New increases in Canada immigration application fees for Economic class programs came into force on April 30, 2020.
Fees have been increased by 50 percent for principal applicants, spouse and common law partners, plus dependent children for all apart from the caregiver programs. The increases cover both skilled worker and business categories.
Canada’s federal government says the fee increase is designed to move some of the financial burden for immigration from the Canadian tax payer to the immigration applicants who benefit from the programs.
“These Regulations aim to reduce the subsidization burden on the taxpayer for the management and delivery of permanent resident programs and services,” the regulation amendment says.
“This will be achieved through shifting more of the cost burden on to the users who benefit the most from the service.”
Canada Economic Class Application Fee Increases
| Before April 30 | On and after April 30 | |
| Principal applicants of the Economic business class
(including Self-Employed, Start-Up Visa, Quebec Investor, Quebec Entrepreneur, and Quebec Self-Employed) |
$1,050 | $1,575 |
| Principal applicants of the Economic class
(non-business, including Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker, Provincial Nominee Program Atlantic Immigration Pilot, Rural & Northern Immigration Pilot program, Agri-Food Immigration Pilot, and Quebec Skilled Worker Program) |
$550 | $825 |
| Spouses or common-law partners of all Economic classes | $550 | $825 |
| Dependent children of all Economic classes | $150 | $225 |
| Right of permanent resident fee | $490 | $500 |
The largest increase, from $1,050 to $1,575, is for principal applicants of business programs including the federal Self-Employed and Start-Up Visa programs, plus the Quebec Immigrant Investor, Quebec Entrepreneur and Quebec Self-Employed programs.
Principal applicants of the Economic class non-business programs see fees increase from $550 to $825. The programs included here are the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker, Provincial Nominees, Atlantic Immigration Pilot, Rural & Northern Immigration Pilot, Agri-Food Immigration Pilot, and Quebec Skilled Worker.
Spouses and common-law partner in all Economic class programs see fees increase from $550 to $825, while the fees for dependent children increase from $150 to $225.
Lastly, the Right of Permanent Residence Fee increases by 2 percent from $490 to $500.
Read More
Proposed Changes to See All Canada Immigration Application Fees Paid Online
Class Action Lawsuit by Quebec Skilled Workers Against the Quebec Immigration Ministry Claims Return of Application Fees
According to the federal government, the fee increases aim to address ‘a significant imbalance … between the cost of providing services to permanent resident applicants and the fees paid by them’.
The new application fees ‘better reflect the actual costs of managing and delivering permanent resident programs’, the regulation amendment says.
In future, Canada’s federal government plans to increase application fees every two years in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase. It means that a new increase will be applied in April 2022.
Canada’s federal government says the fee increases will result in a net benefit to the taxpayer of $76.9 million over the next 10 years.
Increasing permanent resident fees will generate revenues that will be used to better offset the cost of immigration, thereby reducing the cost burden on Canadian taxpayers,” the regulation amendment says.
