Canada hikes permanent residency fees, making immigration dreams costlier from April 30

Aspiring immigrants seeking to make Canada their permanent home will have to brace themselves for a significant increase in fees, as announced by the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). 

According to a report by  News18, Canadian government, in a gazette notification issued on March 30, announced approximately a 12 percent increase in the 'right of permanent residence fee', effective by the end of this month.

The fee for obtaining permanent residency in Canada, from April 30, 2024, will rise from the current Canadian Dollars (CAD) 515 to CAD 575, marking a substantial hike of around 12 per cent. 

The IRCC's notice quoted by News 18 reads: “The permanent residency (PR) fees will increase at 9:00:00 a.m. Eastern daylight time on April 30, 2024, by the cumulative percentage increase to the Consumer Price Index for Canada, published by Statistics Canada, for the two previous years, rounded to the nearest five dollars." 

Obtaining permanent residency in Canada is akin to securing a green card in the United States, opening doors to potential Canadian citizenship. This specific fee is payable at the time of application for permanent residence status, the report added.

However, in a move to provide relief to families, Canada has exempted this fee for dependent children accompanying applicants seeking permanent residency.

The fee hikes extend beyond the permanent residency application, with Canada also increasing costs for various other immigration streams. Applications for Federal Skilled Workers, Provincial Nominee Program, Quebec Skilled Workers, Atlantic Immigration Class, and most economic pilots (Rural, Agri-Food), as well as their spouses or common-law partners, will now face an increase from CAD 850 to CAD 950. The fee for accompanying a dependent child has also been raised from CAD 230 to CAD 260, as per the report.

Similarly, the fees for the Live-in Caregiver Program, caregivers pilots (Home Child Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot), and their spouses or common-law partners have been hiked from CAD 570 to CAD 635, while the fee for accompanying a dependent child has risen from CAD 155 to CAD 175, the report further added.