Canada Visa Fees: Application Types, Biometrics, and RPRF

A Canadian visitor visa costs $100, a study permit $150, a work permit $155, and permanent residence starts at $1,525 per adult once you add the Right of Permanent Residence Fee. All Canada visa fees below are in Canadian dollars and are set by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Several permanent residence charges are scheduled to rise on April 30, 2026, so timing matters if you are close to submitting.¹

Temporary Residence: Visitor, Study, and Work

The core IRCC fees for short-term stays are straightforward and charged per person:

Visitor visa (Temporary Resident Visa), including the Super Visa for parents and grandparents: $100
Study permit, including extensions: $150
Work permit, including extensions: $155
Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for travelers from visa-exempt countries: $7

These amounts are non-refundable once IRCC begins processing your file.² The eTA is a separate authorization required before boarding a flight to Canada, paid at the time you apply online.³

Add-ons You May Not Expect

An open work permit costs more than an employer-specific one. You pay the standard $155 work permit fee plus a $100 open work permit holder fee, for a total of $255.⁴

If your temporary status expires and you need to restore it, the restoration fee is $246.25, on top of any permit fee. Restoring status as a worker runs $401.25 ($246.25 plus $155). Restoring as a student is $396.25 ($246.25 plus $150). Restoring visitor status is $246.25 on its own, since no separate permit fee applies.⁵

Permanent Residence Fees

Every permanent residence application involves two IRCC charges: a processing fee that covers the review of your file, and the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) of $575 that you pay before you actually get PR status. The RPRF applies to the principal applicant and any accompanying spouse or common-law partner, but not to dependent children.⁶

Express Entry and Provincial Nominees

Express Entry covers the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades, and the Provincial Nominee Program. The fees are:

Principal applicant: $950 processing + $575 RPRF = $1,525
Spouse or common-law partner: $950 processing + $575 RPRF = $1,525
Dependent child: $260 each, no RPRF⁷

Family Sponsorship

Family class works differently because the sponsor pays a separate fee. A Canadian citizen or permanent resident sponsoring a relative pays an $85 sponsorship fee. The person being sponsored pays $545 processing plus the $575 RPRF, for a combined $1,205. If a spouse or partner of the sponsored person is included, their processing fee is $635 plus the $575 RPRF.⁸

Business Immigration

Business streams cost more. A principal applicant in the Start-Up Visa program pays $1,810 processing plus the $575 RPRF, totaling $2,385. A spouse adds $1,525, and each dependent child $260.²

When the RPRF Is Refunded

The RPRF is refundable if your application is refused or you withdraw it. The processing fee is not, once IRCC has opened your file. You can pay the RPRF upfront or wait until IRCC asks for it later in the process.⁶

What Changes on April 30, 2026

For permanent residence applications received on or after April 30, 2026, several fees go up. Submitting before that date locks in the current amounts:

Right of Permanent Residence Fee: $575 rising to $600, across all PR categories
Provincial Nominee Program processing: $950 rising to $990
Business immigration processing: $1,810 rising to $1,895
Family class processing: $545 rising to $570
Protected persons processing: $635 rising to $660
Humanitarian and compassionate processing: $635 rising to $660¹

Canadian Citizenship

Citizenship is a separate application filed after you become a permanent resident and meet the residency requirements. An adult (18 and over) pays $649.75, which combines the processing fee and the Right of Citizenship fee. A minor’s application costs $100.²

Effective March 31, 2026, the Right of Citizenship fee increases to $123, which raises the adult total.⁹ The Right of Citizenship fee, like the RPRF, is refunded if your application is refused.

Biometrics

Most foreign nationals applying for a visa, permit, or permanent residence must give fingerprints and a photo. The fee is:

Individual applicant: $85
Family applying together: $170 maximum, regardless of family size
Group of three or more performing artists and their staff: $255 maximum

You give biometrics at a designated Visa Application Centre after paying the fee and receiving a Biometric Instruction Letter.¹⁰ The data stays valid for 10 years, so you won’t pay again for subsequent applications during that period.¹¹

Costs That Aren’t on the IRCC Fee Schedule

The government fees are only part of what you will spend. A few third-party costs regularly catch applicants off guard.

Medical Exams

Many permanent residence applications and some temporary applications require an exam by an IRCC-designated panel physician. IRCC does not set the price. In Canada, the exam itself runs roughly $150 to $220 depending on your age, with extra charges for required blood tests and chest X-rays. You pay the clinic directly.

Visa Application Centre Service Charges

If you submit biometrics or a paper application through a Visa Application Centre operated by a contractor such as VFS Global, expect additional service charges for things like courier delivery, photocopying, and passport photos. These vary by country, so check the VAC in your location before your appointment.

Language Tests and Credential Assessments

Express Entry applicants pay for approved language tests (IELTS or CELPIP for English, TEF for French) and an Educational Credential Assessment for foreign degrees. Each usually falls in the $200 to $400 range and is not part of any IRCC fee.

How to Pay and What Gets Refunded

IRCC accepts payment online through its fee portal. Accepted methods:

Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, and UnionPay credit cards, including prepaid cards
Visa Debit and Debit Mastercard, for online applications only
UnionPay for online applications only; UnionPay debit cards are not accepted

Debit cards must be co-branded with Visa or Mastercard to work online.¹² Use the IRCC online fee tool to calculate your exact total before you pay; it adds up every required fee for your application type and family size. Once payment goes through, the system generates a PDF receipt with a barcode and transaction number. Save it. For online applications it links to your file automatically; for paper submissions, print it and include it in your package.¹³

If you withdraw your application before IRCC starts processing it, you get a full refund. Once processing has begun, most fees are non-refundable. The exceptions are the Right of Permanent Residence Fee, the Right of Citizenship fee, and the open work permit holder fee, which remain refundable if your application is refused or withdrawn.¹⁴ Standard processing fees for visitor visas, study permits, work permits, and PR applications are never refunded once an officer has opened your file.

1
Government of Canada. Permanent Residence Fees Increasing on April 30, 2026
2
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Application Fees
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Government of Canada. Electronic Travel Authorization eTA How to Apply
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. How Do I Apply for an Open Work Permit
5
Government of Canada. Pay Your Application Fees Online – Temporary Residence
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. What Is the Right of Permanent Residence Fee
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Immigrate Through Express Entry
8
Government of Canada. Pay Your Application Fees Online – Family Class
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Application Fees Fee Changes
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Biometrics How to Give Your Fingerprints and Photo
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. When to Give Your Biometrics Temporary Resident Applicants
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Why Is My Online Payment Being Refused
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Application Fees Pay Your Fees Online
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Application Fees Ask for a Refund