The second largest country in the world, Canada, is the new immigration hot spot. As per Statistics Canada, the country’s population increased by 1 million people in just 2 years. After all, it’s a country of countless opportunities, a better quality of life, free healthcare, and friendly people.
Even though more than 80 programs are available to immigrate to Canada, becoming a Canadian Permanent Resident can be tough, given the terms and expense. One of the easiest pathways to apply for Permanent Residency status in Canada is through the Express Entry program.
What is the Express Entry System for applying for Permanent Residence in Canada?
Express Entry is an electronic immigration selection system designed to choose skilled workers from overseas and grant them permanent residency in Canada. Devised to rank economic immigration candidates, the popular program invites candidates with qualifying CRS scores to apply for PR status in Canada.
The Express Entry process is pretty fast, screening potential applications in as little as 6 months. If selected, the eligible candidates (along with their families) are allotted permanent residency (PR) Status by the Canadian Government, valid for 5 years. Since Express Entry is a federal immigration system, immigrants are eligible to settle anywhere in Canada.
But, what is the cost to immigrate to Canada under the Express Entry System?
The Complete Fee Structure of the Express Entry Immigration Program
The exact amount of fees to be paid for immigration under the Express Entry program depends on the candidate’s profile. However, there are two major fees that every applicant must pay under the Express Entry immigration program.
Government processing fee for your family members and you
The processing fee is paid to the IRCC to process your immigration application and includes the following costs
- $550 CAD for the applying candidate
- $550 CAD if a spouse or common-law partner is accompanying the applicant
- $150 CAD for each dependent child
The right of permanent residence fee
The right of permanent residence fees includes the following costs
- $490 CAD for the applicant
- $490 CAD if a spouse or common-law partner is accompanying the applicant
- No right of permanent residence fee for dependent children.
In addition to the process and permanent residence fees, there is a list of costs Express Entry Program applicants must pay as a part of their PR application process.
Biometrics fee
When submitting the application, a biometric fee is levied to cover the cost of collecting fingerprints and a digital photo. The biometric cost varies from $85 CAD per person to around $170 CAD if the applicant is accompanied by the family.
Language test fee
To gain PR status in Canada through Express Entry, an applicant must establish their language skills by taking an approved language test in English or French. The English language tests include IELTS (~ $300 CAD) and CELPIP. For the French language, there is TEF Canada and TCF Canada (~ $350 CAD). On average, the language tests cost around $300 CAD per person.
Educational Credential Assessment
Educational credential assessment is a report that must be submitted with the Express Entry application to access the applicant’s degrees and diplomas earned outside of Canada. It costs around $200 CAD for each applicant. Including the courier handling charges, the ECA would cost around $300 CAD.
Medical Examination
All PR applicants must have an immigration medical examination done in order to successfully file their application. The fee for this medical exam varies from physician to physician, but, on an average, costs between $250-320 CAD.
| Category | Single Applicant | Applicant with Spouse | The applicant with Spouse & One Dependent Child |
| Application Processing Fee | $550 CAD | $1,100 CAD | $1,250 CAD |
| Permanent Residence Fee | $490 CAD | $980 CAD | $980 CAD |
| Biometric Fee | $85 CAD | $170 CAD | $170 CAD |
| Language Test Fee | $300 CAD | $600 CAD | $900 CAD |
| Educational Credential Assessment | $300 CAD | $600 CAD | $600 CAD |
| Medical Examination | $250 CAD | $500 CAD | $750 CAD |
| TOTAL | $1,975 CAD | $3,950 CAD | $4,650 CAD |
If you want to apply under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), an additional fee is charged depending on the province chosen by the applicant. The applicable fee varies between $250 CAD for New Brunswick to $1,500 CAD for Ontario.
Hence, for a single applicant applying for permanent residency status in Canada under the Express Entry system, the total bearable cost would be around $2,500 CAD including all the miscellaneous expenditures.
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