How Much Does It Cost to Move to Canada?

One Express Entry applicant who prepares their own file pays $1,675 in IRCC fees: the processing fee, the Right of Permanent Residence Fee and biometrics. The language test and credential assessment are priced by their providers. Federal Skilled Worker applicants must also show $15,263 in settlement funds. Medical exams and police certificates cost extra.

Add up your fees with the Fee Calculator

Last verified: November 2026

$1,675
IRCC fees for one Express Entry applicant, with biometrics
$3,620
IRCC fees for two adults and one child on one Express Entry application
$15,263
Settlement funds a Federal Skilled Worker shows for one person
$1,260
Spousal sponsorship: sponsorship, processing and RPRF combined

IRCC increased most permanent residence fees on April 30, 2026. All amounts are in Canadian dollars. The Fee Calculator adds up the fees for your own family size.

Which costs come up on most pathways?

These costs come up on most permanent residence pathways. Which ones apply depends on yours.

The common costs
Cost item	Amount (CAD)	Notes
Language test (CELPIP, IELTS, PTE Core, TEF Canada, TCF Canada)	Set by the provider	Each sitting is booked and paid separately. For Express Entry, IRCC accepts CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core in English, and TEF Canada and TCF Canada in French.
Credential assessment (ECA)	Set by the organization	Needed for a Federal Skilled Worker’s education from outside Canada, and it must be less than 5 years old when you complete your profile and when you apply. IRCC designates the organizations that may do it, and each sets its own price.
Biometrics	$85 (individual) / $170 (family)	Required for most applicants. The 10-year reuse period applies to temporary residence applications. Permanent residence applications generally require new biometrics, even if you gave them recently for a temporary application.
Medical exam	Set by the panel physician	Per person, including family members, even those not coming with you. Additional tests may apply.
Police certificate(s)	Varies	Required for each country where you lived for 6 consecutive months or longer since age 18. Fees vary by country.
Passport / travel document fees	Varies	Your home country’s passport renewal fees.

What does Express Entry cost in IRCC fees?

Express Entry covers three programs, Federal Skilled Worker (FSW), Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Trades (FST), plus part of the Provincial Nominee Program.

Express Entry fees by person
Cost item	Principal applicant	Spouse/partner	Per dependent child
Processing fee (PR application)	$990	$990	$270
Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF)	$600	$600	N/A
Biometrics ($170 family maximum)	$85	$85	$85

A single applicant who self-prepares pays $1,675 CAD in IRCC fees, and two adults and one child pay $3,620, plus the providers' prices for the test, ECA and medical exam.

The combined "$1,590" you may see on IRCC's fee list for one adult is the processing fee and the RPRF added together. The RPRF is paid before you become a permanent resident, with the application or later, when IRCC asks. The processing fee is generally not refunded once IRCC starts processing, and the RPRF is refunded if you do not become a PR.

Do provinces charge their own fee?

Some provinces charge their own PNP application fee on top of IRCC's federal fees. The amounts vary.

Provincial application fees
Province	Provincial application fee
British Columbia (BC PNP)	$1,750 CAD (Skills Immigration)
Alberta (AAIP)	$1,500 CAD (worker streams), plus a $135 expression of interest fee
Saskatchewan (SINP)	$500 CAD
Manitoba (MPNP)	See the province's site
Nova Scotia (NSNP)	$1,000 CAD (worker streams, from September 1, 2026)
New Brunswick (NBPNP)	See the province's site

Fees as posted on each province's official PNP website, checked November 12, 2026. Ontario is not listed: its former OINP streams closed on June 25, 2026, and the page for its new Ontario Workforce Priority stream states no fee amount. Fees change, so confirm the current amount with the province before you apply.

How much money must you show in settlement funds?

Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) and Federal Skilled Trades (FST) applicants through Express Entry must show they have enough money to support themselves and their family after arriving in Canada. This is separate from the application fees. Canadian Experience Class applicants are exempt, and so are FSW/FST applicants who are already authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer.

The amounts in the table took effect July 7, 2025 and are set at 50% of Statistics Canada's Low Income Cut-Off (LICO). Add about $4,112 for each family member beyond seven. IRCC updates the table roughly once a year.

Your family size counts every dependent on the application, even ones who will not travel with you.

Required settlement funds
Family size	Required settlement funds (CAD)
1 person	$15,263
2 persons	$19,001
3 persons	$23,360
4 persons	$28,362
5 persons	$32,168
6 persons	$36,280
7 persons	$40,392

The rule

Settlement funds are money you must demonstrate you have access to.

IRCC, canada.caVerify on canada.ca

What do sponsorship, permits and visas cost?

Fees on other pathways
Pathway	Government fees (approx.)	Notes
Spousal Sponsorship	$1,260 total (sponsorship + processing + RPRF)	Single combined fee for the spouse/partner as of April 30, 2026. Add $180 per dependent child included. Plus biometrics, medical, police certs.
Work Permit (employer-specific)	$155 (work permit) + $85 (biometrics)	Employer pays the LMIA processing fee ($1,000) where one is required. Open work permit holders also pay a $100 open work permit holder fee.
Study Permit	$150 (study permit) + $85 (biometrics)	Plus tuition fees. A Provincial/Territorial Attestation Letter (PAL/TAL) is required for most applicants.
Visitor Visa (TRV)	$100 (single/multiple entry)	Plus biometrics ($85) if you have not given them in the last 10 years.
eTA	$7	For most visa-exempt travellers flying to Canada (US citizens are exempt).

Do you have to pay a lawyer or consultant?

Immigration lawyers and CICC-licensed consultants are optional. Each lawyer or consultant sets their own fees, so ask for a written quote.

Under IRPA s.91, only lawyers and Quebec notaries, other members of a provincial law society (including paralegals), and consultants licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants may be paid to represent or advise you. You can check a consultant on the College’s public register at college-ic.ca.

Which free tool checks your own case?

Free, with no account. What you enter in a tool stays in your browser.

What do people ask?

How much does it cost to move to Canada from the USA or the UK?

IRCC charges the same fees whatever country you move from. One Express Entry applicant pays $1,675 in IRCC fees, and a language test is still required even for native English speakers. What changes by country is the price of police certificates, passports, the medical exam and the move itself. Our Moving to Canada from the US guide lists the US-specific steps and costs.

How much are the IRCC fees for a family moving to Canada?

For two adults and one child on one Express Entry application, the IRCC fees come to $3,620: two processing fees of $990, two Right of Permanent Residence Fees of $600, $270 for the child and $170 in biometrics, the family maximum. Tests, medical exams and settlement funds come on top. Our Fee Calculator adds up the fees for your own family size.

What is the cheapest way to immigrate to Canada?

IRCC charges the same fees for the three Express Entry programs: one self-prepared applicant pays $1,675. The Canadian Experience Class (CEC), for people with skilled work experience in Canada, needs at least one year of full-time skilled work in Canada in the three years before you apply (IRPR s.87.1(2)(a)). It has no settlement funds requirement and no education requirement. Our Canadian Experience Class guide explains the rules.

How much money do I need in the bank to immigrate to Canada?

Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades applicants must show $15,263 for one person, $19,001 for two and $23,360 for three, about $4,112 more per extra member. This is your own money for living costs, not a payment to IRCC, and it must be available and not borrowed. Canadian Experience Class applicants are exempt. Our Proof of Funds for Express Entry guide lists the full table.

Can I get a refund if my PR application is refused?

Partly. The Right of Permanent Residence Fee, $600, is refunded if you do not become a permanent resident, for example after a refusal or a withdrawal before landing. The $990 processing fee is generally not refunded once IRCC starts processing. Medical exam, language test and credential assessment fees go to third parties, and IRCC does not refund them. Our Fee Calculator shows which fees are which.

Why did the cost to move to Canada go up in 2026?

IRCC raised most permanent residence fees on April 30, 2026. The economic-class processing fee is now $990 and the Right of Permanent Residence Fee $600, a combined $1,590 per adult, and the spousal sponsorship fee is $1,260. The work permit fee is $155 and the study permit fee is $150. Our Fee Calculator uses the current figures.

Is a language test always required?

Not for every pathway. Express Entry applicants must take an approved test: IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General or PTE Core for English, or TEF Canada or TCF Canada for French. The Canadian Experience Class sets a lower minimum for TEER 2 and 3 jobs. The family class rules (IRPR ss.116 to 133) set no language test for a sponsored spouse, and IRCC sets no test score for a study permit or a visitor visa. Our Language Tests for Immigration guide compares the tests.

Part of:Immigrating permanently

Official sources

This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.