Ask "how much does Canadian PR cost?" and you'll get answers ranging from $1,500 to $20,000. Both are correct — they're just describing different things. Here's the honest breakdown, separated into what the government charges, what the process forces you to spend, and what's genuinely optional.
Government fees: the fixed core
For an Express Entry application (Federal Skilled Worker, CEC, or FST), the principal applicant pays a processing fee plus the right of permanent residence fee — roughly CAD $1,500 combined, with similar amounts for an accompanying spouse and smaller fees per child. See the live figures on our FSW costs page.
These are processing fees, not success fees: refusals are not refunded. That's the strongest argument for confirming you meet the mandatory requirements before you pay anything.
Mandatory supporting costs
These aren't government fees, but you cannot complete an application without them:
- Language test (IELTS, CELPIP, or PTE Core): $200–$340 per sitting. Budget for two sittings — retaking to improve your CRS score is the single most common (and worthwhile) repeat expense. Check what a better score is worth before deciding.
- Educational Credential Assessment (ECA): $200–$300 plus courier fees, per credential. WES is the most common assessing body; processing takes weeks, so start early.
- Medical exam: $200–$500 per person, payable to an IRCC panel physician. Valid for 12 months.
- Police certificates: $0–$100 per country you've lived in for 6+ months since age 18.
- Biometrics: CAD $85 per person.
- Document translations: $25–$75 per page for anything not in English or French.
For a single applicant, this layer typically totals $800–$1,500. For a family of three, $1,500–$3,000.
Settlement funds: the big one nobody budgets
FSW and FST applicants must show settlement funds — currently around CAD $14,000 for a single applicant, rising with family size (CEC applicants and those with valid job offers are exempt). You don't spend this money, but it must be genuinely yours, unencumbered, and documented for months before you apply.
This is the line item that catches people: the cash cost of applying might be $2,500, but the liquidity requirement is five figures.
Optional: representation
A licensed consultant (RCIC) or immigration lawyer typically charges $2,000–$6,000 for an Express Entry file. Is it worth it? For a straightforward profile — clean history, standard documents, comfortable English — most applicants self-file successfully. Representation earns its fee when there's complexity: prior refusals, inadmissibility questions, non-standard work history, or simply the cost of an error exceeding the fee.
What a representative cannot do is improve your CRS score. The score is arithmetic; no professional can negotiate it.
The realistic totals
| Scenario | Cash cost | Plus funds to show |
|---|---|---|
| Single applicant, self-filed | $2,300–$3,500 | ~CAD $14,000 |
| Couple, self-filed | $4,000–$6,000 | ~CAD $17,500 |
| Family of four, with representation | $9,000–$15,000 | ~CAD $26,000 |
All figures approximate and in USD except where noted; always verify current fees against IRCC's official schedule.
Where people waste money
- Paying a consultant before knowing their score. Run the free calculator first — if your score is competitive, you've just saved a consultation fee; if it isn't, no consultant can change that.
- Taking the language test before preparing. At ~$300 per sitting, walking in cold to "see where you land" is an expensive diagnostic.
- Ordering an ECA for every credential. You usually only need your highest credential assessed.
- Applying to PNP streams blindly. Some provincial streams carry their own fees ($250–$1,500). Target streams that actually list your occupation. Our Express Entry vs PNP comparison covers how to choose.
Want the full picture for your specific situation? Get your free eligibility report — it scores you against all 13 Canadian pathways before you spend a dollar on tests or fees.