Canada tightens asylum rules and raises some immigration fees

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published March 28, 2026

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Canada moved into a new immigration phase this week after Bill C-12 received royal assent on March 26, 2026, while Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced upcoming increases to some permanent residence and citizenship fees. The changes matter directly to applicants because they affect eligibility, processing and cost at the same time.

According to IRCC, the new law strengthens the system in four areas: new asylum eligibility rules, a modernized processing model, expanded domestic information sharing and broader authorities to manage certain immigration documents and applications in the public interest. The government says the framework is meant to improve efficiency while keeping privacy and rights safeguards in place.

For asylum seekers, two new eligibility rules are now in effect. Claims made more than one year after a person’s first entry into Canada after June 24, 2020 may no longer be referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board. Claims from people who enter between ports of entry along the Canada US land border and apply after 14 days also will not be referred. At the same time, the government says affected people may still access a pre removal risk assessment, and the new rules are not intended to apply to unaccompanied minors.

Not all operational changes begin in the same way or at the same time. IRCC says some processing reforms will roll out over the coming months through regulatory changes, including simpler online applications, fewer duplicate questions, referral of only complete claims to the IRB, removal of inactive cases and faster voluntary departures in some cases.

On fees, IRCC said permanent residence fees will increase for applications received on or after April 30, 2026. Key changes include the right of permanent residence fee rising from 575 dollars to 600, the Provincial Nominee Program principal applicant fee from 950 to 990, the business class principal applicant fee from 1810 to 1895, the family class principal applicant fee from 545 to 570, and protected persons and humanitarian or public policy measures from 635 to 660.

The department also said the right of citizenship fee for adults will rise on March 31, 2026 from 119.75 dollars to 123, while the 530 dollar processing fee remains unchanged. That means the total adult citizenship grant application fee rises from 649.75 dollars to 653 dollars for applications received on or after March 31.