PR Card Renewal Fees in Canada (2026): Cost Breakdown and Payment Methods

Does urgent PR card processing cost extra?

Short answer: Urgent processing is free if you qualify (family death/serious illness/critical condition within 3 months, work travel your job depends on, or unavoidable medical reason), pay the regular $50 with supporting documents and no refund if the urgent request is denied.

Urgent processing is free, but it is not automatic. You qualify only if you can prove one of these situations:

• You need to travel within three months because a family member has died, is seriously ill, or is in critical condition
• You need to travel for work and your job depends on it
• You need to travel for a medical reason that cannot wait

You submit the urgent request in addition to the regular application and pay the regular $50. IRCC reviews the supporting documents and decides whether to expedite. There is no charge for the request itself, and no refund if the request is denied. See the urgent PR card processing process for the full document checklist.

How do you pay the $50 PR card renewal fee?

Short answer: Pay through the IRCC online portal before mailing, accepted methods are Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Visa Debit, Debit Mastercard, Interac Online, and prepaid Visa/Mastercard; cash, money orders, and personal cheques are not accepted, and the portal generates a PDF receipt to place on top of your package.

IRCC accepts the renewal fee through the online payment portal. You pay before mailing the application and include the payment receipt in your package. The accepted methods are:

• Credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express)
• Debit card with Visa Debit, Debit Mastercard, or Interac Online enrolment
• Prepaid Visa or Mastercard

Cash, money orders, and personal cheques are not accepted. The portal generates a receipt as a PDF. Print it and place it on top of your application package.

The official payment page is at pay.cic.gc.ca.

Why do most PR card renewals cost more than $50?

Short answer: Most renewals exceed $50 because of photo costs ($15 to $25 from a photo studio meeting IRCC specs), certified translations for non-English/French documents, a $50 PRTD if stranded abroad with an expired card, or resubmitting after refusal which costs another $50.

Most PR card renewals come in over budget for the same handful of reasons.

Photo costs. The IRCC photo specifications are strict. A single set of two compliant photos runs $15 to $25 at most photo studios in Canada. Passport-style photos from a drugstore booth often fail the specs and need to be retaken.

Translations. Any supporting document not in English or French needs a certified translation. If you are submitting foreign passports or police certificates as part of the residency obligation evidence, translation costs add up fast.

Urgent travel after the card expires. If your card has already expired and you need to travel, you may need a Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD) issued by a Canadian visa office abroad. The PRTD costs $50 and is separate from the renewal fee.

Resubmission after refusal. If the application is refused or returned for incompleteness, you pay the $50 again on the new submission.

When does the PR card renewal fee change?

Short answer: IRCC updates immigration fees periodically, typically with several months of advance notice published on canada.ca before changes take effect. The $50 PR card renewal fee has remained stable since 2014. If IRCC announces an increase, it would appear on the official IRCC news page, giving applicants time to submit under the current rate before the new fee takes effect.

IRCC updates fees periodically, usually with several months of notice. The $50 PR card renewal fee has been stable since 2014. Any change would be announced at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news.html.

What else should I know about the PR card renewal fee?

Short answer: The fee is non-refundable on refusal, withdrawal, or return; urgent processing costs no extra; only Canadian dollars accepted; renewals must be mailed to a Canadian address (use PRTD if abroad); no biometrics fee; underpayment triggers return; anyone with a valid card can pay on your behalf.

Is the PR card renewal fee refundable? No. IRCC does not refund processing fees once an application is opened, even if your application is refused or you withdraw it.

Do I pay an extra fee for urgent processing? No. Urgent processing is free if you meet the eligibility criteria. You still pay the standard $50 application fee.

Can I pay the fee in U.S. dollars or another currency? No. The IRCC payment portal processes only Canadian dollars. Your card issuer handles the currency conversion if you pay from outside Canada.

Is there a fee to apply from outside Canada? The renewal fee is the same. However, PR card renewals must be mailed to a Canadian address. If you are outside Canada and your card has expired, apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document at the nearest Canadian visa office instead.

Does the fee include biometrics? No biometrics are required for PR card renewal, so there is no biometrics charge.

What happens if I underpay? IRCC returns the application without processing it. You re-submit with the correct payment.

Can my employer or sponsor pay the fee? Yes. The fee can be paid by anyone with a valid credit or debit card. The receipt must match the application.

What are the next steps after paying the PR card renewal fee?

Once the fee is paid and the payment receipt printed, the rest of the renewal process covers the residency obligation calculation, photo specifications, the supporting documents required for your situation, and the correct mailing address for your application. IRCC returns incomplete or incorrectly assembled applications without processing them, so each section must be completed in full. The full step-by-step walkthrough is at the PR card renewal pillar page.

If you need help confirming residency obligation calculations or want a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) to review your application before you mail it, book a consultation with Go Far Global.

Sources

• Get, Renew or Replace a Permanent Resident Card, Canada.ca
• How Much Does a Permanent Resident Card Cost?, IRCC Help Centre
• Citizenship and Immigration Application Fees, IRCC
• IRCC News and Announcements, Canada.ca

Last updated 2026-05-10. Fee schedule current as of IRCC's published rates. Always verify the latest fees at canada.ca before paying.