The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced an increase in application fees for several temporary resident categories.
The new fees which range from 2.80% to 4.69% will affect individuals applying to restore their temporary resident status, return to Canada after inadmissibility, or apply for temporary resident permits (TRPs).
According to Immigration News Canada (INC), IRCC has also updated its fee structure for a range of applications, including those from visitors, workers, students, and others seeking temporary status in Canada.
The fee adjustments apply to eight distinct application categories, each experiencing different increases.
For instance, the fee for restoring Visitor Status has risen to $239.75 from $229.00; the restoration of Student Status is now $389.75, up from $379.00; and the fee for restoring Worker Status has increased to $394.75 from $384.00.
Also, the cost for authorisation to return to Canada has been raised to $479.75 from $459.55. The fee for criminal rehabilitation based on criminality is now $239.75, up from $229.77. The fee for criminal rehabilitation on serious criminality has jumped to $1,199.00 from $1,148.87. The Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) is now $239.75, previously $229.77, and the fee for International Experience Canada (IEC) has increased to $179.75 from $172.00.
For people who are deemed inadmissible and wish to re-enter Canada, the fee for authorisation to return has increased by 4.40%. This applies to cases involving prior violations or removal orders.
Criminal rehabilitation applications, which allow individuals with criminal histories to legally enter Canada, have seen a fee increase of over 4%.
Similarly, Temporary Resident Permits (TRP), which grant temporary access to inadmissible individuals, now cost 4.34% more.
The International Experience Canada (IEC) programme aimed at young professionals and working holiday participants has also seen a 4.51% fee increase.
IRCC cautioned that applicants must ensure they pay the correct fees when submitting their applications.
Online applications should include the updated fees at the time of submission.
IRCC said applications submitted by mail before December 1st, 2024 with the old fees will not be rejected, however, applicants will be asked to pay the difference between the old and new fees.
Applicants who need to pay the difference are asked to calculate the fee change for all applicable fees, including those for family members.
The payment can be made through IRCC’s online payment tool using the “Make an additional payment or pay other fees” option with payment receipt submitted according to IRCC’s instructions.
According to INC, IRCC periodically adjusts its fees to account for inflation and to ensure the continued quality of service.