Permanent Residence Fee Increase

Summary#

The government published a notice that many Canadian permanent residence application fees will rise on April 30, 2026. The increases are small and come from applying the two‑year change in the Consumer Price Index to current fees.

What it does#

• Increases permanent‑residence fees across many application categories effective 9:00:00 a.m., Eastern daylight time, on April 30, 2026. The change is equal to the cumulative Consumer Price Index change for 2024 and 2025, rounded to the nearest $5.
• Examples of the fee changes (current → new):
  • Right of Permanent Residence Fee (principal applicant and accompanying spouse/common‑law partner): $575 → $600.
  • Federal high‑skilled / Provincial Nominee / Quebec Skilled Workers principal applicant: $950 → $990. Accompanying spouse: $950 → $990. Accompanying dependent child: $260 → $270.
  • Home care worker (caregiver) principal applicant: $635 → $660. Accompanying dependent child: $175 → $180.
  • Business class principal applicant: $1,810 → $1,895. Accompanying spouse: $950 → $990. Child: $260 → $270.
  • Family sponsorship fee: $85 → $90. Sponsored principal applicant: $545 → $570. Sponsored child: $85 → $90.
  • Protected persons principal applicant: $635 → $660.
  • Humanitarian and Compassionate / Public Policy principal applicant: $635 → $660.
  • Permit holders (principal applicant only): $375 → $390.
• Notes made public:
  • Some applicants are exempt from paying the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (for example dependent children and protected persons).
  • Members of the permit‑holder class cannot include accompanying family members in their permanent‑residence applications; family members must apply separately.
• The notice names Martin Mulligan at the department as the contact for inquiries about the updated fees.

Who's affected#

• Most people applying for permanent residence in Canada between April 30, 2026 and the next fee update (the notice labels the new fees as for April 2026—March 2028):
  • Economic applicants (skilled workers, provincial nominees, business class).
  • Family class applicants and sponsors.
  • Applicants under caregiver/home care worker streams.
  • Protected persons and people applying on humanitarian/compassionate grounds.
  • Permit holders who apply for permanent residence (note they must apply as principal applicants and cannot include family in the same application).
• Dependent children and certain protected persons are noted as exempt from the Right of Permanent Residence Fee.

Why it matters#

• These are routine, inflation‑linked adjustments. They slightly increase the out‑of‑pocket cost of applying for permanent residence.
• People planning to apply, or sponsors budgeting for an application, should use the new amounts when calculating fees for applications submitted on or after April 30, 2026.
• The change is automatic under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations and reflects the CPI movement for the two previous years.