Canada Visa Fee 2026: Visitor, Study, Work & PR Costs
The full IRCC price list including the 30 April 2026 PR increase — visitor, biometrics, study, work permits, Express Entry and RPRF
Canada keeps temporary-resident fees low and puts the real money on permanent residence: a visitor visa is $100 plus $85 biometrics, a study permit $150, a work permit $155 — but an Express Entry principal applicant pays $990 processing plus a $600 Right of Permanent Residence Fee after the increase of 30 April 2026. This guide lists every IRCC fee line that matters, explains family caps that halve household totals, and covers payment, refunds and the biennial-increase trap that dates older guides. Pair it with the Canada visitor checklist, the CRS points estimator, and the visa fee calculator for your exact total.
All figures are Canadian dollars from IRCC's official fee list as amended for 2026. Processing fees are non-refundable on refusal; the RPRF is the refundable exception. Amounts marked approximately depend on exchange rates, VAC handling or grant-specific rounding — the IRCC payment page is authoritative when you pay.
How IRCC Pricing Works: Processing + Biometrics + RPRF
Three buckets make up almost every IRCC invoice: a processing fee per person per application ($100 visitor, $150 study, $155 work), a biometrics fee ($85 individual, $170 family cap, reusable for 10 years), and — for permanent residence only — the Right of Permanent Residence Fee ($600 per adult). VAC service charges, medicals, language tests and ECAs sit outside IRCC's list and are paid to third parties in local currency.
The pricing logic rewards families (caps at $500/$170) and punishes haste (restoration fees of $246–$401 when status lapses). And because IRCC raises PR fees roughly every two years — most recently 30 April 2026 — any guide quoting $575 RPRF or $950 processing is stale. The sections below price each route; the fee calculator adds your household.
Canada Visa Fee Table 2026
| Application | IRCC fee (CAD) | Biometrics | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor visa (single/multiple) | $100 pp; $500 family 5+ | $85 / $170 family | Same fee either entry type; IRCC picks validity |
| Extend visitor stay | $100 pp | Reuse if valid | Apply 30+ days before status expires |
| Study permit | $150 pp | $85 / $170 family | CAQ extra for Quebec; restore $396.25 |
| Work permit | $155 pp | $85 / $170 family | Open holder +$100; restore $401.25 |
| Express Entry / PNP principal | $990 | $85 | Post-April 2026 rate |
| PR spouse / partner | $990 | $85 | Post-April 2026 rate |
| PR dependent child | $270 | $85 if 14+ | No RPRF for children |
| RPRF per adult | $600 | — | Refundable if no landing; pay upfront to save time |
| Family sponsorship: sponsor / principal | $90 / $570 | $85 | Post-April 2026 rates |
Comparing North America? Our Canada vs US immigration guide sets these fees against US MRV pricing and timelines, and the CRS estimator tells you whether the PR spend is even worth starting.
Visitor Visas and Biometrics: $100 + $85
The headline is friendly: $100 buys single or multiple entry at IRCC's discretion, and strong applicants routinely receive 10-year multiple-entry visas — the best validity-per-dollar in this guide. First-timers add $85 biometrics at a VFS centre; the $170 family cap means a couple pays $370 total ($200 + $170) rather than $370 + extra. eTA holders (visa-exempt passports) skip all of this with a $7 authorisation instead.
Refusal economics still bite: the $100 is lost, biometrics are reusable for a decade, and reapplication needs a fresh $100. Before repaying, fix the usual causes — weak home ties, lump-sum “show money,” vague purpose — using our Canada visitor checklist. Super-visa parents and grandparents follow the same $100 line with longer-stay insurance requirements. Parents planning repeat visits should weigh the super visa’s two-year entries against a standard 10-year multiple-entry visa: the super visa demands qualifying Canadian medical insurance (often $1,000–$2,000 a year) while the regular visitor visa does not, so the “cheaper” $100 fee can mislead depending on your travel pattern.
Study Permits: $150 and the Restore Trap
A first study permit costs $150 + $85 biometrics = $235, plus VFS handling, upfront medicals ($150–$300 by country) and — for Quebec — the CAQ fee. Extensions cost $150 again, so multi-year programmes should align permit validity with the full study period rather than renewing annually. Each dependant (spouse open permit, children's visitor/study records) files and pays separately.
The expensive mistake is letting status lapse: restoration costs $396.25 ($246.25 restore + $150 new permit) and requires stopping study/work until approved. Calendar the expiry with a 90-day buffer, extend early, and remember the permit fee is dwarfed by tuition and the GIC — budget the journey, not the line item. First-time applicants from several countries also complete upfront medical exams and submit biometrics before IRCC even opens the file, so add $150–$300 for the panel-physician visit and a VAC trip to the $235 headline when you plan cash flow for the semester start.
Work Permits: $155, Open-Holder $100, Group Caps
Employer-specific permits cost $155 + biometrics; open permits (spousal, PGWP, IEC) add the $100 open work permit holder fee for a $340 typical total. Employer compliance fees and any LMIA processing sit with the employer, not the worker. Performing-artist groups of 3+ cap at $465 processing + $255 biometrics — niche, but a 40% saving where it applies.
Restoration as a worker runs $401.25, and working even one day out of status can poison future applications far beyond the fee. Keep permits, passports and job letters aligned; flag expiry dates to both you and HR. Work-route strategy and costs sit alongside permits in our broader immigration comparisons. IEC working-holiday participants pay the same $155 + $100 open-holder stack plus a participation fee set per season — check the current year’splicable figure on the IRCC site, since seasonal youth-mobility pricing moves independently of the core fee list.
PR and Express Entry After the April 2026 Increase
Run the post-increase maths before entering the pool. Single principal: $990 + $600 = $1,590. Couple: $1,590 × 2 = $3,180. Couple + one child: $3,180 + $270 = $3,450, plus two biometrics ($170 family cap) — roughly $3,620 in IRCC charges before medicals (~$200–$400/adult), language tests, ECAs and police certificates push a family toward $5,000 all-in.
Timing rules: applications stamped before 30 April 2026 paid old rates; underpayers top up the difference before CoPR. Pay the RPRF upfront to avoid the post-approval payment loop that delays landing by weeks. And track your competitiveness first in the CRS estimator — fees are sunk whether your score clears the draw or not. Family-class sponsors face parallel lines ($90 sponsor + $570 principal post-increase) with their own queues.
How to Pay, Family Caps and Refunds
Pay inside your IRCC account by card in CAD; the receipt uploads automatically into the application package. VAC handling (photos, courier, assisted upload) is a separate local-currency payment at the centre — budget roughly $30–$80 equivalent per person depending on country. Use the family caps deliberately: file together, same place, same time or the $500/$170 maximums do not apply.
Refund map: processing fees — gone on refusal, sometimes returnable on pre-processing withdrawal; biometrics — refundable if never given due to returned application; RPRF — refundable if refused, withdrawn or un-landed. Duplicate card charges happen: keep both transaction IDs and contact IRCC with the receipt numbers rather than disputing blindly through the bank, which can freeze the file.
Frequently Asked Questions
How We Fact-Check This Page
Figures were checked on October 1, 2026 against IRCC's official fee list (visitor $100, biometrics $85/$170, study $150, work $155 + $100 open holder) and the 30 April 2026 fee-change notice (RPRF $600, principal/spouse $990, child $270, sponsorship and restoration adjustments). VAC handling and third-party costs vary by country and are given as ranges — your IRCC receipt and centre invoice are authoritative. Read more about our standards on the about us page.