Canadian Immigration Fee Calculator
Every government fee, line by line.
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What does an Express Entry application cost?
For a single applicant, $990 in processing plus the $600 right of permanent residence fee — $1,590 in total, which is how IRCC publishes it. A couple pays that twice, and each dependent child adds $270. Biometrics add $85 a person, capped at $170 for a family of two or more applying together. None of this includes the language test, the educational credential assessment or the medical exam, which together usually cost more than the government fees do.
What is the right of permanent residence fee, and can I avoid it?
It is a separate $600 charge, payable per adult and never for a dependent child, that gives you the right to become a permanent resident once your application is approved. You cannot avoid it, but you can defer it: it is only actually due on approval, and it is the one fee IRCC refunds in full if you withdraw or are refused. Most people pay it with their application anyway, because being asked for it later adds a step at the end. It does not apply to protected persons or to applications on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
How much does Canadian citizenship cost?
$653 for an adult — $530 in processing plus the $123 right of citizenship fee — and $100 for a minor under 18, with no right of citizenship fee. Each adult applying is a separate application at the full price, so a couple applying together pays $1,306. There is no biometrics fee for a citizenship grant. A citizenship certificate as proof of citizenship, which is a different application, is $75.
Why is the fee I was quoted different from this?
Usually one of three reasons. The published totals fold the right of permanent residence fee into the processing fee, so $1,590 and $990 are the same application quoted with and without it. Some applications have a family maximum — a visitor visa is capped at $500 for five or more people applying together. And a third-party website charging you extra to submit an application is charging you for the form: every one of these can be paid directly to IRCC through your own account.
How it works, and more about ircc fees
The published totals hide their own structure
IRCC lists an Express Entry application at $1,590 and also at $990, and both are correct. The first includes the right of permanent residence fee and the second does not. Almost every confusion about Canadian immigration fees comes from that one collapsed line, which is why this calculator splits every application into its parts.
| Line | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Processing fee | $990 per adult | On submission. Never refunded once processing starts. |
| Right of permanent residence | $600 per adult | Due on approval. Refunded if you withdraw or are refused. |
| Dependent child | $270 each | On submission. No right of PR fee for children. |
| Biometrics | $85, or $170 a family | When asked for them. |
The right of permanent residence fee is the only refundable one
It is charged per adult, never for a dependent child, and it does not apply at all to protected persons or to applications approved on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. You cannot avoid it, but you can defer it — it is only genuinely due once your application is approved. Most people pay it up front anyway, because being asked for it at the end adds a step to a process that is already long.
If your application is refused or you withdraw it, this is the money that comes back. The processing fee does not, because the processing happened.
Family maximums exist, but only in one place
There is no family cap on permanent residence fees — a family of five pays five times over. The one real maximum on the list is the visitor visa: $500 for a family of five or more applying at the same time and place, however many people that is. Biometrics have their own cap at $170 for two or more family members applying together, and $255 for a group of three or more performing artists.
What the government fees leave out
For most applicants the fees below are the smaller half of the bill. Budget separately for:
- A language test — roughly $300 to $400, and you may sit it more than once.
- An educational credential assessment — roughly $200 to $300, plus courier costs.
- The immigration medical exam — roughly $200 to $500 per person.
- Police certificates from every country you have lived in for six months or more.
- Certified translations of anything not in English or French.
- A consultant or lawyer, if you use one — by far the largest variable.
And keep all of that separate from your settlement funds, which are not a fee at all. That money simply has to exist, and it has to still exist when your visa is issued.
Pay IRCC directly
Every fee here is payable in Canadian dollars through your own IRCC secure account. A third-party website charging you a service fee to submit an application is charging you for a form you can download, and a site that asks for payment before telling you the government fee is not a government site. IRCC never asks for payment by gift card, cryptocurrency or wire transfer to an individual.
Sources. Every amount is from IRCC’s official fee list, last modified 2 July 2026. Fees change on their own schedule and some are indexed periodically. All figures on this page were read from IRCC in August 2026. This is not immigration advice and this site is not affiliated with the Government of Canada.