Last updated: September 27, 2026
Every Canada immigration plan starts with the same question, and it deserves a straight answer: how much money do you actually need? The figure that catches most people off guard is not a fee at all. It is the settlement fund balance that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) expects to see in your bank account before it issues your permanent resident visa.
This guide adds up all three piles of money the move requires: the government fees, the costs of preparing your application, and the settlement funds you arrive with. All figures are in Canadian dollars, and every official number below was checked against IRCC’s current schedules.
The short answer
For a single adult moving through Express Entry in 2026, plan on roughly CAD $18,000 in total: about $1,675 in government fees, around $1,100 in preparation costs, and $15,263 in settlement funds that stay yours. A couple should plan on roughly $24,000, and a family of four on roughly $34,000 to $35,000.
Those are planning figures, not promises. Your total moves with your pathway, your family size, your province, and what things cost where you live now. The tables below show how each figure is built, so you can adjust for your own situation.
The biggest chunk: proof of settlement funds
IRCC requires applicants under the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program to show they can support their family after landing. The amounts are reviewed every year and set at 50% of Statistics Canada’s low income cut-off. The current table was last updated by IRCC on July 7, 2025:
| Family size | Minimum funds (CAD) |
|---|---|
| 1 person | $15,263 |
| 2 people | $19,001 |
| 3 people | $23,360 |
| 4 people | $28,362 |
| 5 people | $32,168 |
| 6 people | $36,280 |
| 7 people | $40,392 |
| Each additional person | +$4,112 |
The full table and the fine print are on IRCC’s official proof of funds page. Two groups are exempt entirely: applicants under the Canadian Experience Class, and applicants with a valid job offer who are authorized to work in Canada, even under the skilled worker or trades programs.
Family size counts you, your spouse or common-law partner, and your dependent children, including children who are not coming with you and family members who are already Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Undercounting here is one of the most common mistakes applicants make.
The money must be liquid and legally yours, available both when you apply and when the visa is issued. IRCC wants official bank letters on letterhead listing account numbers, opening dates, current balances, six-month average balances, and outstanding debts. Borrowed money and property equity do not qualify. Because exchange rates move during the months your file is in queue, many applicants keep a buffer of $1,000 to $2,000 above the minimum.
Government fees: the 2026 schedule
IRCC raised most permanent residence fees on April 30, 2026. For economic immigration, including Express Entry, the principal applicant now pays a $990 processing fee plus a $600 Right of Permanent Residence Fee: $1,590 in total. An accompanying spouse or partner pays the same $1,590, and each dependent child adds $270. Check the current schedule on IRCC’s official fee page before you submit.
The Right of Permanent Residence Fee is refunded if your application is refused or withdrawn. You can pay it with the application or later, but it must be paid before you become a permanent resident, so treat it as a real cost.
Biometrics cost $85 per person, capped at $170 for a family applying together. If you gave biometrics in the last ten years, for a study or work permit for example, you do not pay again.
| Family | Application fees | Biometrics | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single applicant | $1,590 | $85 | $1,675 |
| Couple | $3,180 | $170 | $3,350 |
| Family of four (2 adults, 2 children) | $3,720 | $170 | $3,890 |
The preparation costs nobody warns you about
Before you ever pay IRCC, budget $700 to $1,500 per adult for the items that get your application ready:
- Language test. IELTS General Training runs about CAD $322 to $352 at Canadian test centres, with prices differing by country. CELPIP-General is $290, PTE Core about $250, and the French tests TEF Canada and TCF Canada run $390 to $450. Results expire after two years.
- Educational credential assessment. World Education Services charges $267 in Canada; IQAS and ICAS charge $230; the Comparative Education Service at the University of Toronto charges $210. Add $100 to $500 for certified translations if your documents are not in English or French.
- Medical exam. Panel physicians are private clinics and set their own fees, typically $200 to $450 for adults and $80 to $250 for children. Results are valid for 12 months, so time this appointment sensibly.
- Police certificates from every country you have lived in for six months or more since age 18. Fees vary widely: the U.S. FBI check is USD $18, the U.K. ACRO certificate is £62, and most countries charge the equivalent of $10 to $60 plus courier.
If a province nominates you, add the provincial fee
A provincial nomination adds 600 points to your Express Entry score and nearly guarantees an invitation, but provinces charge their own processing fees on top of the federal ones. A few 2026 examples: British Columbia $1,750, Ontario $1,500 to $2,000 depending on the stream, Saskatchewan $500, Alberta $500, and Manitoba $500. A few streams charge nothing at all. These change often, so check the province’s own website at the time you apply.
The choice of province has a real dollar impact: a nominee in British Columbia pays $1,750 plus the $1,590 federal principal fee, or $3,340 in government fees before any other cost. The same applicant through Saskatchewan pays $2,090.
The move itself: flights, shipping, and the first month
These are the costs people feel most directly: getting there, getting your belongings there, and the first weeks in the country.
- Flights vary enormously by origin and season. Book only after your confirmation of permanent residence arrives.
- Shipping. Most newcomers sell bulky furniture and ship the rest. International freight is usually the priciest line item in the physical move, so get two or three quotes early rather than assuming a number.
- Rent and deposit. Average one-bedroom rents in 2026 sit around $2,200 to $2,400 a month in Toronto and Vancouver, near $1,800 in Montreal, and around $1,400 to $1,700 in Calgary and Edmonton. In Ontario, expect to hand over first and last month’s rent when you sign; other provinces have their own deposit rules, so check the tenancy rules for your province.
- Setup costs. Budget for basics like winter clothing if you arrive in fall or winter, a line item many newcomers forget until the first cold week.
- Free first tasks. Applying for a Social Insurance Number at Service Canada costs nothing, and neither does registering for provincial health coverage, though eligibility and waiting periods differ by province.
- Bringing cash. If you carry CAD $10,000 or more across the border, you must declare it to the Canada Border Services Agency. It is not taxed, but failing to declare it can mean fines or seizure.
Three sample budgets
This is the decision aid: the full picture for the three most common family situations, using the 2026 figures above.
| Cost | Single adult | Couple | Family of four |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government fees + biometrics | $1,675 | $3,350 | $3,890 |
| Preparation (tests, ECA, medical, police) | ~$1,100 | ~$1,800 | ~$2,500 |
| Settlement funds | $15,263 | $19,001 | $28,362 |
| Planning total | ~$18,000 | ~$24,000 | ~$34,800 |
Remember: the settlement funds are not spent on fees. You keep that money and live on it after arrival while you look for work.
How to plan it: a step-by-step savings timeline
- Choose your pathway first. Express Entry, a provincial nomination, the study route, or family sponsorship each carry a different fee stack. If you have not chosen yet, start with our complete Express Entry guide.
- Build your personal total from the tables above and add a 10% buffer for currency movement and fee changes.
- Organize your accounts early. IRCC looks at six-month average balances, so a large lump sum moved in at the last minute raises questions. If a big deposit is legitimate, a property sale for example, keep the paperwork that proves where it came from.
- Book the language test early enough to retake it if needed, but remember the results expire after two years. Time the medical exam closer to your application, since it lasts 12 months.
- Keep settlement funds liquid and untouched. Do not park them in stocks or crypto just before applying.
- Pay the Right of Permanent Residence Fee with your application to avoid delays at the end.
Keeping the bill down
- Take CELPIP or PTE Core instead of IELTS if it is cheaper where you live.
- Compare ECA providers. CES and IQAS cost less than WES for the same outcome in many cases.
- Do the application yourself if your case is straightforward. Express Entry was designed for self-service, and many single applicants never hire a consultant.
- If you need a nomination, weigh provincial fees: a $500 province versus a $1,750 one is a real difference.
- Give biometrics together as a family to hit the $170 cap instead of paying per person at separate visits.
What the popular videos get right, and what they miss
Two widely watched 2026 guides frame the costs well. The KD Gist’s interview with a Nigerian provincial nominee puts real numbers on the journey from Nigeria, more than CAD $2,600 in fees before proof of funds, and adds the part calculators skip: the first-30-days checklist of getting a Social Insurance Number, registering for health coverage, finding housing, and taking survival jobs, plus why learning a practical trade skill before landing changes the first year. A second step-by-step guide estimates $15,000 to $20,000 total for a single applicant and $30,000 to $40,000 for a family, which lines up with the budgets above.
What neither covers in depth is the official 2026 fee schedule after the April 30 increase, the provincial fee differences, or the exact settlement fund table. That is where this guide picks up, so use them together: the videos for the human reality, this page for the numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Do I actually spend the settlement funds?
No. They are your money. IRCC only requires proof that you have them. After landing, you live on them while you look for work.
Can I borrow the settlement money from a relative?
No. IRCC requires the funds to be legally yours and unencumbered, and officers look at six-month average balances specifically to catch last-minute deposits. Borrowed money can sink the application.
My spouse is not coming with me. Do I still count them?
Yes. Family size includes your spouse or partner and dependent children even if they are not accompanying you, or are already Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
Can my spouse’s bank account count toward the total?
Yes. Money in a joint account counts, and funds in an account solely under your accompanying spouse’s name can count if you can prove you have access to them.
I am applying as a student. Do these numbers apply to me?
No. Study permits have their own proof-of-funds rule: first-year tuition plus living costs, a different system from the Express Entry table. Our Canada student visa guide walks through it.
What if fees change while my application is in progress?
You pay the schedule in force when you submit and pay. The April 30, 2026 increase is a good reminder to check IRCC’s fee page before you submit rather than relying on figures you saw months earlier.
The bottom line
Moving to Canada costs real money: roughly $18,000 for a single applicant and $35,000 for a family of four through Express Entry, with most of that being savings you keep rather than fees you pay. Budget it on paper before you spend a dollar, keep the settlement money clean and liquid, and check the official IRCC pages for the figures in force on the day you apply. For a sense of how the price of the move compares elsewhere, our Australia skilled migration guide breaks down that country’s fee structure too.
