Right of Citizenship Fee Increased

Summary#

The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration has raised the fee people pay for the right to become a Canadian citizen. Effective March 31, 2025 the fee for adult citizenship grant applicants goes from $100 to $119.75. The change is based on the April All-items Consumer Price Index for Canada (published by Statistics Canada) and is rounded down to the nearest $0.25.

What it does#

• Changes the Right of Citizenship fee for adults from $100 (current period: February 1995–March 30, 2025) to $119.75 (new period: March 31, 2025–March 30, 2026).
• Takes effect on March 31, 2025 at 12:00 a.m. Eastern daylight time.
• Adjusts the fee each year on March 31 by the cumulative change in the April All-items Consumer Price Index for Canada, with the result rounded down to the nearest $0.25.
• The change was announced by the government under the Financial Administration Act, the Citizenship Regulations, and the Service Fees Act.
• For inquiries the notice lists Martin Mulligan, Director, Fees, Passport and Financial Business Intelligence, Financial Partnership Branch.

Who's affected#

• Primarily adult citizenship grant applicants — people applying for Canadian citizenship as adults.
• It is not clear from this notice whether other citizenship-related fees (for minors or other services) are affected.

Why it matters#

• Applicants will need to budget an extra $19.75 when they apply for citizenship.
• The fee is now indexed to inflation, so it can change automatically each year rather than staying fixed.
• Immigration advisers, settlement agencies, legal clinics and anyone planning to apply for citizenship should note the higher cost and that future increases are tied to the Consumer Price Index.