How much do employers pay to hire a foreign worker?
Short answer: A standard Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is $1,000 per position, and the International Mobility Program employer compliance fee is $230. Both are unchanged in 2026.
These fees fall on the employer, not the worker, and they did not change this year.
| Employer service | Fee |
|---|
| Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), per position | $1,000 |
| Employer compliance fee (International Mobility Program) | $230 |
| Group of entertainers LMIA | $690 |
What costs are NOT included in these government fees?
Short answer: Everything paid to a party other than the government, including language tests, the Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), the immigration medical exam, translations, and any consultant or lawyer fees.
This is the part that surprises people. The tables above are complete for what you pay IRCC, but a real application budget usually includes several third-party costs on top. Common ones are:
- A language test (English or French).
- An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) if your education is from outside Canada.
- The immigration medical exam, paid to a panel physician.
- Certified translations of documents that are not in English or French.
- Fees for a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or a lawyer, if you use one.
None of these are set by IRCC, and they vary by provider and country. Build them into your plan separately so the total does not catch you off guard. Timelines matter too, because paying early does not always mean deciding fast, so it helps to check current processing times alongside the fees.
How should I budget for a 2026 application?
Short answer: Add your program's government fees from the tables above, then set aside a separate line for third-party costs, and confirm the RPRF at the rate in effect when you pay it.
Start with the exact figures for your stream. A single Express Entry applicant, for example, is $990 plus $600, or $1,590 in government fees, before any language test, ECA, or medical. A couple sponsoring the lower-income spouse into Canada is $1,260 in government fees for the spousal case. Then layer in the third-party items above, which are the part that varies the most by person.
We are Go Far Global, a licensed Canadian immigration firm led by a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC). If you want to know which program actually fits your situation before you spend a dollar, our free assessment is a straightforward place to start. If you would rather sit down and map the full cost and pathway with a consultant, you can book a paid consultation. It is a real, paid booking, and we will give you an honest read on where you stand.
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