The federal government has increased several immigration fees as of December 1, 2025, affecting inadmissibility-related applications and the processing fee for International Experience Canada (IEC) work permits. Applicants who submitted online applications and paid the previous fees before midnight on December 1 will not be impacted. However, individuals who applied by paper before this date may still be required to pay the difference, depending on when their application is received and processed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The updated inadmissibility fees now apply to a range of applications. The cost for an Authorization to Return to Canada has risen from $479.75 to $492.50. Temporary Resident Permits and several restoration-of-status categories—visitor, worker, and student—have each increased from $239.75 to $246.25. Applications for restoration that require a new permit also climbed, with worker status restoration rising from $394.75 to $401.25 and student status restoration from $389.75 to $396.25. Criminal rehabilitation fees have also increased: applications related to standard criminality now cost $246.25, while those tied to serious criminality increased from $1,199 to $1,231.
These fees apply to individuals seeking to return to Canada after being required to leave, those who are inadmissible but need to enter temporarily for compelling reasons, and those applying to clear past criminal history once the required period has passed. Restoration-of-status applications remain available for temporary residents who lost their status and did not apply for an extension, provided they act within 90 days.
Under the International Experience Canada program—which allows eligible youth from partner countries to obtain Canadian work permits—the work permit processing fee has also increased, rising from $179.75 to $184.75. IEC participants must still submit a profile, enter the appropriate category pools, and receive an invitation to apply before submitting their work permit application. The IEC pools for 2025 are already closed; profiles may be submitted once the 2026 season opens.
Applicants who mailed a complete application before the fee increase and paid the old fee will be contacted by IRCC with instructions to pay the balance owed. To complete this step, applicants must calculate the difference between the old and new fee, pay the amount through IRCC’s online payment portal under “Make an additional payment or pay other fees,” and submit the receipt as directed. IRCC allows applicants to pay the difference in a single transaction or through multiple payments, with one receipt issued per transaction.
The updated fee structure reflects the government’s ongoing adjustments to immigration processing costs as Canada prepares for the upcoming application seasons across multiple immigration programs.