Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has raised a swathe of processing fees with effect from 1 December 2025, a move that caught many applicants off-guard because it was published only in the last Gazette before the cut-off. The revised tariff affects inadmissibility applications, restoration of status, temporary resident permits and the popular International Experience Canada (IEC) working-holiday permit.
Key numbers: the fee to restore temporary resident status now costs CAN $246.25; authorisation to return after removal rises to CAN $492.50; criminal-rehabilitation requests jump as high as CAN $1,231 for serious offences. The IEC participation fee edges up to CAN $184.75. Online applications paid before 23:59 ET on 30 November are grandfathered, but paper filers must remit the difference when IRCC issues a payment notice.
![Canada hikes several immigration application fees; Indian applicants warned to budget extra]()
Why it matters for India? Canada remains the top permanent-residence destination for high-skilled Indians (118,095 PR landings in 2024). Mobility budgets that assumed old rates for December filings—particularly status restorations for workers who missed renewals—will need revision. Consulting firm EY India estimates a family of four seeking restoration could pay an additional ₹25,000 under the new matrix.
Employers using intra-company transfers or IEC pathways for younger staff must update cost projections in offer letters. Immigration counsel also recommend building fee-change clauses into secondment agreements because Ottawa adjusts tariffs every two years to reflect CPI and programme costs.
The bigger takeaway is that ancillary fees—often overshadowed by headline Express Entry points—can materially affect relocation budgets. Finance teams should track IRCC regulatory updates as closely as draw scores.
Key numbers: the fee to restore temporary resident status now costs CAN $246.25; authorisation to return after removal rises to CAN $492.50; criminal-rehabilitation requests jump as high as CAN $1,231 for serious offences. The IEC participation fee edges up to CAN $184.75. Online applications paid before 23:59 ET on 30 November are grandfathered, but paper filers must remit the difference when IRCC issues a payment notice.
Why it matters for India? Canada remains the top permanent-residence destination for high-skilled Indians (118,095 PR landings in 2024). Mobility budgets that assumed old rates for December filings—particularly status restorations for workers who missed renewals—will need revision. Consulting firm EY India estimates a family of four seeking restoration could pay an additional ₹25,000 under the new matrix.
Employers using intra-company transfers or IEC pathways for younger staff must update cost projections in offer letters. Immigration counsel also recommend building fee-change clauses into secondment agreements because Ottawa adjusts tariffs every two years to reflect CPI and programme costs.
The bigger takeaway is that ancillary fees—often overshadowed by headline Express Entry points—can materially affect relocation budgets. Finance teams should track IRCC regulatory updates as closely as draw scores.
