Spouse Sponsorship Fees 2026: Full Cost Breakdown
Spousal sponsorship fees Canada applicants pay total $1,345 when one sponsored spouse must provide biometrics. The current IRCC charges are $90 for sponsorship, $570 for processing and $600 for the Right of Permanent Residence Fee. Biometrics add $85 when required. Each accompanying dependent child adds $180, with biometrics charged separately when required. Medical exams, police certificates and translations cost extra. This page explains each fee, refunds and payment. For the full pathway, read the guide to spousal sponsorship in Canada. Confirm the live IRCC fee table before paying.
Last reviewed by Narek Mirzoyan, RCIC # R1005184 on 2026-05-30.
TL;DR
A spouse-only Canadian sponsorship runs about $1,345 in IRCC fees in 2026, on the schedule effective April 30, 2026: a $90 sponsor fee, a $570 applicant processing fee, a $600 Right of Permanent Residence Fee, and an $85 biometrics fee. Each accompanying dependent child adds $180. Biometrics cost extra when required. Refund eligibility depends on the fee and processing stage. The RPRF remains refundable after processing starts. The rate you owe is the rate in effect the day you pay, not the day you started. Budget another $500 to $1,500 for medicals, police certificates, and translations the government fee does not cover.
Table of Contents
What is the total spouse sponsorship fee?
The total IRCC fee for a spouse-only sponsorship is about $1,345 in 2026, on the post-April-30 schedule. That covers the sponsor processing fee, the principal applicant processing fee, the Right of Permanent Residence Fee, and biometrics for one sponsored person. A spouse and one dependent child cost $1,525 when only the spouse needs biometrics. If both need biometrics, the total is $1,610.
Here is the line-by-line breakdown in Canadian dollars.
IRCC publishes the live fee list for family sponsorship on canada.ca. The amounts above reflect the increase that took effect April 30, 2026, under the Service Fees Act inflation mechanism, which moved most permanent residence fees up by roughly 4 to 6 percent. Quebec sponsors pay a separate provincial undertaking fee to the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration on top of these federal amounts. The dollar figure and the open-or-closed intake status both shift, so confirm them on quebec.ca the day you file.
Is $1,345 the right number for my situation?
The $1,345 figure assumes one sponsor, one spouse, common-law, or conjugal partner, and no children on the file. Each accompanying child adds $180, with no RPRF. Add $85 for a child who needs biometrics, subject to the $170 family maximum. A sponsor living outside Canada pays the same schedule, because IRCC fees are not priced by location. The one number that changes your total is the count of people on the undertaking, not where you live.
| Fee | Amount (CAD) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor processing fee | $90 | Once per application, not per sponsored person |
| Principal applicant processing fee | $570 | Same whether the file is inland or outland |
| Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) | $600 | Refundable if permanent residence is not granted |
| Biometrics fee | $85 | $170 family cap when two or more apply together |
| Dependent child (same family-class file) | $180 | Per accompanying child. Biometrics may cost extra. |
| Spouse-only total | ≈ $1,345 | Sponsor + applicant + RPRF + one biometrics fee |
Sponsor processing fee
How much is the sponsor processing fee in 2026?
The sponsor processing fee is $90, effective April 30, 2026. Every Canadian citizen or permanent resident who files a spousal, common-law, or conjugal sponsorship pays this amount. It funds IRCC's review of the bars that disqualify a sponsor. The fee is non-refundable, even if the sponsorship is refused at the sponsor-eligibility stage.
You pay the $90 once per application, not once per sponsored person. A sponsor combining a spouse and two dependent children on one file still pays a single $90 sponsor fee. The sponsorship fee increased from $85 to $90 on April 30, 2026. Files submitted on or after that date use $90, which is the most common reason a sponsor sees a higher number than an older online guide quotes.
Principal applicant processing fee
How much is the principal applicant processing fee?
The principal applicant processing fee is $570 on the post-April-30, 2026 schedule, up from $545. This is the charge IRCC applies to the foreign national being sponsored for permanent residence. It covers officer assessment of admissibility, the genuineness test in section 4 of the Regulations, background checks, and medical review.
The $570 is charged whether your spouse files inland or outland. Inland means the partner is already in Canada under the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada class. The class choice changes work-permit eligibility and appeal rights, not the processing fee. Our spousal sponsorship processing time 2026 guide walks through which class fits which situation. This processing fee is not refundable once IRCC starts processing. Withdrawal before processing starts can qualify for a refund.
Right of Permanent Residence Fee
What is the Right of Permanent Residence Fee and who pays it?
The Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) is $600 on the post-April-30, 2026 schedule, up from $575. The sponsored person pays it, not the sponsor. IRCC collects it at the moment a person becomes a permanent resident. Most couples pay it at submission to remove a billing step late in the process, though IRCC does let you defer it.
The $600 RPRF is refundable if IRCC refuses the application or you withdraw. Other refunds depend on processing stage. Follow IRCC’s refund instructions for your payment method.
The deferral trap during a fee-change window
IRCC lets you defer the RPRF to the PR-grant stage instead of paying it at submission. Deferring lowers the day-one cost of a spouse-only file to about $745. Here is the catch that costs couples real money. The rate you owe is the rate in effect on the day you pay, not the day you applied. A couple who submitted before April 30, 2026 at the old $575 figure, and deferred, now owes the full $600 when IRCC requests payment at the grant stage. The fee-change window does not grandfather a deferred RPRF. If you submitted before the increase and budgeted $575, set aside the extra $25 now.
Biometrics fee
How much is the biometrics fee for spousal sponsorship?
The biometrics fee is $85 per person, or $170 for a family of two or more applying together. This fee did not change in the April 30, 2026 increase. It covers IRCC's biometric enrolment: fingerprints and a digital photo taken at a Visa Application Centre. Biometrics are required by regulation for most spousal sponsorship applicants aged 14 to 79.
The $170 family cap applies only when two or more people on the same application give biometrics together. A solo spouse pays $85. A spouse with two dependent children on the same file pays $170 total, not $255. A separate point trips applicants who gave biometrics for an earlier temporary visa. IRCC requires PR applicants to give biometrics again even after a TRV, study permit, or work permit collection. The 10-year biometrics reuse rule covers temporary applications only, not permanent residence. Refund eligibility depends on the fee and processing stage. Check IRCC’s refund instructions before requesting repayment.
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Every consultation is with Narek Mirzoyan, RCIC # R1005184, or Vahe Mirzoyan, RCIC # R514223. Not an intake coordinator.
Dependent child fees
How much does adding a dependent child to spousal sponsorship cost?
Adding an accompanying dependent child costs $180 on the schedule effective April 30, 2026. Check the family-sponsorship category when paying. It covers IRCC's review of the child's admissibility, identity, and eligibility under the dependent-child definition. Biometrics apply to children aged 14 or older at the $85 rate, subject to the $170 family cap. No RPRF is charged for a dependent child.
The accompanying-child fee for family reunification increased from $175 to $180 on April 30, 2026. The $90 processing line applies to a sponsored dependent child as principal applicant, alongside the sponsorship fee. Use IRCC’s family-sponsorship fee table to select the correct category.
The Internal Logic of an IRCC Officer
An officer does not assess your fees for fairness. The officer's system checks one thing at intake: did the full, correct amount arrive for the exact number of people on the file. That check is automated and unforgiving. A file that is short by five dollars, because it was paid on the old sponsor-fee figure, is treated the same as a file short by five hundred. An underpayment can delay the application. IRCC’s fee-change instructions explain when to pay a difference and provide another receipt.
Here is what the officer is reading for that the fee receipt does not show on its face. The number of people the fee covers has to match the number of people declared on the IMM 1344 and IMM 5532 forms. A sponsor who pays for a spouse but lists a dependent child on the forms has a mismatch the system flags before a human ever opens the file. The officer also reads the receipt date against the fee schedule in force on that date. A receipt dated May 1, 2026 carrying the old $85 sponsor fee is short by the increase, because the rate in force is the rate on the payment date. The officer is not interpreting your intent. The officer is matching a paid amount against a published table on a specific day, and the file moves only when those two numbers agree.
Red Flags & Procedural Fairness Letters (PFL)
Fee errors rarely trigger a Procedural Fairness Letter, because a PFL is reserved for substantive concerns about the relationship or admissibility. A fee error triggers something faster and blunter: a returned application, with the clock reset. Three fee-adjacent patterns cause most of those returns.
The short-pay on a fee-change date. A file paid at the old rate after the increase took effect is the most common fee return in 2026. The sponsor budgeted $1,290 on last year's schedule and paid that, when the file now costs $1,345. IRCC’s fee-change instructions explain when it requests a top-up and how to submit the additional receipt. The fix is to confirm the live total on canada.ca on the day of payment, because the rate is set by the payment date, not the start date.
You can still recover from an application that was returned because of the fees. Our page on resubmitting a returned spousal sponsorship application shows the steps and the correct current fees.
The deferred-RPRF top-up that never gets paid. A couple who deferred the $575 RPRF before April 30 receives a request to pay $600 at the grant stage. When they pay the old $575 from memory, the grant stalls until the $25 difference clears. This one does not return the file, but it freezes the final step at the worst possible moment.
The person-count mismatch. The fee covers a spouse only, but a dependent child appears on the IMM 5532. Or the reverse, where the fee covers a child who was later removed from the file. The paid amount and the declared family size have to agree at intake. Where the mismatch touches the relationship facts rather than the headcount, it can escalate to a fairness letter on the genuineness test. Our spousal sponsorship document checklist sets out exactly who belongs on the forms before you calculate the fee.
How to pay IRCC fees
Payment happens inside the IRCC secure account at the moment you submit the application. IRCC accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and most Canadian debit cards. You cannot pay by cheque, bank draft, or cash on the standard online route.
The payment flow inside the PR Portal runs in order.
Calculate the fees for the sponsor, principal applicant, any accompanying family members, the right of permanent residence fee, and biometrics if required.
Open IRCC's online payment service and choose the family sponsorship fee category.
Select the correct fees and confirm the number of applicants on the file.
Enter the accepted payment-card details and authorize the charge.
IRCC emails a link to the official PDF receipt after payment. Download and save that receipt; the discontinued IMM 5401 bank receipt is not used for online payment.
Upload the payment receipt with the sponsorship application and keep a copy with your records.
IRCC posts the full instructions on the pay your fees page. Paper applications still exist for narrow accessibility cases and use a financial-institution payment process. Most 2026 submissions go through the online route.
Can someone else pay the fees for me?
Yes. The card does not have to belong to the sponsor or the sponsored person. A parent, a sibling, or a representative can cover the charge. IRCC cares that the fee is paid in full and receipted, not whose card it was. Keep a short note of the arrangement in case the file is later audited.
What is refundable
Which IRCC spousal sponsorship fees are refundable?
If you withdraw before IRCC starts processing, you can receive a full refund. After processing starts, only certain fees remain refundable. The $600 RPRF is refundable when IRCC refuses the application or you withdraw.
Here is how the refund position breaks down by line.
Refundable: RPRF ($600), on refusal, withdrawal before decision, or applicant death.
Processing-stage limits apply to sponsorship, applicant, child and biometrics fees. Check IRCC’s refund instructions for the stage your application has reached.
Eligible online-payment refunds are normally automatic after refusal or withdrawal. Follow IRCC’s refund instructions for your payment method if repayment does not arrive.
Costs the IRCC fees do not cover
The IRCC fees pay for the government's processing work. They do not pay for the documents, the travel, or the professional help the application needs. Most couples spend $500 to $1,500 outside the IRCC charges on a spousal sponsorship. The exact amount turns on the countries involved, how available the documents are, and whether you hire representation.
Here are the non-IRCC costs to budget, with realistic 2026 ranges.
Immigration medical exam: about $200 to $450 per adult, paid to a panel physician on IRCC's list. Children's exams cost less.
Police certificates: $25 to $100 per certificate, for every country the applicant has lived in six months or more since age 18. Some countries charge $200 or more and require an in-person application.
Certified translation: $25 to $60 per page for documents not in English or French. A typical file carries 5 to 15 translated pages.
Courier and shipping: $30 to $150 for mailing originals between the applicant, the sponsor, and third parties.
Passport and photo services: $10 to $25 for photos that meet IRCC's specifications.
Representation fees: an RCIC or immigration lawyer's flat fee for a spousal sponsorship varies by complexity. A prior refusal, criminal history, or a divorce from a former sponsor sits at the higher end. The Mirzoyan flat fee is quoted at consultation and is set out separately from the government charges on our immigration consultant cost page.
The undertaking is not a fee
The sponsorship undertaking is not a charge. It is a legal promise to repay any social assistance the sponsored person receives during the undertaking period. For a spouse, common-law, or conjugal partner, that period is three years from the date of permanent residence. A default creates a debt to the province that paid the assistance. That debt has to be repaid before you can sponsor again. The full undertaking explanation sits in our guide to spousal sponsorship in Canada.
Key Takeaways
A spouse-only file totals $1,345 when biometrics are required. Each accompanying child adds $180, plus biometrics when required.
The April 30, 2026 increase moved the sponsor fee to $90, the applicant fee to $570, and the RPRF to $600. Biometrics held at $85 per person.
The $600 RPRF is refundable after refusal or withdrawal. Other refunds depend on processing stage.
The rate you owe is the rate in force the day you pay, so a deferred RPRF from before April 30 now owes $600, not $575.
Mirzoyan Immigration Services reviews the fee package, sponsor eligibility, and relationship evidence together, so the money goes in correctly the first time and the file does not come back.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How much does it cost to sponsor a spouse in Canada in 2026?
A spouse-only file totals $1,345 when biometrics are required. This includes $90 for sponsorship, $570 for processing, $600 for the RPRF and $85 for biometrics. Each accompanying child adds $180, plus biometrics when required. Medical exams, police certificates and translations cost extra. Confirm the current IRCC fee table before paying.
Do I pay the sponsorship fees upfront or after approval?
You pay the full fee package when you submit, inside the IRCC secure account. IRCC does not accept a partial payment or an instalment plan for the sponsor fee, the applicant processing fee, or biometrics. The only line you can defer is the Right of Permanent Residence Fee, payable at the PR-grant stage instead. Most couples still pay it at submission to avoid a separate billing step later.
Is the Right of Permanent Residence Fee refundable if the application is refused?
Yes. The $600 Right of Permanent Residence Fee is refundable when IRCC refuses the application. Other refunds depend on processing stage. Withdrawal before processing starts can qualify for a full refund. Follow IRCC’s refund instructions for your payment method.
Why is my spouse sponsorship fee higher than the amount on other websites?
IRCC raised most permanent residence fees on April 30, 2026, under the Service Fees Act inflation mechanism. The sponsor fee moved from $85 to $90, the applicant fee from $545 to $570, and the RPRF from $575 to $600. Many fee pages still quote the old amounts. The rate you owe is the rate in effect on the day you pay, not the day you started the application, so verify the live figure on canada.ca before paying.
What costs are not included in the IRCC sponsorship fees?
IRCC fees do not cover the medical exam (about $200 to $450 per adult to a panel physician), police certificates ($25 to $100 per country lived in), certified translation ($25 to $60 per page), courier shipping, or passport photos. Couples typically spend $500 to $1,500 on these on top of the IRCC charges. Representation fees, if you hire an RCIC or lawyer, are separate again and are quoted before you sign.
Conclusion
The 2026 spousal sponsorship fee is straightforward once you see it line by line: $90 for the sponsor, $570 for the applicant, $600 for the RPRF, and $85 for biometrics, for a spouse-only total of about $1,345. Each accompanying dependent child adds $180, with biometrics charged separately when required. The RPRF is refundable after refusal. Confirm current fees before submitting; separate refund rules apply to withdrawals. A fee error can delay submission or processing. Check the current total before paying. A licensed RCIC can check the fee package against your forms and evidence before you press submit. Book a spousal sponsorship consultation, or hire a spousal sponsorship consultant to handle the file end to end. You can also call 1-888-636-2122.
This page is general information about Canadian spousal sponsorship fees and is not legal or immigration advice. Immigration fees change, and individual circumstances vary. Always verify the current amounts on canada.ca or with a licensed RCIC or lawyer before paying.