OTTAWA – In a move that will impact prospective immigrants to Canada, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced a substantial increase in fees for all permanent residence applications, effective April 30.

The decision to raise fees comes as part of IRCC’s ongoing efforts to adjust fees in line with inflation, a practice initiated back in 2020. According to a recent news release, the latest fee hike is intended to ensure that Canada remains competitive in comparison to other countries with similar immigration systems.

“In most cases, Canada’s fees are considerably less expensive than countries with similar migration systems, such as Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States,” stated the release.

While fee increases have become a regular occurrence every two years since 2020, the magnitude of the latest increase surpasses previous adjustments. Whereas the fee hike in April 2022 amounted to a mere 2%, the upcoming increase is estimated to be between 12-13%.

Since April 2020, fee adjustments have primarily targeted economic permanent residency immigration programs, with exceptions made for caregivers. However, as of 2022, the fee increases have been expanded to encompass all application types.

The new fee structure is said to align with the government’s commitment to ensuring a cost-effective approach to financing government programs, where the majority of costs are borne by those who directly benefit from the services.

Under the new fee framework, the increase will be determined based on the cumulative percentage rise in the Consumer Price Index for Canada over the past two years, rounded to the nearest five dollars.

Prospective immigrants and stakeholders are urged to take note of these changes and plan accordingly as they navigate the immigration process to Canada.

 

The fee increases are as follows: