Canada has announced new immigration application fees for Permanent Residents and NEXUS frequent travellers. Processing fees are required to pay for the application processing and is required at the time of application. Fee increases are to keep up with increased costs and to help eliminate the application processing backlogs.
Increased Permanent Residence Fees
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced an increase in Canada’s immigration fees for all permanent residency applications, effective April 30, 2024. IRCC has been increasing Permanent Residence fees increase every two years to adjust for inflation. The new increases are 12%-13% higher compared to the last increase in April 2022, which was on average 2%.
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Here are the new PR fees effective 9:00am ET on April 30 in CA$:
- Right of Permanent Residence: $575 (up from $515)
- Federal programs (skilled workers, provincial nominees, etc.): $950 (up from $850)
- Live-in Caregiver programs: $635 (up from $570)
- Business category: $1,810 (up from $1,625)
- Family reunification: $545 (up from $490)
- Protected persons, humanitarian/compassionate cases: $635 (up from $570)
- Permit holders: $375 (up from $335)
Canada charges a fee for permanent residence applications and most other immigration applications.
Exemptions From The Right Of Permanent Residence Fee
Dependent children and protected persons (including principal applicants and all accompanying family members) and the following groups of applicants are exempt from paying the department’s Right of Permanent Residence (RPR) Fee:
- Sponsored child (of a principal applicant under the family reunification class)
- The child must be under 22 years old and not have a spouse/partner
- Principal applicants under the humanitarian and compassionate consideration and public policy classes
NEXUS Trusted Traveller Program
NEXUS speeds up border crossings for frequent travellers from Canada and the United States. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) administer the NEXUS program for pre-approved travelers. The application fee is expected to rise from US$50 to US$120 by October 1, 2024, to cover program administration and improvements.
The CBSA and CBP are prepared for an application surge before the fee increase. Since July 2022, they've made progress reducing the backlog of NEXUS interviews by 25%. To handle more applicants, they've expanded enrollment centre hours, offered split interviews at land borders,and reopened Canadian airport enrollment centres.
NEXUS has experienced delays and backlogs over the past few years, which they are working to alleviate. Over the past year, the CBSA and U.S. CBP report they have:
- reduced the inventory of NEXUS interviews by 25% since July 2022
- expanded hours of service at enrolment centres in both Canada and the U.S. to increase the availability of interview appointments
- introduced split interviews at land enrolment centres, offering additional interview options for applicants
- reopened Canadian airport enrolment centres for two-step interviews
- provided flexibility for applicants to complete the interview process while encouraging them to complete their interviews as soon as possible
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If you need immigration assistance or have questions about your immigration application or whether you or your team are eligible to cross the U.S. / Canada border, contact Ackah Law today at (587) 404-5692 or email contact@ackahlaw.com.
