Ottawa Rolls Out April 2026 Immigration Changes: Higher Fees, Flexible Super Visa and More Provincial Power

A consolidated package of regulatory tweaks that took effect on 1 April was formally detailed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on 6–7 April. Key elements include a modest rise in passport and citizenship fees (a 10-year adult passport now costs CAD $163.50) paired with a 30-business-day money-back guarantee on passport processing. The popular Super Visa, which allows parents and grandparents to stay in Canada for up to five years per visit, now offers more flexible income calculations: sponsors can use either of the past two tax years, and the visitor’s own income can count toward the minimum threshold.

For applicants and employers navigating these updates, VisaHQ offers streamlined online processing for Canadian visas and travel documents, along with real-time guidance on fee changes and documentation requirements. Their Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) centralises application tools for Super Visas, work permits and passports, helping mobility teams track multiple cases and stay ahead of regulatory shifts. Most significant for employers is a shift of decision-making authority: provincial and territorial officers can now independently assess an applicant’s intent to reside in their jurisdiction, reducing federal re-checks and potentially speeding provincial nominee streams. In tandem, rural employers may hire low-wage temporary foreign workers for up to 15 % of their workforce—up from 10 %—until March 2027, subject to provincial opt-in. IRCC has also extended eligibility for federal settlement services to six years post-landing (dropping to five in 2027) and confirmed a new CAD $500 fee across all Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program worker streams. Mobility professionals should update cost projections for 2026–27 assignments, especially where multiple family members will require new passports or Super Visas.