(Updated April 2020)
Welcome to the “How to immigrate to Canada” series, ten articles covering the basics—immigration categories, rights and duties as a permanent resident, first steps as a newcomer and more.
Browse these articles for more info on immigrating to Canada.
Did you find the right immigration category and check your eligibility? Are you getting ready to fill out your permanent residence application? Good job!
But wait—can you afford it?
You probably already know or suspect you will have to pay an application processing fee and the right of permanent residence fee. But did you budget for other associated expenses?
In this article, I will give you an overview of how much you should budget when applying for permanent residence in Canada. All amounts are in Canadian dollars.
The application processing fee
The fee depends on your immigration category.
- For business immigration (Quebec business immigration, Self-employed people, and Start-up visa), the processing fee is $1050.
- For economic immigration, including Express Entry (Atlantic immigration pilot, Canadian experience class, Live-in Caregiver Program, Home Child Care Provider Pilot [without the work permit fee], Home Support Worker Pilot [without the work permit fee], Federal skilled workers, Federal skilled trades, Provincial nominee, Rural and northern immigration pilot and Quebec-selected skilled workers), the processing fee is $550.
- For humanitarian and compassionate, the fee is $550.
- For spouse, partner or children sponsorship, the fee is $550.
For more details, check out the Fee list.
The Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ) fee
Applicants who plan to settle in Quebec must apply for a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ). The fee is $812 for the principal applicant, $174 for a spouse, and $174 for each child.
The right of permanent residence fee
All landed immigrants in Canada must pay the right of permanent residence fee (RPRF), which is $490 per person.
Note that the RPRF can be refunded if your application is denied or if you withdraw it. This is the only refundable fee.
Other application-related fees
- If your supporting documents (i.e. diplomas, certifications, etc.) are not in French or English, you must hire an authorized translator and provide a translation.
- You must include several photographs and the rules are quite specific (yes, Canadians are weird with passport pictures!). Depending on where you live, it adds up. In Canada, it cost about $14 for two pics—not cheap if you immigrate as a family!
- You may need to have your foreign degrees recognized in Canada. This is called a credential evaluation only designated organizations such as World Education Services can perform the assessment. The recommended ECA evaluation is $220.
- If English or French isn’t the official language in your country of citizenship, you will have to have your language abilities tested. This is one of the six selection factors for skilled workers. The language proficiency test must be administered by an approved organization, for example, IELTS (around $320) and CELPIP ($265) for English, or the TEF for French ($440).
- A medical exam is mandatory for each applicant and their dependents (spouse, children) and it must be performed by a panel physician. Two fees must be paid—the exam fee and the X-ray fee. Fees vary greatly so ask around. In 2005, I paid $100 for the medical exam and $100 for the X-ray in an Ottawa clinic.
Miscellaneous fees to budget for
- Travelling expenses from your city to your local Canadian visa office, typically located in world capitals. You may have to show up in person if an interview is required. Similarly, you may have to travel to the nearest panel physician for your medical exam.
- Passport fees, since you will need a valid passport issued by your country of citizenship to travel to Canada.
Unnecessary expenses
Don’t splurge for an immigration consultant! As I explained in Two Immigration Myths, most applicants don’t need to hire an immigration lawyer or an immigration consultant—it’s money wasted.
Immigration representatives typically charge from $1000 to $5000 (but the sky is the limit!). Save money, learn to Google.
Don’t forget you need savings on top of all these fees and expenses
If you apply in the skilled worker category, you will have to prove that you have enough funds to support yourself and your family for the first few months following your arrival in Canada. For one person, it’s $12,960, and up to $27,315 for a family of five.
Good luck!
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The whole concept is amazing. There are a good deal of fees involved in Norway as well, and sometimes I wonder if it isn’t plain and simple to keep poor people from getting in. However the unfairness of this with the unfair distribution of wealth in the world is just mind boggling. Those who really need a chance to start in ‘the new world’ can’t afford to.
Wow! Now I must ask my parents how they immigrated to Canada. The rules must be different in the early 90’s. I don’t know if Danish or Canadian immigration process is more complicated.
These costs are not the main issue. The real concern is whether I can get a job in Canada. There is no point immigrate to Canada if I am jobless.
Perspective immigrants to Canada have to take language exams. From what I know, American Immigration and Naturalization Dept has its own language exam, but the level can be insultingly low.
i guess its true. everything has a cost.
i guess it keeps out the riff-raff.
(otherwise there are people who will
“do anything” as long as its free)
You are quite the immigration expert now. You ought to charge fees for consulting. 🙂
I suppose little things do add up and that’s quite alot of budgetting involved there Zhu.
You should become a relocation lawyer… 😉
@DianeCA – I agree with you. For some, it’s a bit expensive but affordable, for some, it’s just more money than they will make in a lifetime. I think immigrating alone is still cheap compared to other countries’ fees and requirements. But as a family, it’s a lot of money.
@Bluefish – I have no idea how much it cost back then, but I’d be curious. When I immigrated, it was actually more expensive than that!
@Khengsiong – Yes, prospective immigrants in the skilled worker category must take language exam to show their proficiency. I don’t think these ones are that easy, they tend to be more academic.
It’s really to tell whether you could have a job in Canada or not. Chances are… probably. But it does take time and patience, and a lot of research. Does it worth it? Only you can tell!
@Seraphine – Probably… it’s too bad though because I’m sure there are some really skilled people who just can’t afford it!
@Shantanu – Sure, I’ll start with you 😆
@shionge – It’s important to be aware of it!
@Sidney – I’m bad with charging people, I’d rather give advice for free 😆
I agree with Sidney, you could be an immigration lawyer! 😀
I would like to ask if anyone call tell me what it’s like to move from the US to Toronto.
My wife and I both speak English, lived in the US our whole lives, have college degrees, many years of professional experience, lots of references, but have always had a tough time getting decent-paying jobs. Health care has always been a huge burden for us, also. My wife could not get treatments she needed due to cost and one time I needed two root canals and we’ve been paying on that bill for years now. Other dental work I need I can’t get due to cost. I have severe sleep apnea but can’t afford treatment, also, so I’m someone who just got used to being either always sleepy or drinking energy drinks.
We visited Toronto on our honeymoon and loved it, but always felt that it would be impossible to move there. How would we pay our bills there or would we have to have them all paid in full before we could move there? How would we settle in? Would people not give us jobs (would it be worse than in the US) due to our background or accents?
Professionally, I’ve been an English teacher and college journalism instructor (and have great references from those jobs), worked as a probation officer and court clerk, and retail manager. My wife has been a researcher, retail manager, and nonprofit manager.
Can anyone elaborate?
You will be an immigrant, whether you are coming from Chile, the USA or China. There are some challenges but eventually, it’s up to you. You should have a look at the interview series, some of the guys I interviewed were from the USA: https://correresmidestino.com/category/the-saturday-series/ten-immigrants-ten-interviews/
hello, my husband lives in Jamaica and we are starting the process for me to sponsor him to come to Canada. he is a marijuana smoker, will this affect his medical exam and chance to come to Canada?
also, do his children who are not coming with him have to have a medical exam?
thanks!
Normally, the medical exam aims at checking stuffs such as TB, AIDS etc. I’m sure a lot of people occasionally smoke pot and get through. However, it may be different if he is a heavy user…
No idea about the children.
WHERE DO I FIND WHERE THESE POSTS BEGIN? I just found out about this site and want to start at the beginning–PLEASE! I would appreciate all information you can give. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!
If you are interested about immigration, you can click on this link: https://correresmidestino.com/category/immigration/
These are all my posts (37 so far) that talk about immigration. At the bottom of the page, you’ll see little numbers, click on them to go to a different page.
Otherwise, you can browse using the archive page which is here: https://correresmidestino.com/archives/
Click on “expand all” and you will see all the posts.
Immigration rules are changing every now and then. So if you have plans, its better to finalize your decision asap.
Thanks….if i get permanent citizen of Canada i will like to contact you in real and ….Thsi was so helpful for me, I own you something.THNX I will add to my favorites or email me…because I think this was so helpful for me.Thnx
You are very welcome! I hope the information will be useful for you.
Hi,
Quick question for you. I have a first cousin living in Canada and was looking to know can he sponsor me? hope you can help.
Thanks
Ian
Cousins are not usually eligible to sponsor. See here:
For more info, see here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/sponsor/relatives-apply-who.asp
Hi,
Im currently 15. Im planning to move to London, Ontario in about 3 years? I apparently need to be in Canada for 1096 (I think) days before I can apply for citizenship. Visitors and work visas only go for 6 months. Is there anyway I can spend the four years in Canada without having to go back to New Zealand? I have 3 very close friends there. So I can probably ask for them to sponser me. Also the cost of moving my pony to Canada? So far all I know is that I need $11,115 Canadian dollars ($15,848 NZD) and about 4 – 5 grand for flights.
Thanks,
Kate
Hi, im moving to london as well, beautiful city…
you can avoid having to travel back to your home country by crossing into america, I am fairly certain that when you leave and then re-enter it will refresh your 6 month tourists visa
I know that with dogs and cats atleast you may bring them over the border with a health certificate from a veterinary clinic, though horse may or may not count as livestock i’m not sure, if this is the case there will probably be some sort of tax on it
either way I think the idea is just that you have to go to Detroit or Niagara or something into america for half a day or so
I believe that works, however if you cross the border too much you may not get a stamp. It depends on the officer… most know the trick!
Hi Zhu, thanks for this article. They don’t go out of their way to make figuring fees easy, do they?
I’m applying for permanent residence under the family category and, just now while (so far unsuccessfully) trying to figure out who to make the check out to, I notice this $490 RPRF fee for the first time. They different fee schedules give different impressions on whether it has to be paid when submitting the application or can wait until closer to award time.
The difference is important because, while I’d prefer they didn’t know I’m sweating the $490 a bit, I’m sweating the $490 a bit.
You can pay the Right of Permanent Residence Fee at any time before the permanent residence visa is issued. Most people like to pay at the time they send their application so that you don’t have an extra step, but I believe you can pay it before the visa is issued, so later in the process. You will receive a request to pay this fee anyway.
Note that personal cheques are to accepted as payment: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/fees/index.asp.
Thank you, and thank you for providing an actual person willing to answer questions.
No worries! It’s just me replying whenever I know the answer.
trying to get into canada.i have a fiance there.my trade is a nurse.red cross will help half of it.my house was broken into,they took my passport and other stuff.my question is:is there any other funding to get to canada
I’m not sure I understand your question. There isn’t usually any financial help to help you immigrate to Canada.
Hi there,
I’m 18, I have permanent residency in New Zealand and am a British citizen (passport holder). Currently I am on my gap year and am in England.
My boyfriend is a Canadian citizen and has permanent residency in NZ too. He thinks he is going to stay in Canada to study and live.
What i’d like to know is how easy would it be for me to study and live in Canada for the duration of a university degree too? And how much roughly would the costs be? Would I be best getting a study permit or applying for residency? I may want to live in Canada after my degree too, but i’m not sure yet. I have no other connections in Canada apart from him and his family.
Any help and advice would be great!! 🙂
Thanks
Lee
Hi Lee,
I’m sure you can get a study permit fairly easily provided you are accepted into a Canadian university. Tuition fees depend on universities but be aware that as an international students, you will pay much more than Canadian. You should check universities’ website for these kinds of information.
If you obtain the permanent residence before starting studying in Canada, you’ll pay the same tuition fees as Canadians, i.e. roughly $6,000 per year (that’s on top of my head). However, getting residency in Canada is a long process.
As a British citizen, you can also get a Working Holiday Visa for Canada, this may be an option to explore.
This website will answer a ot of your questions: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/index.asp.
Hello Zhu,
Thanks for the great posts.
Due to the financial breakdown of Europe and even worse my country, Albania, I am deciding to start the process of immigrating to Canada as a skilled worker.
I have finished university studies in the UK and have worked in the last three years in another European country.
I wanted to know how long and how much (estimates) does the process take and is it true that it might be easier if I apply for Quebec and then get the Canadian entrance permit? Would this cost more?
Best regards,
Fredi
Hi there,
I’m in a bit lost with some timelines and processes regarding Immigration and marriage. I’m a Permanent Resident in Canada, in the process of Citizenship though, and my fiance is an American Citizen. We both currently work in our respective countries, and we’re trying to figure out the easiest way to proceed. Should she apply for a work permit then come work here for some time, during which we get married? If so, where do we start? Or should we get married and start filing immigration papers for her, while she goes back to the US to work. Ideally I’d like her to stay here, but how would she be able to work during the time the application is being processed?
Hi,
I am planning to get into Canada in a skilled worker category and I understand that I need to show proof of fund around 10,000 Canadian dollar. My question is, should this proof of fund be only in cash or any other asset I can show(like document of my own house, some shares)
Thanks a lot,
Sonia
I believe you can show other assets, including bank statements. But you should contact Citizenship and Immigration Canada to confirm.
Hi Zhu,
Can one show Fixed Assets (Home) in “Proof of funds”?
Should work but I’d call CIC to be sure, I’m not an expert on that.
Hi! My parents and their 5 children 3 over 21 and 2 under, want to migrate to Canada they all live in the Middle East. Is there anyway to get to Canada and what visa should they apply for and how much every thing coast and also how long it takes ?
Thank for your helping
You will find all the answer here: http://www.cic.gc.ca.
hi, i would like to know,like me im 20 year and i want to have a residence permit to canada so how much it will cost me.
Did you read the article? The answers are here. A residence permanent is the permanent residence status.
Hy, I am Married and I have a baby, Currently I live in Dubai, I would like to migrate to Canada, So what should I do?
My plan is to apply for permanent Residence under skilled Migrant. After I reach there and finding a job can I bring My family under My sponsorship, If so how long(months) it will take to get the PR?
Hi,
All the information you need is on http://www.cic,gc.ca. The average processing times by office is here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/.
You can include your family in your application so that you won’t need to sponsor them, they can come with you as the principal applicant.
Hi,
Me & my wife applied case from Pakistan. Now we have received instruction to submit medical test and right of landing fee? I am currently living in Dubai for more than six month. My question is can i submit my medical test result from the assigned doctor in Dubai rather than to go in Pakistan only for this work? Please reply soon
regards,
saeed
Hello,
You should contact CIC, I am not from this part of the world and I have no clue.
if somebody offer me for a job form canada,in that case what will be my process to immrgrate there.
You should check out http://www.cic.gc.ca.
Thank you so much, I know this article is old but it’s so helpful to break things down. The CIC website is so confusing!
You are very welcome! Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have questions, I know how confusing it all seem at first!
Hai
I am working in the visual effects field ( film industry). I would like to know whether I would be able to apply for the PR skilled workers category because I came across a job in the NOC list titled support staff in film and media. Also I would like to know if I would be able to apply only by january 2013 because I came to read somewhere that the skilled workers category is closed now except for those with a job offer or Phd from canada.
It’s not my field at all and your question is very specific, so I would suggest calling CIC to get the right info. Best of luck!
Hi,
I’m in the process of filling out a sponsorship application for my boyfriend to come to Canada.
I’m stuck on one of the questions and was hoping someone might have an answer. It is asking in the co-signer section, which from what I understand would be my boyfriend. In this part it is asking what his status is in Canada. The options are Canadian citizen by birth, Canadian citizen by descent, naturalized Canadian citizen and permanent resident. He is none of the above and when I tried to save the application it said I had to pick one of the options. We are currently living in the UK and he has Irish nationality. What do I do?
Also, does he have to be the co-signer or can just not have one?
Sorry, no idea what you are talking about. The forms probably changed since I filled my application in 2005 but I don’t remember such a question, doesn’t make much sense to me. Are you sure you have the right forms?