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TLDR
Canada's permanent residence and citizenship fees rose on April 30, 2026. Study permits, work permits, and visitor visas were not affected.
The federal study permit fee remains CA$150 per person, covering both new applications and extensions.
Biometrics fees stay at CA$85 per individual and CA$170 maximum per family of two or more.
The right of permanent residence fee is now CA$600, up from its previous level under the April 30 adjustment. Processing fees across business, economic, family sponsorship, humanitarian, and protected persons categories also increased on that date.
VFS Global introduced new visa application centre service charges on May 1, 2026, with amounts varying by country.
OTTAWA — Canada's permanent residence and citizenship fees went up on April 30, 2026. However, the federal cost to apply for a Canadian study permit, or to extend one from inside Canada, remains CA$150 per person, according to the official IRCC fee list updated the same day.
Temporary residence fees at a glance
IRCC groups study permits under its temporary residence category. The key federal fees on that list:
Study permit (including extensions), per person: CA$150
Visitor visa (single or multiple entry): CA$100
Work permit (including extensions), per person: CA$155
The April 30 fee adjustment did not touch any of these categories.
What changed on April 30
The April 30, 2026 fee changes hit the permanent residence schedule broadly. Processing fees rose for business immigration, economic immigration including Express Entry, home care worker programs, humanitarian and compassionate applications, protected persons, family sponsorship, and parent and grandparent sponsorship.
The right of permanent residence fee, paid when a PR application is approved, is now CA$600. Citizenship application fees for adults also increased on March 31, 2026, with the adult citizenship fee now CA$653.
For current international students considering a future transition to permanent residence, this is the fee schedule worth tracking. It does not affect what you pay today for a study permit or work permit but it raises the cost of a later PR application.
VFS Global service charges now vary by country
Applicants who submit their study permit applications through a VFS Global visa application centre now have to pay a separate service charge on top of the federal fee. The new VFS schedules took effect on May 1, 2026, and the charge varies by country and by the service package selected. Applicants should check the VFS page for their country of application.
These VFS charges are collected by a third-party contractor, not by the Canadian government. They cover operational costs at the visa application centres where applicants submit documents, photographs, and biometrics.
The full costs of applying for a Canadian study permit
For a first-time applicant applying from outside Canada, the federal costs are:
CA$150 for the study permit
CA$85 for biometrics, unless you already gave them for a Canadian temporary residence application in the past 10 years (IRCC reuses valid biometrics automatically)
VFS Global service charge, if applying through a visa application centre (varies by country)
For students already in Canada who are extending their study permits, they’ll pay the same CA$150 federal fee. Most extensions are filed online directly with IRCC and don't go through a visa application centre, so VFS service charges typically don't apply.
What this means for you
If you're budgeting for a Canadian study permit application right now, your federal costs are CA$150 for the permit and CA$85 for biometrics, assuming you haven't provided biometrics in the past 10 years. Next:
Check your biometrics status: If you gave biometrics for any Canadian temporary residence application in the last 10 years, you likely won't need to pay the CA$85 again. IRCC reuses valid biometrics automatically.
Look up your country's VFS page: Service charges changed May 1 and differ by location. Don't rely on another country's fee schedule.
The PR fee changes don't touch your current study permit application: But they will affect a later permanent residence application.
Extensions cost the same as new applications: If you're already studying in Canada and need to extend, the CA$150 fee applies to extensions too.
