Canada IRCC increases the PR immigration fees

From April 30, 2022, Canada immigration will increase the fees on permanent residence applications.

The last increase in the PR fees happened in 2002, and it’s the first time that the IRCC is raising the fees. The plan was to increase the fees every two years, but that did not happen until now.

Canada raises PR immigration fees

Apart from the application fees, you might have to pay $500 for a PR fee. It gets called the right of residency fee. You can pay the fee during the application stages or when the IRCC approves your application. The officials refund the fee if they decline the PR application.

The right of residency fee doesn’t apply to you in the following cases:

Principal applicant or sponsor’s dependent children
Sponsoring applications to adopt a child
A sponsoring application to adopt an orphan:
- brother,
- sister,
- niece,
- nephew
- grandchild

The fees for the following cases will increase this year:

Permanent resident cards,
Permanent resident travel documents
Certification or replacement immigration documents

Program	Candidates	Current fee	New fee
Right of Permanent Residence Fee	Principal applicant and accompanying spouse or common-law partner	$500	$515
Federal High Skilled, Provincial Nominee Program and Quebec Skilled Workers, Atlantic Immigration Class and most Economic Pilots (Rural, Agri-Food)	Principal applicant	$825	$850
	Accompanying spouse or common-law partner	$825	$850
	Accompanying dependent child	$225	$230
Live-in Caregiver Program and Caregivers Pilots (Home Child Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot)	Principal applicant	$550	$570
	Accompanying spouse or common-law partner	$550	$570
	Accompanying dependent child	$150	$155
Business (Federal and Quebec)	Principal applicant	$1.575	$1.625
	Accompanying spouse or common-law partner	$825	$850
	Accompanying dependent child	$225	$230
Family Reunification (Spouses, Partners and Children; Parents and Grandparents; and other relatives)	Sponsorship fee	$75	$75
	Sponsored principal applicant	$475	$490
	Sponsored dependent child	$75	$75
	Accompanying spouse or common-law partner	$550	$570
	Accompanying dependent child	$150	$155
Protected Persons	Principal applicant	$550	$570
	Accompanying spouse or common-law partner	$550	$570
	Accompanying dependent child	$150	$155
Humanitarian and Compassionate / Public Policy	Principal applicant	$550	$570
	Accompanying spouse or common-law partner	$550	$570
	Accompanying dependent child	$150	$155
Permit Holders	Principal applicant	$325	$335

Source: CIC News

Applicants need to pay most of the fees and expenses of their application. The Canadian government tries to put the financial burden on applicants, not the taxpayers.

Compared with countries such as Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and the US, Canada has fewer application fees. The increase is to catch up with the increased fees of similar countries.

You can expect the next round of increases in fees in 2024.

Max Behroozi is a visa consultation expert who helps travelers with their visa needs. He makes the process simple and clear. Max loves to explore new places and find hidden gems. He shares his adventures in his writing. He enjoys coffee and believes great stories come from local cafes. Through his articles and consultations, Max inspires others to travel and discover the world.