $490.
• Fee for Sponsored Children (under 22 years old, not a spouse/partner): Adjusted to $85 from $75.
• Fee for an Accompanying Spouse or Common-Law Partner: Updated to $635, up from $570.
• Fee for an Accompanying Dependent Child: Now $175, previously $155.

Protected Persons Fees:

• Principal Applicant: Increased to $635 from $570
• Spouse or Common-Law Partner Accompanying: Now $635, up from $570
• Dependent Child Accompanying: Raised to $175 from $155

Humanitarian and Compassionate Consideration / Public Policy:

• Principal ApplicantApplicant: $635 (formerly $570)
• Accompanying Spouse or Common-Law Partner: $635 (formerly $570)
• Accompanying Dependent Child: $175 (formerly $155)

For Permit Holders:

• Main Applicant Fee: $375 (formerly $335)

The IRCC announced that the new rate was established by calculating the total percentage increase in Canada's Consumer Price Index, as reported by Statistics Canada, over the past two years (2022 and 2023) and then rounding it to the nearest five dollars.

Certain applicants are not required to pay the Right of Permanent Residence Fee, a charge generally applied to all seeking permanent residency, with the exception of dependent children and protected persons. Specifically, principal applicants within the "Humanitarian and compassionate" and "Public policy" categories may be exempt from this fee, but only under particular conditions.

Furthermore, individuals categorized as "Permit holders" are prohibited from adding family members to their permanent residence applications. Rather, those in this classification are required to apply independently as principal applicants.