As of 30 April 2026, anyone filing—or finishing—an application for Canadian permanent residence must pay higher processing fees. The increases, published on IRCC’s website and detailed by CIC News, range from roughly four to six per cent and cover Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Programs, family sponsorship, business immigration and humanitarian classes. The mandatory Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) also climbs from CA$575 to CA$600. The hikes follow IRCC’s biennial indexation formula, which ties fees to cumulative inflation since the last adjustment (2024).
![Permanent-resident application fees rise across every program stream]()
VisaHQ’s Canada team can help applicants and employers navigate these updated fee requirements by providing step-by-step guidance, document checklists and real-time support; our online platform automatically calculates the new amounts, reducing the risk of under-payment notices. To learn more, visit https://www.visahq.com/canada/
Ottawa argues that user-pay pricing keeps the immigration system fiscally neutral, but advocacy groups counter that higher fees disproportionately hurt lower-income families and international graduates already coping with record housing costs. Applicants who submitted online before 30 April are safe, yet those who mailed paper files may be asked to top-up the difference. Crucially, anyone who deferred paying the RPRF must now remit the new CA$600 rate—even if the original application pre-dates the change. IRCC’s online fee tool has been updated, and officers have been instructed not to refuse otherwise-complete applications solely for under-payment, instead issuing a request for the balance. For employers running immigration budgets, the immediate effect is a small but real uptick in relocation costs. A skilled-worker family of four under Express Entry, for example, now faces CA$3,090 in government fees versus CA$2,960 last week. Multinationals with dozens of cases in flight may need to adjust accruals before quarter-end. Looking ahead, fee indexation means the next adjustment is scheduled for April 2028; however, the government may accelerate increases if fiscal pressures mount. HR teams are therefore advised to include a three-to-five-per-cent contingency in long-term mobility forecasts.
VisaHQ’s Canada team can help applicants and employers navigate these updated fee requirements by providing step-by-step guidance, document checklists and real-time support; our online platform automatically calculates the new amounts, reducing the risk of under-payment notices. To learn more, visit https://www.visahq.com/canada/
Ottawa argues that user-pay pricing keeps the immigration system fiscally neutral, but advocacy groups counter that higher fees disproportionately hurt lower-income families and international graduates already coping with record housing costs. Applicants who submitted online before 30 April are safe, yet those who mailed paper files may be asked to top-up the difference. Crucially, anyone who deferred paying the RPRF must now remit the new CA$600 rate—even if the original application pre-dates the change. IRCC’s online fee tool has been updated, and officers have been instructed not to refuse otherwise-complete applications solely for under-payment, instead issuing a request for the balance. For employers running immigration budgets, the immediate effect is a small but real uptick in relocation costs. A skilled-worker family of four under Express Entry, for example, now faces CA$3,090 in government fees versus CA$2,960 last week. Multinationals with dozens of cases in flight may need to adjust accruals before quarter-end. Looking ahead, fee indexation means the next adjustment is scheduled for April 2028; however, the government may accelerate increases if fiscal pressures mount. HR teams are therefore advised to include a three-to-five-per-cent contingency in long-term mobility forecasts.
