Posted by: Dimple Verma, RCIC-IRB #R708308 | VG Immigration Services Canada
Published: April 20, 2026
Canada PR Fee Increase April 30, 2026: What You Must Do Before the Deadline
If you are planning to apply for Canadian permanent residence, the clock is ticking. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has confirmed that permanent residence application fees will increase on April 30, 2026 — just 10 days from today. Whether you are pursuing Express Entry, a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), family sponsorship, or another PR pathway, submitting and paying your fees before that date could save you a meaningful amount of money. This post breaks down exactly what is changing, who it affects, and what steps you should take right now.
Key Highlights
- Effective date: April 30, 2026 — applications received on or after this date are subject to new fees.
- Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF): Increases from $575 to $600 (+$25 per person).
- Express Entry / PNP / Skilled Worker processing fee: Increases from $950 to $990 (+$40 per principal applicant; same for spouse/partner).
- Family class sponsorship: Increases from $545 to $570 (+$25).
- Business immigration: Increases from $1,810 to $1,895 (+$85 — the largest single increase).
- Protected persons / H&C applications: Increases from $635 to $660 (+$25).
- Permit holders: Increases from $375 to $390 (+$15).
- Dependent children: Processing fee increases from $260 to $270 (+$10).
- The RPRF is charged based on the date of payment, not the date your application was submitted — a critical detail for anyone who applied earlier but has not yet paid the RPRF.
Why Are These Fees Increasing?
Canada reviews and adjusts permanent residence application fees every two years under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. The government aligns fees with inflation to ensure IRCC can continue delivering timely, reliable processing services while managing the rising cost of running immigration programs. The adjustments announced on March 27, 2026, follow this standard two-year review cycle and are not a response to any policy shift or reduction in services.
For the average principal applicant under Express Entry or a PNP stream, the total increase — including both the processing fee and the RPRF — amounts to $65 per person (from $1,525 to $1,590). For a couple applying together, the combined fee increase can reach $130 or more, depending on whether dependants are included. While these are not dramatic changes, they are avoidable — if you act before April 30.
Business immigration applicants face the steepest single-line increase at $85, bringing the principal applicant processing fee to $1,895. When the RPRF is added, total government fees for a business-class applicant will surpass $2,495. If your application is ready or nearly ready, submitting now is the most straightforward way to preserve your current fee obligation.
Who Is Affected and When
The fee increase applies to applications received by IRCC on or after April 30, 2026. For online applicants, this means the date your application is submitted through the IRCC Secure Account portal. Online applicants benefit from an instantaneous submission record, making the online route the safest way to beat the deadline.
Paper-based applicants need to be especially careful. If IRCC physically receives your paper application on or after April 30, the new fees apply — regardless of when you mailed it. Given postal delivery timelines, anyone submitting a paper application should factor in several business days and consider dispatching the package as early as possible this week, ideally by overnight or priority courier with tracking.
There is one particularly important exception: the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF). Unlike the processing fee, the RPRF is assessed based on the date you pay it, not the date you filed your application. This means that if you submitted your PR application months ago but have not yet paid the RPRF — which is sometimes paid at a later stage in the process — you will be required to pay the new $600 rate if you make that payment on or after April 30. If this applies to you, logging into your IRCC account and paying the RPRF before April 29 could save $25 per person right away.
Complete Fee Comparison Table
The following summarizes the updated permanent residence fees for principal applicants across all major programs:
| Program / Fee Type | Current Fee | New Fee (Apr 30) | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) | $575 | $600 | +$25 |
| Express Entry / PNP / Skilled Worker | $950 | $990 | +$40 |
| Business Immigration | $1,810 | $1,895 | +$85 |
| Family Class Sponsorship | $545 | $570 | +$25 |
| Protected Persons / H&C | $635 | $660 | +$25 |
| Permit Holders | $375 | $390 | +$15 |
| Dependent Child (processing) | $260 | $270 | +$10 |
Special Situations: Spouses, Partners, and Dependants
The fee increase applies to each person named on a PR application, so families should calculate the total impact carefully. For a couple applying together under Express Entry or a PNP stream, the combined processing fee increase alone is $80 (two applicants at +$40 each), and if both are also subject to the RPRF, the total extra cost is $130. Families with dependent children will also pay a slightly higher dependent child processing fee of $270 per child, up from $260. The more people included in an application, the greater the potential savings from submitting before April 30.
For family class sponsors — particularly those sponsoring a spouse or partner — the processing fee rises from $545 to $570. If you are in the middle of gathering documents for a spousal or partner sponsorship and can realistically complete the application within the next week, it is worth accelerating your timeline. Family class applications submitted online are generally manageable to complete once the core documents are assembled, and a regulated immigration consultant can help you identify whether the April 29 deadline is achievable for your specific situation.
Other Immigration Developments to Watch This Spring
The fee increase is not the only development worth tracking over the coming weeks. Canada’s new Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident (TR to PR) pathway is expected to open sometime around mid-May 2026, offering up to 33,000 spots over 2026 and 2027 for eligible temporary foreign workers already living and working in Canada. Priority sectors are expected to include healthcare, skilled trades, agriculture, transportation, and care services. This program is anticipated to be highly competitive — the 2021 version of the pathway reached its cap within a matter of days, with some streams filling within hours of opening. If you are currently on a valid work permit in Canada, beginning to prepare your documents now is strongly advisable so you are ready to submit the moment the portal becomes available.
Meanwhile, the Express Entry pool has grown to over 233,000 active profiles as of mid-April 2026, meaning competition for Invitations to Apply (ITAs) is increasingly intense. The most recent Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw had a CRS cut-off of 515. If your score is in the 451–500 range, exploring provincial nominee pathways, category-based selection draws for your occupation or language profile, or a qualifying job offer may be the most effective strategies to improve your standing. IRCC continues to hold targeted draws for healthcare workers, skilled tradespeople, French-language candidates, and agricultural workers — these often carry lower CRS thresholds than all-program rounds and can provide a more accessible route for candidates who have not yet received an ITA.
For those considering Ontario’s Provincial Nominee Program (OINP), there is an additional deadline to be aware of: all nine current OINP streams will be revoked effective May 30, 2026, as the province undertakes its most significant immigration overhaul in years. New streams — including a Priority Healthcare stream, an Exceptional Talent pathway, and a restructured Employer Job Offer stream — are expected to be introduced, but current applicants under existing categories may find their options change significantly after that date. If you qualify under a current OINP stream, acting before May 30 is important.
What This Means for You
If you have a completed PR application: Submit it before April 29, 2026. Do not wait. If your documents are ready, there is no reason to pay more than necessary. Log into your IRCC Secure Account or work with your representative to submit as soon as possible.
If your application is almost ready: Assess whether you can finalize the remaining items in the next few days. For many applicants, the difference between submitting now and submitting after April 30 is $65 or more per person — which is worth prioritizing even if it means a small push to finalize things quickly.
If you applied earlier but have not yet paid the RPRF: Check your IRCC account status immediately. If the RPRF payment is pending, pay it before April 29 to lock in the $575 rate rather than the new $600 rate.
If you are on a work permit and considering the TR to PR pathway: Start gathering your documents now. The program is expected to open in the coming weeks, and given the 33,000-spot cap and first-come, first-served nature of the application process, being document-ready on day one is critical. Key documents to prepare include your current work permit, employment letters and recent pay stubs, a language test result (IELTS, CELPIP, TEF, or TCF), proof of your occupation’s NOC classification, your passport and immigration history, and any Canadian tax documents confirming your income and employment.
If you are in the Express Entry pool with a lower CRS score: Consider whether a provincial nominee program is the right route. The OINP is currently accepting profiles under several streams, but those streams are changing on May 30. Acting before both the fee increase and the OINP overhaul may preserve options that will soon no longer be available under the current framework.
How VG Immigration Can Help
Navigating Canada’s immigration system requires expert guidance. Dimple Verma, RCIC-IRB (R708308), Commissioner of Oaths, at VG Immigration Services can help you understand your options and build the strongest possible application. Whether you are racing to meet the April 30 fee deadline, preparing for the upcoming TR to PR pathway, strategizing around your Express Entry profile, or exploring OINP streams before the May 30 overhaul, our team is here to support you every step of the way.
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