Canadian PR fees went up on April 30, 2026: what changed in the math

I woke up on April 30, 2026, opened IRCC to check something about my own case, and ran straight into a huge yellow notice: permanent residence fees had gone up that day. Not in June, not next year, that day. I’m paying for my own Express Entry process right now, so I opened the calculator to see what changed in MY math. And then I thought: if this caught me off guard living here in Vancouver and checking IRCC almost every day, imagine someone back in Brazil trying to save up to apply.

This post is the no-frills version: what changed, by how much, on what date, and what you need to know if you’re already mid-process OR if you’re saving up to start.

The quick summary for the 30-second reader

Starting April 30, 2026, IRCC raised the fees for almost every PR category. The increases range from 2% to 5%, not the end of the world, but if you’re applying as a couple with kids, the total bill goes up by a few hundred Canadian dollars. The main changes:

• Express Entry / PNP (federal high skilled): $950 to $990 CAD (+$40)
• Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF): $575 to $600 CAD (+$25)
• Family Class: $545 to $570 CAD (+$25)
• Business Class: $1,810 to $1,895 CAD (+$85)
• Citizenship (adult, changed on March 31): $119.75 to $123.00 CAD (+$3.25)

The total depends on who’s applying and when you pay what. I’ll break down each part below.

How much does it cost to apply for permanent residence in Canada in 2026?

For Brazilians applying via Express Entry or PNP (federal high skilled), the federal costs by applicant type after April 30, 2026 are:

Single applicant via Express Entry CEC: CAD $1,590 ($990 application + $600 RPRF). Couple with 1 child: CAD $3,450 ($990×2 adults + $270 child + $600×2 RPRF). These are federal amounts. Provincial fees (for example, OINP $2,000-$2,500 in Ontario) are charged separately.

Why does IRCC raise immigration fees?

The Canadian government adjusts immigration fees every two years. It’s a predictable policy. The stated goal is to cover inflation and the rising cost of processing applications. It’s not a surprise, and it’s not a sign that Canada is closing its doors. It’s just routine operational bureaucracy.

The difference this time is that it came alongside several other changes (the 2026-2028 Immigration Plan, new categorized draws, reduced PGWP) that give the impression the whole system is shifting. It is, but the fee itself is just accumulated inflation.

How much does each PR category cost now?

Here’s the full table to print and stick on your fridge. The amounts are in CAD (Canadian dollars) and apply to the principal applicant. Accompanying family members (spouse, children) have separate fees. I’ll explain below.

The category that rises most in absolute terms is Business Class (+$85), but the one that affects the most Brazilians, the overwhelming majority who apply via Express Entry or PNP, is Federal High Skilled (+$40 on the principal applicant).

And how much do family applicants pay?

This is where the bill gets ugly. If you’re applying with a spouse and/or children:

• Spouse / common-law partner: same fee as the principal applicant in the economic categories, now $990 CAD.
• Dependent child: went up from $260 to $270 CAD per child.

Let’s do the math for a Brazilian couple with one child applying via Express Entry CEC:

Difference: $140 CAD. It’s not a fortune for someone who’s already spent R$10,000-12,000 (about CAD 2,500-3,000) on ECA, IELTS, sworn translations, apostilles, medical exams and biometrics, but it’s real money, and if you haven’t paid yet, now you pay more.

What about the citizenship fee?

That one went up earlier, on March 31, 2026. For a Brazilian adult who already has PR and is applying for Canadian citizenship:

• Right of Citizenship Fee (adult): $119.75 to $123.00 CAD (+$3.25)

It’s a small increase, but worth remembering that the citizenship test also has a separate application fee that stayed flat. I covered the whole citizenship process in more detail here on the blog.

I already paid the application. Do I have to pay the difference?

It depends on WHICH fee you already paid and WHEN IRCC received the package.

For online applications

The rule is the date IRCC received your application. If you submitted before April 30, you pay the old fees. If you submitted on April 30 or after, you pay the new ones.

For paper applications (mailed)

This is where it gets rough. The rule is the date IRCC received the physical envelope. If you mailed it before the 30th but the package arrived at IRCC after, they’ll charge you the difference. You have to pay it before the process moves forward.

For the RPRF specifically (pay attention here)

This is the part that catches a lot of people. The RPRF (Right of Permanent Residence Fee), those $575 to $600, can be paid at two moments: together with the application OR later, when IRCC asks for it. Many people delay this payment because it’s technically optional at submission time.

The IRCC rule: the RPRF is charged based on the payment date, NOT the application date. If you submitted your application in February 2026 with the RPRF deferred, and now you’re going to pay in May? You pay $600, not $575. No way around it.

If I had to give one practical piece of advice: paid the application early? Pay the RPRF early too. Every month you wait is a chance for IRCC to raise the fee again (they do it every 2 years, but mid-cycle adjustments happen).

How do I pay the difference if I already submitted?

If IRCC asked you for the difference because your application fell under the “submitted before, received after” rule, the process is:

1. You get an email from IRCC with the amount of the difference
2. Log in to your IRCC portal
3. Pay by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, AMEX) or some Canadian debit options
4. Update the portal with the receipt (IRCC usually confirms automatically within 3-5 business days)
5. Your application goes back into the normal processing queue

Don’t try to “negotiate” this difference. The system is automated. There’s no officer discretion. Pay it and move on.

Will Express Entry applicants feel it more?

Technically, everyone pays a similar application fee. Express Entry, PNP, and Family Class are the categories most Brazilians go for. But the relative impact differs:

• Express Entry CEC (for those who already worked in Canada): usually a single person applying, total difference of $40 + $25 = $65. Almost nothing.
• Express Entry FSW (from Brazil, no Canadian experience): a couple with a child, total difference of about $140. Significant but not prohibitive.
• PNP: depends on the province. Some provinces charge a separate provincial fee (Ontario charges $2,000-2,500 for OINP alone, for example) that doesn’t change with this federal update.
• Business Class: bigger absolute increase ($85), but the people in that stream are investing $200,000-500,000 in the Canadian business, so $85 is a rounding error.

Is it worth delaying your application to wait for a fee reduction?

No. Canadian immigration fees never drop. They rise every 2 years. If you’re ready to apply, apply. The opportunity cost of waiting another 6 months to save $40 is enormous: you lose 6 months of points for time in Canada, 6 months of valid IELTS, 6 months of valid ECA, and 6 months of a chance to get an ITA.

I’m paying these new fees in my own process right now. It wasn’t a hard decision. Between paying $40 more and waiting 1-2 years to see if anything improves (it won’t), the time-and-opportunity math is obvious. Apply, pay, move on.

The bottom line

In one sentence: PR fees in Canada went up between 2% and 5% on April 30, 2026, and this mainly affects those who haven’t paid yet OR those who submitted a paper application that arrived after the date. For a single Brazilian applying via Express Entry, that’s $65 more in total. For a couple with a child, about $140. That’s life.

The most important thing to do right now: if you’ve already submitted your application and the RPRF is deferred, pay the RPRF this week before it goes up again (it won’t go up that soon, but nobody pays me to lie). And if you’re saving up to start the process, just update your budget spreadsheet with the new numbers.

Sources:

1. IRCC, Permanent residence fees increasing (canada.ca, official)
2. IRCC, PR fees increase, official notice
3. IRCC, Fee changes
4. CIC News, Canada hikes permanent resident fees
5. CIC News, Canada hikes permanent residence and citizenship fees (March 2026)
6. ICCImmigration, Canada PR fees increasing April 30 2026: everything you need to know
7. Berry Appleman & Leiden (BAL), Canada annual fee increases
8. Immigration.ca, Canada increases PR application and Right of Citizenship fees
9. LPEN, Canada to raise citizenship and PR fees this spring
10. AMC Aim, New fee increases for passports, PR and citizenship applications
11. To Do Canada, Canada to increase permanent residence fees starting April 30

I cross-checked these 11 sources to confirm the values before publishing. The CAD amounts are consistent across all of them. If you see a different value on another site, trust canada.ca first, always. The others are interpretations.

Last verification of this page: May 1, 2026. If you’re reading this after April 2028, there’s probably been a new adjustment and I’ve already updated it (or I’m late updating it), so always check at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/pr-fees-increase.html before moving money.