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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.

The government cost of a Canadian visitor visa is two fees: the visa itself and, for people who have to give fingerprints and a photo, biometrics. Both are published on the IRCC fee list. Families get a cap on each, and the rules for the caps are narrower than they look.

This guide reads the fee list as modified on 21 September 2026 and IRCC's visitor visa pages dated 26 and 28 August 2026. It adds up the fees for single travellers, couples and families, and it covers extending a stay, restoring status, the eTA and what the fees do not include. It reports the published rules. It does not say whether a visa will be granted or whether any reader needs one.

Fees change. Read the fee list again on the day you pay.

The visitor visa fee

The fee list has a block headed "Visitor visa (including super visa) or extend your stay in Canada". In Canadian dollars:

  • Visitor visa, per person: $100.00. IRCC's note says the same fee applies to single or multiple entry visas, and that IRCC decides which visa to give you based on your application.
  • Visitor visa, per family (1 fee per family of 5 or more people): $500.00. The note calls this the maximum fee for a family of five or more people applying at the same time and place.
  • Extend your stay as a visitor, per person: $100.00.
  • Restore your status as a visitor: $246.25. The list adds "Visa fee not needed".

The block heading includes the super visa for parents and grandparents. The super visa is a visitor visa, and the fee list prices it in the same block. Our super visa guide covers the extra requirements, such as insurance and the host's income, and does not repeat the fee.

IRCC's visitor visa application page repeats the visa amounts: individual $100 and family of five or more $500, and says your fees will include the processing fees and biometrics fees for you and anyone you included on the application.

The family cap, and its conditions

The $500 cap is not automatic for any group of five. The fee list sets conditions under the table. To be eligible to pay the maximum of $500, IRCC says:

  • the family members must all apply at the same time and the same place, and
  • your children must qualify as dependants.

So five unrelated people applying together do not get the family cap, and a family that applies in separate submissions does not either. The cap exists for a family, defined by the dependant rules, applying together.

The same note matters in the other direction. Under five people, there is no cap: each person pays $100. A family of four pays $400 in visa fees. A family of five pays $500, which is the same as five times $100, so the cap first makes a difference at six: six people would be $600 uncapped and $500 capped. The list says the fee is one fee per family of five or more people, so from five people upward the amount stays at $500.

A person who is part of a group can also be asked to pay individually if they are not covered by the family definition. If you are unsure whether your children count as dependants, read IRCC's definition before you assume the cap.

Biometrics: fee, cap and how often

Biometrics are fingerprints and a photograph. The fee list says that if you are a citizen of certain countries or territories, you have to give biometrics when you apply for a visitor visa, a study permit or a work permit. IRCC has a page to find out whether you need to give them.

The fee list shows:

  • Biometrics, per individual: $85.00.
  • Biometrics, per family of 2 or more eligible people: $170.00, described as the maximum fee for a family of two or more people applying at the same time.
  • Biometrics, per group of 3 or more performing artists: $255.00, the maximum for a group applying for a work permit at the same time.

For the family biometrics fee, the list says eligible family members are your spouse or common-law partner, your dependent children and their dependent children.

Two people pay $85 each, which is $170, the same as the family maximum, so the cap first saves money from the third person. A family of four pays $170 in biometrics, not $340.

IRCC's visitor visa page says that in most cases you now give your fingerprints and photo after you apply, once you receive a letter telling you to. The page says you have 30 days from the date on the letter, and that processing of your application starts after IRCC gets your biometrics. It also says you only need to give your biometrics once every 10 years to make repeat trips to Canada easier. The biometrics fee must be paid when you submit your application; the page warns that otherwise you may experience delays.

Adding it up: examples with the published figures

These examples only add the published amounts, for applications where biometrics are required. They are not advice about anyone's circumstances.

One traveller. $100 visa plus $85 biometrics is $185.

A couple. $200 in visa fees plus $170 in biometrics is $370.

A family of four (two adults, two dependent children), applying together. $400 visa fees plus $170 biometrics is $570.

A family of five, applying together and all qualifying for the cap. $500 visa fees plus $170 biometrics is $670. Five people at the individual rate would also be $500 in visa fees, but $425 in biometrics, so the biometrics cap is the part that saves money here.

A family of seven, applying together. $500 in visa fees plus $170 in biometrics is $670.

A parent applying for a super visa alone. The same $100 plus $85. The insurance and the host's income are separate requirements, and the insurance cost is paid to the insurer.

Someone who already gave biometrics in the last 10 years. IRCC's page says biometrics are needed once every 10 years. Whether a new fee applies to a new application depends on IRCC's rules about whether your biometrics are still valid; read IRCC's biometrics page for your situation.

Extending a stay. $100 per person to extend as a visitor. Restoring lost visitor status is $246.25 per person.

eTA, restoration and other lines people mix up

eTA. The Electronic Travel Authorization is $7.00 on the fee list. It is a different thing from a visitor visa, for travellers who do not need a visa to fly to Canada. Which one a traveller needs depends on their passport, and IRCC's pages explain how to find out. This guide does not say which applies.

Temporary resident permit. $246.25 per person. A temporary resident permit is not a visitor visa. It is a separate document, usually connected to an inadmissibility problem. Our authorization to return guide covers related ground.

Extending versus restoring. If your authorised stay has not yet ended, extending is $100. If your status has already lapsed, restoring is $246.25, and IRCC's list says the visa fee is not needed with it. Our guides to restoration of status and to the extension form explain the deadlines and steps.

Work and study lines. The list shows $155.00 for a work permit and $150.00 for a study permit. Those belong to other applications. A visitor visa does not authorise work or study.

Insurance and flights. Neither is an IRCC fee. They are paid to the insurer and the airline.

Document costs. Translations, photographs, copies and courier costs are paid to the provider.

Prepaid cards. IRCC's page advises keeping prepaid cards for at least 18 months after you pay, to make refunds easier. That is IRCC's wording on the page, and it means refunds exist in some situations, though the page does not say when a visitor visa fee is refundable.

Paying and avoiding mistakes

Pay IRCC directly. The visa fee goes to IRCC through its payment system. A person asking you to send the government fee to a personal account, a gift card or a crypto wallet is not following IRCC's process.

Use the online application. IRCC's page says visitor visas are applied for online in most cases, and online payment needs a valid credit card. The page also describes a paper route in specific situations, with its own instruction guide.

The fee is for processing, not approval. Paying does not mean a visa is granted. The page does not state a refund rule for visitor visas on refusal. If an application is refused, read the refusal letter and the fee pages before assuming money is returned. Our guide to what to do after a refused visitor visa sets out the options in general terms.

Count your family correctly. The caps depend on who counts as a dependant and on applying together. A mistake means paying the wrong fee, and an underpayment can delay the application.

Read the checklist. IRCC's page says your document checklist may include supporting documents, and online applicants get a personalised checklist in their portal. That list, not a generic one, is the one to follow.

Re-check the date. The fee list states a "date modified". If you have been planning for a while, read it again before you pay.

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?

The IRCC fee list dated 21 September 2026 shows $100.00 per person, with a maximum of $500.00 for a family of five or more applying at the same time and place. Biometrics, if required, are $85.00 per person or up to $170.00 for a family of two or more eligible people.

Is there a family fee for a visitor visa?

Yes. IRCC charges one $500 fee for a family of five or more people, but only if they all apply at the same time and place and the children qualify as dependants.

How much are biometrics for a visitor visa?

$85.00 per individual, with a $170.00 maximum for a family of two or more eligible people applying at the same time. Eligible family members are a spouse or common-law partner and dependent children and their dependent children.

How often do I have to give biometrics?

IRCC's visitor visa page says you only need to give your biometrics once every 10 years to make repeat trips to Canada easier.

How much does it cost to extend a visitor stay?

The fee list shows $100.00 per person to extend your stay as a visitor, and $246.25 to restore your status as a visitor, with no visa fee needed for restoration.

Does the visa fee include insurance or flights?

No. The IRCC fee covers processing. Travel insurance, flights, translations and document costs are paid to other providers.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • 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.
  • IMM 5257, Application for a Visitor Visa: what each section asks and where applications go wrong — IMM 5257 is the form for a visitor visa (temporary resident visa) or transit visa, completed by each person applying. The fee is $100 per person (maximum $500 for a family of five or more), plus $85 for biometrics where required. Every question in the Background Information section must be answered or the application is treated as incomplete and returned.
  • IMM 5708: extending your stay as a visitor, what the form asks and where it goes wrong — IMM 5708 is the form for asking IRCC to extend a visitor's stay, change conditions or restore visitor status. The extension fee on the IRCC fee list is $100 per person, and IRCC's guide says to apply at least 30 days before your status expires. If every question in the Background section is not answered, the application is treated as incomplete and returned.
  • Canada Visitor Visa Refused: What Your Options Are — There's no appeal from a visitor visa refusal. IRCC says you can apply again at any time unless your letter says otherwise, but only new information that addresses the refusal reasons is likely to change the result. The court route is judicial review in the Federal Court.
  • Super Visa Requirements: Host, Insurance, Medical Exam and the Five-Year Stay — A super visa is a visitor visa for parents and grandparents. IRCC's eligibility pages require a host child or grandchild in Canada who meets the minimum necessary income and writes an invitation letter, private health insurance of at least $100,000 emergency cover valid for at least one year from entry, and an immigration medical exam. The visa allows stays of up to five years at a time (applications made on or after 22 June 2023).
  • 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.