Spouse Sponsorship Fees 2026: Full Cost Breakdown
Spousal sponsorship fees cost about $1,345 in IRCC government fees in 2026, on the fee schedule that took effect April 30, 2026. That figure is four lines added together: a $90 sponsor fee, a $570 applicant processing fee, a $600 Right of Permanent Residence Fee, and an $85 biometrics fee. Each dependent child on the same family-class file adds $90. Plan another $500 to $1,500 for medicals, police certificates, and translations the government fee does not touch. This page breaks down every line, what comes back if the file is refused, and how the payment runs inside the PR Portal. For the full pathway, read our guide to spousal sponsorship in Canada. Confirm each figure on canada.ca the day you pay.
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 dependent child on the same family-class file adds $90. Only the RPRF is refundable, and only on refusal, withdrawal, or applicant death. 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. Adding one dependent child on the same family-class file brings the bill to about $1,435.
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. A dependent child included on the same application raises the total to about $1,435: the extra $90 child processing fee, no separate RPRF for the child, and biometrics rolled in under the family cap where it applies. 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 | Paid by the sponsored person; the only refundable line |
| Biometrics fee | $85 | $170 family cap when two or more apply together |
| Dependent child (same family-class file) | $90 | Per child. Not the $175 to $270 economic-class child rate |
| 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 figure held at $85 from 2002 until the April 30, 2026 adjustment lifted it by five dollars. 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 fee is non-refundable whether the application is approved, refused, or withdrawn.
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 RPRF is the one IRCC fee with a real refund pathway. If your spouse's application is refused, or you withdraw before a final decision, IRCC refunds the $600. The refund is usually automatic for withdrawals processed through the online portal. After a refusal, you submit a written refund request. The mechanics are in the refund section below.
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. Like the processing fees, biometrics are non-refundable whether or not the applicant attends the appointment.
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Dependent child fees
How much does adding a dependent child to spousal sponsorship cost?
Adding a dependent child to the spousal application costs $90 per child on the post-April-30, 2026 family-class schedule. The $90 is a per-child processing fee, not a separate sponsorship. 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.
This is the single figure competitor fee pages get wrong most often. Several quote $175, $260, or $270 per child. Those are the economic-class accompanying-child rates that apply to Express Entry, Provincial Nominee, and similar streams. Family-class spousal sponsorship is a different category and uses the $90 figure. A child fee applies only when the child is included on the same spousal application. A standalone dependent-child sponsorship runs through a different process. Always check the family-sponsorship fee table directly, not the general fee list, before you pay.
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. Both come back as incomplete, and neither starts the processing clock.
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 returns the whole application, not just a request for the difference. 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.
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.
Complete every form and upload every supporting document in your IRCC account.
Move to the fee payment stage inside the portal.
Select the family-sponsorship category and confirm the number of applicants on the file.
Enter the card details and authorise the charge.
Download the receipt the portal generates, the IMM 5401.
Keep a copy of the receipt 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?
Only the Right of Permanent Residence Fee, the $600 RPRF, is refundable. IRCC refunds it on refusal, on withdrawal before a final decision, or if the applicant dies during processing. The sponsor fee, the applicant processing fee, the dependent-child fees, and the biometrics fee are non-refundable regardless of outcome.
Here is how the refund position breaks down by line.
Refundable: RPRF ($600), on refusal, withdrawal before decision, or applicant death.
Non-refundable in every case: sponsor fee ($90), applicant fee ($570), family-class dependent-child fee ($90 each), biometrics ($85 individual or $170 family).
Withdrawal refunds usually process automatically through the PR Portal. A post-refusal refund needs a written request submitted within a reasonable time of the decision. IRCC issues most fee refunds within roughly 12 to 16 weeks of the request, credited to the original card where possible, or by mailed cheque if the card has been cancelled.
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
The 2026 spouse-only sponsorship fee totals about $1,345 on the schedule effective April 30, 2026, or about $1,435 with one dependent child at the family-class $90 rate.
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 the only line that comes back, and only on refusal, withdrawal, or applicant death.
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 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
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A spouse-only file costs about $1,345 in IRCC government fees in 2026, on the schedule effective April 30, 2026. That total is the $90 sponsor fee, the $570 principal applicant processing fee, the $600 Right of Permanent Residence Fee, and the $85 biometrics fee. Each dependent child on the same family-class file adds $90. Plan another $500 to $1,500 for medicals, police certificates, and translations on top.
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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.
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Yes. The $600 Right of Permanent Residence Fee is refunded if IRCC refuses the application, if you withdraw before a decision, or if the applicant dies during processing. No other fee comes back. The $90 sponsor fee, the $570 applicant fee, the $90 family-class child fee, and the $85 biometrics fee are non-refundable in every scenario, including refusal. Withdrawal refunds are usually automatic through the portal.
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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.
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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. One dependent child on the same family-class file adds $90, not the $175 to $270 figure many sites still quote. Only the RPRF comes back if the file is refused, and the rate you owe is always the rate in force the day you pay. The single most expensive fee mistake is the one that returns your file and restarts a 12-month clock over a few dollars. 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.