Canadian Immigration Fees 2026: The IRCC List, Explained

The IRCC fee list (date modified 21 September 2026) sets the government fees for most applications: for example $100 for a visitor visa, $150 for a study permit, $155 for a work permit, $1,590 for an economic permanent residence application including the $600 right of permanent residence fee, and $653 for an adult citizenship application. Medical exams, language tests, police certificates and representative fees are not on it.

Canadian immigration fees are published in one place, the IRCC fee list, and they are quoted in Canadian dollars. The trouble is that the list is long, the fees depend on the program, and several different charges can attach to one application. People are often unsure which fees are government fees and which are paid to someone else.

This guide reads the fee list as modified on 21 September 2026 and explains how the charges fit together: the processing fee, the right of permanent residence fee (RPRF), biometrics, and the third-party costs that never appear on the list. It also explains the one refund rule the list states.

Fees change. The dates in this article are the dates we read the list. Before you pay, open the list again and check the figure for your exact application type.

How the IRCC fee list is organised

The IRCC fee list groups charges under headings: temporary residence, permanent residence, family sponsorship, citizenship, inadmissibility and other services. Each line shows a price in Canadian dollars. For permanent residence and sponsorship, the list gives two numbers: one with the right of permanent residence fee and one without it.

That two-number format is the most common source of confusion. The right of permanent residence fee, abbreviated RPRF, is $600.00. It is a separate charge inside the permanent residence total. IRCC's fee list shows $1,590.00 for an application that includes the right of permanent residence fee and $990.00 for the same application without it, so the RPRF is the $600 difference. People who see only the lower number sometimes budget too little.

The list states a refund rule for the RPRF: "We will refund the RPRF if you withdraw or we refuse your application." The list describes it as the only fee refundable after processing starts. The RPRF does not apply to dependent children of a principal applicant or sponsor, adopted child sponsorships, orphaned relatives sponsorships, or protected persons.

Temporary residence fees

From the fee list (date modified 21 September 2026):

Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA): $7.00.
Visitor visa: $100.00 per person, with a $500.00 maximum per family of five or more applying together.
Extend stay as a visitor: $100.00 per person.
Study permit, including extensions: $150.00 per person.
Work permit, including extensions: $155.00 per person. A maximum of $465.00 applies to a group of three or more performing artists.
Open work permit holder fee: $100.00. This is charged in addition to the work permit fee, so an open work permit costs $255 in IRCC fees. Our spousal open work permit guide covers when it applies.
Temporary resident permit (TRP): $246.25 per person.
International Experience Canada: $184.75.
Restoration of status: $246.25 for visitor status; $396.25 for student status (restoration plus a new permit); $401.25 for worker status (restoration plus a new permit). Our restoration guide explains the process.

The list states only one refund rule (the RPRF, below). Our refusal guides explain the options after a refused study permit, work permit or visitor visa.

Permanent residence fees

The list shows each permanent residence category as processing fee plus RPRF unless noted:

Economic, including Express Entry: $1,590.00 with RPRF; $990.00 without.
Business immigration: $2,495.00 with RPRF; $1,895.00 without.
Home care workers, 2025 programs: $1,590.00 with RPRF; $990.00 without.
Home care workers, pre-2025 programs: $1,260.00 with RPRF; $660.00 without.
Humanitarian and compassionate: $1,260.00 with RPRF; $660.00 without.
Permit Holders Class: $990.00 with RPRF; $390.00 without.
Protected person: $660.00, with no RPRF.
Dependent child on an economic application: $270.00 per child; on a humanitarian and compassionate application, $180.00 per child.
Permanent resident card: $50.00.
Permanent resident travel document: $50.00.

The lines for a spouse or partner who is included in the applicant's permanent residence application vary by program, so read the exact line for your category rather than adding figures from different rows. For a person without a spouse or children, the number in the category row is the number to use.

A provincial nominee program also has its own provincial process, so check each province's page for any fee it charges in addition to IRCC's permanent residence fees. The Ontario page we read for this guide does not state its fee, so we do not quote one; each province's page is the source.

Family sponsorship fees

The sponsorship section of the list shows:

Spouse or partner, abroad or in Canada: $1,260.00 with RPRF; $660.00 without.
Parents or grandparents: $1,260.00 with RPRF; $660.00 without. The program is paused according to IRCC's page dated 18 August 2026; our guide explains the status.
Relatives 22 or older: $1,260.00 with RPRF; $660.00 without.
Relatives under 22 who are not a dependent child: $780.00 (or $180.00 without RPRF).
Dependent or adopted children: $180.00 per child.

A sponsorship has more than one charge in practice: the sponsorship fee, the permanent residence fee for the person being sponsored, and, where the list says so, the RPRF. Our spousal sponsorship cost guide walks through how those are put together for a spouse. Biometrics, medical exams and police certificates add to the total.

Reading the list carefully. The same $1,260 figure appears on several lines, for different things. Do not assume two lines with the same number are the same charge.

Citizenship fees

The citizenship section of the list shows:

Adult (18 or older): $653.00.
Minor (under 18): $100.00.
Stateless adult born to a Canadian parent: $123.00.
Citizenship certificate: $75.00.
Search for a citizenship record: $75.00.
Resume citizenship: $530.00 for an adult and $100.00 for a minor.
Renounce citizenship: $100.00.
Right of citizenship: $123.00.

The list does not break the adult fee into a processing portion and a right-of-citizenship portion in the text we read. The right of citizenship line is $123.00 on its own. Check the application guide before assuming how the adult fee is built.

Inadmissibility, repayment and other services

Inadmissibility. Authorization to return to Canada: $492.50. Rehabilitation: $246.25 for criminality and $1,231.00 for serious criminality. Our guides to rehabilitation and to the authorization to return explain what each is for.

Removal costs. The list has a repayment line for removal expenses. For removals before 1 April 2025, it shows $899.00 (United States and St. Pierre and Miquelon) or $1,799.00 (any other country). For removals on or after 1 April 2025, it shows $13,098.96 for an escorted air removal, excluding a medical escort, and $3,905.28 for other removal types.

Biometrics. $85.00 per individual, with a $170.00 maximum for a family of two or more, and $255.00 maximum for a group of three or more performing artists.

Employer compliance fee. $230.00, and $690.00 for a group of three or more entertainers. This is the fee employers pay for an offer of employment on certain LMIA-exempt work permits; it is created by section 303.1 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. An employer cannot recover it from the worker. Our LMIA cost guide covers the separate $1,000 LMIA fee.

Verify status or replace an immigration document: $30.00.

The Canadian passport fee is not on this list. Passport fees are on a separate government page.

What is not on the IRCC list

Several costs that applicants pay are set by others, and none appear on the IRCC list:

Immigration medical exams, charged by the approved panel physician.
Language tests such as IELTS, CELPIP, TEF Canada or TCF Canada, charged by the test provider.
Educational credential assessments, charged by designated organizations.
Police certificates, charged by the issuing authority in each country.
Translations and certified copies.
Provincial nominee program fees, set by each province.
Courier and passport photo costs.
A representative's fee.

We do not quote amounts for these because they are not government fees we have read on a primary source, and they vary by country and provider.

Representative fees. A licensed consultant must state their fee in a written consultation agreement before starting (Code of Professional Conduct, section 23). Our guide to consultant fees explains what the Code requires. Using a representative is optional, and it is separate from the IRCC fees above.

Practical points about paying

Pay the fee for the right category. The list has different lines for similar-sounding applications. Match the line to the form guide and the IRCC instructions for your program.

Keep the receipt. IRCC's online payment gives a receipt; keep it with your application records.

Fees can change. The list shows a "date modified." If you have been saving for an application, read the list again just before you pay.

Refund rules are narrow. Apart from the RPRF refund the list describes, do not assume a fee comes back if an application is refused or withdrawn. The LMIA fee, for example, is not refunded if the application is withdrawn, cancelled or refused, per ESDC's page; that is a separate system from the IRCC list.

Beware of paying a middleman for the government fee. The government fee is paid to IRCC. Anyone asking you to pay the government fee to a personal account is not following IRCC's payment process.

If you want a regulated adviser to look at your own documents, the Migratio directory lists licensed Canadian immigration consultants (RCICs) and lawyers, with their College or law society details so you can check the register yourself. Migratio is a directory and booking service. It is not an immigration consultant and does not give advice on individual cases.

Questions people ask

How much is a Canadian visitor visa in 2026?

On the IRCC fee list dated 21 September 2026, a visitor visa is $100.00 per person, with a $500.00 maximum for a family of five or more applying together. Biometrics are $85.00 per person, up to $170.00 for a family of two or more.

What is the right of permanent residence fee?

The RPRF is $600.00 and is included in the 'with RPRF' totals on the IRCC list. IRCC says it will refund the RPRF if you withdraw or it refuses your application. It does not apply to dependent children of a principal applicant or sponsor, among other exceptions.

How much does Express Entry permanent residence cost in IRCC fees?

The list shows $1,590.00 with the RPRF and $990.00 without it for economic applications, including Express Entry. Dependent children on an economic application are $270.00 per child. Medical exams, language tests and credential assessments are extra.

How much is Canadian citizenship?

The IRCC list shows $653.00 for an adult and $100.00 for a minor under 18, as at 21 September 2026. Language tests and any representative fee are separate.

Are the fees refundable if my application is refused?

The list states only the RPRF refund rule: IRCC refunds it if you withdraw or it refuses the application. It describes the RPRF as the only fee refundable after processing starts.

Does the list include what a consultant or lawyer charges?

No. It lists government fees only. A licensed consultant must give you a written consultation agreement stating their fee before they start work.

Sources

IRCC fee list (date modified 2026-09-21) (read 2026-10-09)
Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, section 303.1 (employer compliance fee) (read 2026-10-09)
CICC Code of Professional Conduct, SOR/2022-128 (section 23) (read 2026-10-09)

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

Spousal Sponsorship Cost in 2026: Every Government Fee and What Else to Budget For — On the IRCC fee list (modified 2026-09-21), sponsoring a spouse or partner costs $1,260 including the right of permanent residence fee, or $660 without it, plus $180 for each dependent child and biometrics of $85 per person (family maximum $170). Medical exams, police certificates, translations and any adviser fees are extra and set by others.
Immigration consultant fees in Canada: what you pay for and how it must be billed — There is no official fee scale: the College says "RCICs set their own fees," and they must be "fair and reasonable." What the rules do fix is the paperwork. The fee for a first consultation must be in a written agreement before it starts, the full job needs a written service agreement with a fee estimate, and money paid in advance must sit in a trust account until the work is done.
LMIA Cost: The $1,000 Fee and Why a Worker Cannot Be Charged — An employer applying for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) pays $1,000 for each position requested. ESDC's page says the fee cannot be paid by, or recovered from, the temporary foreign worker, and a recruiter acting for the employer cannot recover it or recruitment costs from the worker either. It is not refunded if the application is withdrawn, cancelled or the LMIA is negative.
Spousal Open Work Permit in Canada: Who Qualifies in 2026 — There are two separate spousal open work permits. One is for the spouse of a skilled foreign worker, and since 21 January 2025 it depends on the worker's TEER category and on the worker's permit having at least 16 months left. The other is for a spouse already living in Canada who is being sponsored for permanent residence. Each costs $155 plus the $100 open work permit holder fee (IRCC fee list, 21 September 2026).
Canada PR Fees 2026: Application Fee and the $600 RPRF — On the IRCC fee list (date modified 21 September 2026), an economic permanent residence application, including Express Entry, is $1,590 with the right of permanent residence fee (RPRF) and $990 without it. A spouse or partner included on the application is the same again, and each dependent child is $270. IRCC says it refunds the RPRF if you withdraw or it refuses the application.
Canada Visitor Visa Cost: Visa, Biometrics and the Family Cap — On the IRCC fee list (date modified 21 September 2026), a visitor visa is $100 per person, capped at $500 for a family of five or more applying at the same time and place. Biometrics are $85 per person, capped at $170 for a family of two or more eligible people. IRCC says biometrics are needed only once every 10 years.
Canadian Citizenship Fee: $653 for Adults and What It Covers — On the IRCC fee list (date modified 21 September 2026), the citizenship application fee is $653 for an adult, which includes the processing fee and the $123 right of citizenship fee, and $100 for a minor under 18. A citizenship certificate is $75. IRCC refunds the full amount if processing has not started.
Restoration of Status in Canada: The 90-Day Window — If you lose temporary resident status, IRPR s.182 lets an officer restore it if you apply within 90 days and meet the conditions. IRCC's fees are $246.25 for a visitor, $396.25 for a student and $401.25 for a worker (restoration plus permit), and you may not work or study until the restoration and any permit are approved.