Permanent Residence Fees Increase April 30, 2026

Summary#

The Department of Citizenship and Immigration says permanent residence application fees will rise on April 30, 2026. The increase happens at 9:00:00 a.m. Eastern daylight time and is a routine, biennial adjustment tied to inflation under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

What it does#

• Fees are being raised based on the cumulative change in the Consumer Price Index for Canada for 2024 and 2025, then rounded to the nearest $5. The change takes effect April 30, 2026 at 9:00:00 a.m. Eastern daylight time.
• Examples of the updated fees (current → new):
  • Right of Permanent Residence Fee (principal applicant and accompanying spouse/partner): $575 → $600
  • Federal skilled / Provincial Nominee / most economic streams (principal applicant): $950 → $990
  • Accompanying dependent child (most economic and some other classes): $260 → $270
  • Home care worker (older caregiver classes) principal applicant: $635 → $660; dependent child: $175 → $180
  • Business principal applicant: $1,810 → $1,895
  • Sponsorship fee: $85 → $90; sponsored principal applicant: $545 → $570
  • Permit holders (principal applicant): $375 → $390
• The notice confirms which categories are exempt from the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (for example, dependent children and protected persons are generally exempt).
• For questions, the notice lists Martin Mulligan, Director, Fees, Passport and Financial Business Intelligence, Financial Partnerships Branch, as the contact.

Who's affected#

• People applying for Canadian permanent residence across most programs (economic streams, family sponsorship, business immigration, humanitarian cases).
• Sponsors (family members) and their sponsored applicants.
• Permit holders who later apply for permanent residence.
• Protected persons and dependent children — they are noted as generally exempt from some fees, so they may not be affected the same way.
• If it’s unclear whether a specific fee applies to you, the notice gives a contact for inquiries.

Why it matters#

• The change increases the out-of-pocket cost of applying for permanent residence. Applicants and sponsors should plan for slightly higher fees.
• The increases are modest and routine; the largest listed example moves a fee by $85 (business principal applicant). Overall changes range roughly from about $5 to $85 depending on the fee.
• Because the rise is tied to inflation (CPI for 2024 and 2025), similar adjustments will continue on the scheduled biennial cycle unless the rules change.