PR & Citizenship

PR & Citizenship Update — April 16, 2026

Thursday, April 16, 2026

Citizenship Week ran April 12–18, 2026, with Minister Lena Metlege Diab encouraging permanent residents to apply for citizenship and the public to attend open citizenship ceremonies across Canada.

Effective April 30, 2026, PR application fees are increasing across all categories — for example, the Right of Permanent Residence Fee rises from $575 to $600, and Federal High Skilled (Express Entry/PNP) processing fees rise from $950 to $990.

As of March 2026, citizenship grant processing times had improved slightly to approximately 13 months, attributed to IRCC's 2024–25 hiring surge and use of advanced analytics to triage routine cases.

What You Should Do

  • If you are a permanent resident who has met the 3-year physical presence requirement, apply for Canadian citizenship before fees increase further — citizenship grant processing is currently approximately 13 months. Apply at ircc.canada.ca/english/citizenship/apply.asp.
  • If you are planning to submit a PR application (any category), submit and pay online before April 30, 2026 to avoid the fee increases — for example, Express Entry/PNP principal applicants save $40 by applying before the deadline.
  • If you want to attend a public citizenship ceremony during or after Citizenship Week, find upcoming ceremonies in your area at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/take-part-citizenship/citizenship-week.html.

Sources

  1. Celebrating Canadian Citizenship: Unity, Belonging and Building Our Nation Together - Canada.caOfficial
  2. Citizenship Week - Canada.caOfficial
  3. Canada hikes permanent residence and citizenship fees | CIC News
  4. IRCC's March 2026 Processing-Time Update Reveals Faster PR Cards but Lingering Family-Class Delays | VisaHQ
  5. Permanent residence fees increasing on April 30, 2026 - Canada.caOfficial

Topics Covered

Citizenship Processing ImprovementsService Fee Adjustments

Citizenship Processing Improvements: Citizenship grant processing times improved slightly to approximately 13 months as of March 2026, with IRCC crediting a 2024–25 hiring surge and advanced analytics for the gains.

Service Fee Adjustments: All PR application fees and the Right of Permanent Residence Fee are increasing effective April 30, 2026, with fee hikes ranging from $10 to $85 depending on the program and applicant type.

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