Ottawa, ON — The federal government, through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), has announced an increase in fees for permanent residence (PR) and citizenship applications, with changes set to take effect at the end of March and April 2026.
Under the new structure, fees related to permanent residence applications will rise effective April 30, 2026, impacting applicants across all major immigration categories, including economic streams such as Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programs, family sponsorship, protected persons, and humanitarian applications. In addition, the Right of Citizenship fee will increase starting March 31, 2026.
The government has clarified that applicants who have already submitted their applications online and paid the required fees before the respective deadlines will not be affected by the new increases. However, individuals who submitted paper-based applications prior to the deadline may be required to pay the difference if their applications are received by IRCC after the fee change takes effect.
Among the key changes, the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) will increase from $575 to $600. Fees for principal applicants under major economic immigration streams will rise from $950 to $990, while accompanying spouses and dependent children will also see modest increases. Family sponsorship, protected persons, and humanitarian categories will similarly experience incremental fee hikes across all applicant types.
For citizenship applicants, the Right of Citizenship fee will increase from $119.75 to $123.00 as of March 31, 2026.
IRCC emphasized that applicants who opted to defer payment of the Right of Permanent Residence Fee must pay the new rate in effect at the time of payment, even if their application was submitted before the fee increase deadline.
The department noted that these adjustments are part of routine updates to reflect administrative and processing costs associated with managing Canada’s immigration system. Applicants are encouraged to verify the applicable fees using IRCC’s official online tools and ensure timely payments to avoid delays in processing.
Those required to pay additional amounts due to the updated fee structure will be contacted directly by IRCC with instructions on how to submit the balance.
The changes come at a time when Canada continues to adjust its immigration policies to manage application volumes, improve system integrity, and support long-term population and economic growth objectives.