Canada · Costs

What Canada PR really costs from India

Most quotes leave out the largest number in the whole budget. It is not a fee, and you cannot avoid it.

Updated 2026-09-13 · about 8 minutes · Written against published government criteria

Three different kinds of money

Government fees are fixed, published, and identical whoever you use. Third-party costs — the language test, the credential assessment, medicals, police clearances — are also fixed, set by the provider rather than the government. Professional fees are unregulated in India and vary by an order of magnitude between firms.

Any quote that merges these into one number is impossible to compare with another quote. Ask for them separated. A firm that will not separate them has told you something useful.

Government fees are public. If a consultant will not itemise them separately from their own fee, that is the answer to your question.

The one that is not a fee at all

Proof of settlement funds is the largest figure in most people's budget, and it is not a payment. It is money you must hold in your own name, documented, unborrowed, to show you can support yourself on arrival. Roughly CAD 14,700 for a single applicant and CAD 18,300 for two, rising with each additional family member, and reviewed annually.

It is waived if you are applying under the Canadian Experience Class, or if you already hold a valid job offer and authorisation to work in Canada. For everyone else it is unavoidable, and it is the reason a budget that looked manageable suddenly is not.

Nobody can lend it to you for a fortnight. The documentation requirements exist specifically to catch that.

What you will actually spend, and when

Before you can even enter the pool: the language test, and the Educational Credential Assessment. These come first, they are non-refundable, and they are the ones people underestimate because most applicants sit the language test more than once.

After an invitation: the PR application fee, the Right of Permanent Residence Fee, biometrics, the panel-physician medical, and police clearance certificates for every country you have lived in for six months or more since turning eighteen. Multiply all of these by every family member included.

Then the part no quote covers: flights, initial accommodation, a car, health cover during the provincial waiting period, and a job search that takes longer than planned. That is what the settlement funds figure exists to cover, and why it is not negotiable.

How to judge a professional fee

There is no correct number, because there is no regulator setting one in India. What you can judge is what you get: who the licensed representative on your file is, what happens if the application is refused, and whether the fee covers a single application or the whole strategy including a provincial route if the federal one stalls.

The refund clause is the part worth reading properly. Government application fees are generally not refundable once processing starts. Whether a professional fee is depends entirely on the agreement you signed — and that is a decision made before you pay, not after a refusal.

For your own case

Cost & Budget Report

Every line itemised for your family size and your route, with the settlement-funds figure current at the date of issue — so you can hold any quote up against it.

Get the report Talk to an advisor instead

Common questions

How much money do I need in my bank for Canada PR?

Around CAD 14,700 for a single applicant and CAD 18,300 for two, rising with family size. The figure is updated annually and must be unencumbered, in your own name, and documented — not borrowed, and not appearing suddenly the week before you file. It is waived for Canadian Experience Class applicants and for those with a valid arranged job offer.

Are consultant fees for Canada PR regulated in India?

No. India has no licensing body for immigration consultants, so professional fees are set entirely by the firm. This is exactly why the government portion should be itemised separately — it is the only part of the bill you can verify independently.

Do I get my money back if my PR is refused?

The Right of Permanent Residence Fee is refunded if you are not approved. The application processing fee generally is not, once processing has begun. Professional fees depend on your service agreement, which is why the refund clause matters more than the headline number.

Is it cheaper to apply on my own?

Yes, in direct cost — you save the professional fee entirely, and the government charges the same either way. Whether it is cheaper overall depends on whether you would have made a mistake that cost you a refusal or a year. Plenty of people file successfully alone; the ones who struggle are usually those whose work history is complicated or whose occupation code is arguable.