1. Quick 2026 IRCC fee overview
Canada's immigration and citizenship fees depend on the application type and the applicant's circumstances. A headline number should not be treated as a guaranteed total because some applications may require biometrics, the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF), an open-work-permit-holder fee, restoration fees, family fees or other charges.
| Application or service | Current government fee | Important condition |
|---|---|---|
| eTA | C$7 | Applies to eligible eTA applicants. |
| Visitor visa | C$100 per person | Family of 5 or more applying together can pay a C$500 maximum when the family-fee conditions are met. |
| Visitor-status extension | C$100 per person | Used to extend visitor status from inside Canada. |
| Study permit | C$150 per person | The fee includes study-permit applications and extensions. |
| Work permit | C$155 per person | Ordinary work-permit processing fee. |
| Open work permit holder fee | C$100 additional | Applies to eligible open-work-permit applicants; it is separate from the C$155 work-permit processing fee. |
| Temporary Resident Permit | C$246.25 per person | Separate from ordinary visitor-visa processing. |
| Economic PR / Express Entry — principal applicant | C$1,590 including RPRF | C$990 processing + C$600 RPRF. |
| Economic PR / Express Entry — without RPRF | C$990 | The C$600 RPRF can generally be paid later before becoming a permanent resident. |
| Economic PR — dependent child | C$270 per child | Children do not pay the RPRF. |
| Adult citizenship grant | C$653 | Includes C$530 processing + C$123 right of citizenship fee. |
| Minor citizenship grant | C$100 | Processing fee for applicants under 18. |
| Individual biometrics | C$85 | Only where biometrics are required and no exemption applies. |
| Family biometrics maximum | C$170 | Eligible family members applying at the same time and place. |
2. Temporary-resident fees: visitor visas, eTA, study permits and work permits
Temporary-resident application fees are separate from third-party costs such as medical examinations, police certificates, language testing or services charged by a visa application centre. Biometrics are also separate when they are required.
Important Notes
- The biometrics amount is not automatically mandatory for every applicant. IRCC requires biometrics only for applicants who fall within the applicable biometrics rules and are not exempt.
- The C$100 open-work-permit-holder fee is only for applicants who are applying for an open work permit and therefore does not apply to every work-permit application.
- The same C$100 visitor-visa fee applies whether IRCC issues a single-entry or multiple-entry visitor visa.
- IRCC's family maximum for a visitor visa is C$500 for a family of 5 or more who meet the same-time-and-place and dependant conditions.
3. Biometrics fees in 2026
IRCC currently lists a biometrics fee of C$85 per individual or a maximum of C$170 for an eligible family of 2 or more applying at the same time. Biometrics are required for citizens of certain countries or territories when applying for specified temporary-resident documents, subject to exemptions.
4. Express Entry and economic permanent-residence fees after April 30, 2026
IRCC increased permanent-residence fees on April 30, 2026. The economic-immigration fee category, which includes Express Entry programs such as the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program, now charges C$1,590 for the principal applicant when the RPRF is included.
Worked Examples
5. Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF): C$600 in 2026
The RPRF increased from C$575 to C$600 for applications received on or after April 30, 2026. For most permanent-residence applications, the fee is payable before permanent residence is granted. IRCC allows applicants to pay it with the application to avoid delays or later pay it when IRCC requests it.
Rprf Rules
- Current RPRF: C$600.
- The RPRF generally applies to the principal applicant and accompanying spouse or common-law partner in eligible permanent-residence categories.
- Dependent children do not pay the RPRF.
- Protected persons and certain other categories are exempt from the RPRF.
- IRCC states that the RPRF is refundable if the application is refused or withdrawn.
- IRCC states that the RPRF is the only fee that can be refunded after processing has started.
- The RPRF is not the same thing as the permanent-residence processing fee.
Refund Examples
6. Business immigration and Start-Up Visa fees
IRCC's current business-immigration fee category includes Quebec business immigration, the self-employed program and the Start-Up Visa. The current principal-applicant fee is C$2,495 including the RPRF, or C$1,895 without the RPRF.
7. Canadian citizenship fees in 2026
The right of citizenship fee increased on March 31, 2026. The adult citizenship grant fee is now C$653, consisting of a C$530 processing component and a C$123 right-of-citizenship component. The minor citizenship grant fee remains C$100.
8. Family sponsorship fees
Family-sponsorship fees depend on the relationship category and whether the application includes the RPRF. The figures below are the major current IRCC family-sponsorship amounts and should be checked against the exact sponsorship category before payment.
9. Restoration and other temporary-resident status fees
Restoring temporary-resident status is different from simply extending a permit or visitor status. If a person has lost status and qualifies for restoration, the restoration fee is added to the fee for the new document where required.
10. Inadmissibility and other immigration-service fees
Some applicants encounter fees outside the ordinary visa, study, work, permanent-residence and citizenship categories. These amounts are relevant only to the particular situation.
11. Provincial, territorial and third-party costs are separate
IRCC fees are only one part of the cost of immigrating to Canada. A federal application may trigger separate provincial or territorial government fees, professional fees or third-party charges.
Separate Costs
12. Fee calculation examples for common applications
The following calculations show how major 2026 IRCC fees add together. They are illustrations of government fees only and exclude third-party costs unless specifically stated.
Scenario Examples
13. 2026 fee-change timeline
Several important immigration and citizenship fees changed during 2026, which explains why older websites can show different figures.
Recommended Step-by-Step Timeline & Workflow
- date: March 31, 2026change: Right of citizenship fee increased from C$119.75 to C$123, making the adult citizenship grant total C$653.
- date: April 30, 2026change: Permanent-residence fees increased. The RPRF increased from C$575 to C$600, and economic immigration principal-applicant fees became C$1,590 including the RPRF.
- date: July 2, 2026change: IRCC's current fee list was modified with the current amounts shown on the fee page.
14. Refund rules: which immigration fees can come back?
IRCC distinguishes between generally non-refundable processing fees and the refundable RPRF. The treatment depends on the fee and the stage of processing.
Refund Rules
- The RPRF is refundable if IRCC refuses the permanent-residence application or if the applicant withdraws the application before permanent residence is granted.
- IRCC states that the RPRF is the only fee it can refund after processing has started.
- A processing fee may be refundable in limited circumstances before processing begins, depending on the application and IRCC's refund rules.
- Biometrics fees can be treated separately from application-processing fees, so applicants should use IRCC's refund guidance rather than assuming every payment is refundable.
- A fee paid under an old fee schedule may require a difference payment if the current fee increased before the application was received.
15. How to verify the correct fee before submitting
Because IRCC updates fees, the safest practice is to verify the exact application category and current amount immediately before payment.
Verification Checklist
- Identify the exact application class or permit type.
- Check whether biometrics are required or whether an exemption applies.
- Check whether an RPRF applies to the permanent-residence category.
- Check whether an open-work-permit-holder fee applies.
- Check whether a family maximum applies.
- Check whether the application involves restoration rather than a normal extension.
- Check for a separate provincial or territorial fee.
- Use IRCC's official fee calculator or fee list immediately before making payment.
- Keep the payment receipt with the application records.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Official Government Sources & Authorities
- IRCC - Citizenship and immigration application fees
- IRCC - Fee changes
- IRCC - Permanent residence fees increasing on April 30, 2026
- IRCC - Right of citizenship fee increasing
- IRCC - Study permit fees
- IRCC - Work permit fees
- IRCC - Visitor visa fees
- IRCC - Biometrics fee list
- IRCC - Citizenship application fees
- IRCC - Permanent residence fee list
- IRCC - Family sponsorship fee list
- IRCC - How to get a refund
- IRCC - Employer compliance fees
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Key IRCC Fees — August 2026
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