Immigration fee increase by 50% effective April 30, 2020

Immigration fee increase by 50% effective April 30, 2020

By: Violeta G. Boquiren

The Federal Government passed amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection regulations increasing fees by 50% for some immigration programs effective April 30, 2020. This will be followed by more fee increases in 2022.

The increase in fees was to keep up with inflation and to reduce the burden on the Canadian taxpayer for permanent resident programs and services by sharing the cost more equitably with the foreign nationals/applicants who benefit from these programs and services. A two-phased approach will start in 2020.

The first phase will be an increase in the permanent resident fees under the economic class as follows:
• Fees for principal applicants of the Economic business class (including self-employed, start-up visa, Quebec investor, Quebec entrepreneur, and Quebec self-employed) will increase from $1,050 to $1,575 (an increase of 50%).

• Fees for principal applicants of the Economic non-business class will go from $550 to $825 (an increase of 50%).

Note: this increase will not apply to fees for principal applicants and their families in the Caregivers programs, which will remain unchanged.

• Fees for spouses or common-law partners of all Economic classes will go from $550 to $825 (an increase of 50%).

• Fees for dependent children of all Economic classes will go from $150 to $225 (an increase of 50%).

• The right of permanent resident fee will increase from $490 to $500 (an increase of 2%).

Fees will remain the same for family class and other applications until 2022 – 2023 at which time, the second phase will be implemented with increases to fees as follows:
• Permanent resident processing fees for all noneconomic class principal applicants (including the family, protected persons, and humanitarian and compassionate class applicants) will remain at the current rate of $550 until 2022-2023, when that fee will be increased biennially and rounded to the nearest $5, to approximately $570 in 2022-2023, to $595 in 2024-2025, and so on. Permanent resident processing fees for all family members of principal applicants (spouses, partners, and parents and grandparents, as applicable) will remain at the current rate of $550 until 2022-2023 when that fee will be increased biennially and rounded to the nearest $5, to approximately $570 in 2022-2023, to $595 in 2024-2025, and so on.

• Permanent resident processing fees for dependent children and their family members will remain at the current rate of $150 until 2022-23 where they will be increased by the applicable CPI rounded to the nearest $5 on a biennial basis to $155, to $160 in 2024-2025, and so on.

• Processing fee for processing an application by a person as a member of the permit holder class to remain in Canada as a permanent resident will be increased to $340 and then increased by the applicable CPI rounded to the nearest $5 multiplier every two years thereafter.

• The fee to sponsor a member of the family class will be increased to $80 and then increased by the applicable CPI rounded to the nearest $5 multiplier every two years thereafter.

• The Right of Permanent Residence Fee (landing fee) will be increased to approximately $520, and then increased by the applicable CPI rounded to the nearest $5 multiplier every two years thereafter.

Fees for citizenship, permanent resident cards, permanent resident travel documents, certification or replacement immigration documents and biometrics are not affected by the amendment.
Completed applications received before 9:00 am EDT on April 30, 2020, will be processed in accordance with the fee schedule in place prior to April 30, 2020. Applications received on or after 09:00 am EDT on April 30, 2020, will be processed in accordance with the fee schedule established in the Regulations. Applications received on or after 09:00 am EDT on April 30, 2020, that do not include the correct fees will be returned to the applicant as incomplete. Evidence of the correct fee payment needs to accompany any application for a permanent resident program submitted to IRCC.

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