Permanent Residence Cost 2026: Visa Fees, Skils Assessment and Medical Charges

Ask a room full of future migrants what permanent residency costs, and most of them will quote one number: the government fee for the country they have in mind. That number matters, but it is rarely the one that catches people out. The real permanent residence cost 2026 applicants face is spread across half a dozen separate payments, and several of them fall due months before the main application is filed.

Where you are going changes the maths completely. Two families with similar jobs and qualifications can end up with bills thousands of dollars apart, simply because one chose Germany and the other chose Australia. Canada keeps its government fees fairly modest but expects many applicants to show savings. The United Kingdom charges every family member the full settlement fee. The United States splits much of the cost between employer and employee.

This guide puts those systems side by side. It covers government fees, skills and qualification assessments, immigration medicals, language tests and paperwork, then brings everything together in three sample budgets.

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Quick Answer: Permanent Residence Cost 2026

By The Numbers

• AUD 6,100+: the approximate Australian skilled PR charge for a main applicant after the mid-2026 increase
• CAD 1,500–1,600: the approximate Canadian processing and right of permanent residence fees per adult
• About USD 1,440: the US green card filing fee for most adults applying from inside the country
• £3,000+: the approximate UK Indefinite Leave to Remain fee, charged per person
• €100–€150: the typical German settlement permit fee
• 12 months: a common validity window for immigration medical results

Key Takeaways

• The government fee is only one part of the bill. Assessments, medicals, tests and documents often add another 20% to 100% on top.
• Countries charge families in very different ways. Some charge per application, some per person, and a few charge children far less than adults.
• Skills or qualification assessments are mandatory for many points-based routes, and they are paid long before the visa application.
• Medical exam prices depend on the country where you take the exam, not the country you are moving to.
• Nearly every system keeps your fee if the application is refused. Accuracy saves more money than any discount.

What Changed In 2026

Immigration fees rarely stand still, and 2026 was a busy year for price updates.

• Australia pushed its skilled visa charges up sharply in the middle of the year. Most major categories rose by roughly a quarter.
• Canada reviews its permanent residence fees on a regular cycle tied to inflation, so budgets written two years ago are already out of date.
• The United Kingdom usually adjusts fees each spring, and the length of the path to settlement has been under active political debate.
• The United States still works from the fee schedule it overhauled in 2024, which raised several green card-related charges.

Two rules decide what you pay in almost every system:

• The date your application is received usually sets the fee. Preparing documents under the old price does not protect you if you file after the change.
• Refunds are rare. Most countries keep the application fee even when the answer is no. Canada’s right of permanent residence fee is a notable exception, because it is returned if residence is never granted.

If a cost guide doesn’t mention 2026 changes at all, treat its numbers as a starting point, not a budget.

Permanent Residence Visa Fees 2026 By Country

These are approximate government charges for the most common skilled pathway in each country.

Country	Common skilled PR route	Main applicant (approx.)	Each additional adult	Each child
Australia	Skilled Independent or State Nominated visa	AUD 6,100+	About AUD 3,100	About AUD 1,500
Canada	Express Entry or Provincial Nominee	CAD 1,500–1,600	CAD 1,500–1,600	CAD 250–300
United States	Employment-based green card (from inside the US)	About USD 1,440	About USD 1,440	About USD 950 (under 14, filing with a parent)
United Kingdom	Indefinite Leave to Remain	£3,000+	£3,000+	£3,000+
New Zealand	Skilled Migrant Category residence	NZD 6,000+	Usually covered by one application fee	Usually covered
Germany	Settlement permit	€100–€150	€100–€150	Reduced rate

How to read it: the six countries follow three pricing models.

• Per application with add-ons: Australia charges the main applicant a large fee and adds a smaller charge for each family member.
• Per application, family included: New Zealand generally prices the whole household in one application.
• Per person, full price: the United Kingdom charges each person the same fee, so a family of four pays four times.

Canada looks cheap at the government level, but many applicants must also show settlement funds in the bank. That money is not a fee, but it has to exist.

Germany’s permit fee is the lowest in the table. The larger costs there are usually language certificates, qualification recognition and health insurance.

The Hidden Charges Most Families Miss

The headline fee often has smaller relatives that only appear later in the process.

• Australia: an adult family member who cannot show basic English may face a second government charge of around AUD 5,000 before the visa is granted. A test score, an English-medium degree or a passport from certain English-speaking countries can usually avoid it.
• Canada: biometrics cost roughly CAD 85 per person, capped for families. The right of permanent residence fee can be paid later, but it must be paid before you become a resident.
• United Kingdom: settlement applicants usually need the Life in the UK Test and proof of English. Fast-track decision services add anything from a few hundred pounds to around £1,000. The health surcharge paid during the earlier visa years is often the biggest cumulative cost of the entire UK route.
• United States: work and travel permits filed alongside a green card case can add fees, and vaccinations required at the medical exam are billed separately.
• Germany: there are few extra government charges. Translations, certified copies and language courses make up most of the hidden spend.

Nomination And Sponsorship Fees

Some routes need a third party, such as a state, province or employer, to back you, and that backing can carry its own price.

• Australia: state nomination ranges from free in some states to a few hundred dollars in others.
• Canada: provincial nominee programmes vary widely, from no fee at all to roughly CAD 1,500 for certain streams.
• United States: the labour certification process is legally the employer’s cost, and the immigrant petition is commonly employer-funded too. Legal fees alone can reach several thousand dollars.
• United Kingdom: sponsorship costs land on the employer at the earlier Skilled Worker stage. The settlement fee itself is normally paid by the applicant.

Skills Assessment Fees By Country

Points-based systems want independent proof that your qualifications and experience match the job you claim. The cost depends on the country and, in some systems, on your occupation.

Country	What gets assessed	Typical cost range	When you need it
Australia	Occupation-specific skills assessment	AUD 500–1,500; trade assessments with interviews or practical tests can exceed AUD 2,000	Before submitting an expression of interest
Canada	Educational Credential Assessment for foreign degrees	CAD 250–350 plus courier costs	Before creating a profile, if claiming foreign education
New Zealand	International qualification assessment, where required	NZD 450–800	When a qualification is used for points
United States	Foreign degree evaluation for employer petitions	USD 100–400	During the employer sponsorship stage
United Kingdom	Degree comparability or English-taught confirmation	£100–£250	When a degree is used for English or points
Germany	Formal recognition of a foreign qualification	€100–€600	Regulated professions and some work routes

What the table doesn’t show:

• Speed costs extra. Several assessment bodies offer priority processing, often doubling the price for a faster decision.
• Mistakes cost twice. Choosing the wrong occupation code or pathway rarely earns a refund. You simply pay again.
• Reviews and appeals are separate charges if the first outcome goes against you.
• Licensing is a different process. Doctors, nurses, electricians and similar professionals may pay for professional registration on top of the migration assessment.
• Documents add up. Translations of transcripts, reference letters and certificates are billed per page.

Immigration Medical Costs By Destination

Most traditional immigration countries want a health check from a doctor they approve. Your own family doctor will not do.

Destination	Who performs the exam	Usual tests	Typical cost per adult
Australia	Approved panel doctors abroad; one contracted provider inside Australia	Physical exam, chest X-ray, blood tests for adults	USD 150–450 abroad; AUD 500–700 inside Australia
Canada	Government-approved panel physicians	Physical exam, chest X-ray, blood and urine tests	USD 150–450 abroad; CAD 250–450 inside Canada
United States	Embassy-approved doctors abroad; designated civil surgeons inside the US	Physical exam, TB test, blood tests, vaccination review	USD 200–500, plus vaccines
New Zealand	Approved panel physicians	General medical exam, chest X-ray	USD 150–400
United Kingdom	No medical at settlement stage; TB screening at entry for some nationalities	Chest X-ray (entry stage only)	USD 60–150 equivalent
Germany	Usually no immigration medical	None; valid health insurance required instead	Insurance premiums instead

Before you budget from this table:

• Location drives price. The same set of tests can cost three times more in one country than another.
• Every family member pays. Children usually need fewer tests, but rarely none.
• Doctors can order more. Extra scans, specialist referrals or repeat X-rays are billed on top.
• US vaccinations cost extra. Missing doses can add a meaningful amount to the bill.
• Wait for instructions. Many systems tell you exactly which tests you need, and booking early can mean paying for the wrong ones.

If You’re Applying From Inside The Country

Onshore applicants almost always pay more. A medical inside Australia, Canada or the United States typically costs well above the same exam in South Asia, Africa or parts of Latin America.

In some countries only one provider or a limited list of doctors is authorised, so there is little room to shop around. If you have the choice and are travelling home anyway, it can be worth comparing prices first, as long as the destination accepts exams from that country.

Language Tests, Police Certificates And Paperwork

These smaller costs are easy to overlook, and they multiply across a household.

• Language tests. Major English tests usually cost between USD 200 and USD 300, depending on the country where you sit them. German and French certificates for Europe and Quebec fall in a similar range. Results generally stay valid for two to three years.
• Police certificates. You usually need one from every country where you lived for an extended period as an adult, commonly six months for Canada and twelve months for Australia. Prices range from almost nothing to around USD 100 per certificate.
• Translations and certified copies. Birth certificates, marriage records, degrees and employment letters often need certified translations, typically priced per page.
• Courier and document costs. Passport renewals, photographs and international postage add small amounts that are rarely budgeted.
• Professional help (optional). Lawyers and licensed migration agents charge anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. Those fees are excluded from the budgets below.

Permanent Residence Cost 2026 Sample Budgets

These three profiles show how the same categories of cost play out in very different systems. Government and assessment costs are shown in the destination’s currency. Tests, medicals and paperwork are shown in USD, because their price depends on where the applicant lives.

Cost item	Single software developer, Canada (Express Entry)	Couple, engineer as main applicant, Australia (state nominated)	Family of four (children aged 12 and 7), United States (green card from inside the US)
Government application fees	About CAD 1,685 (including biometrics)	About AUD 9,200	About USD 4,780
Skills or credential assessment	About CAD 300	About AUD 1,000	Usually employer-paid
Nomination or sponsorship	Not applicable	AUD 0–500	Employer-paid
Subtotal (destination currency)	About CAD 2,000	About AUD 10,200–10,700	About USD 4,780
Language tests	USD 250–300	USD 450–600 (two tests)	Not required
Medical exams	USD 150–450	USD 300–900	USD 1,000–2,000 plus vaccines
Police certificates and translations	USD 50–200	USD 100–300	USD 100–300

What the numbers say:

• Canada. The government charges and third-party costs are close in size. The Canadian applicant must also show settlement funds, which do not appear in this table but can easily exceed CAD 15,000 for a single person.
• Australia. The visa charge dominates, making up around 90% of the destination-currency spend.
• United States. The family looks cheapest in government fees, but that picture is partly an illusion. The employer carries the heavy petition and legal costs, and many applicants wait years before they can file at all.

Five Mistakes That Push The Bill Higher

• Budgeting from last year’s fee. In a year like 2026, an old number can leave you short by more than a thousand dollars on a single application.
• Assuming children are cheap everywhere. They are in Canada, but in the United Kingdom every child pays the full adult settlement fee.
• Taking the medical too early. Results usually expire after about a year, and a slow decision can mean paying for a second exam.
• Letting a language test lapse. A result that expires before you file forces a new test, a new fee and possibly a lower score.
• Treating the application as a draft. Because refusals rarely come with refunds, a missing document or wrong occupation code can cost you the entire fee and the time spent waiting.

Where To Verify Every Figure Before You Pay

Every number in this guide is an approximation. Fees move each year, exchange rates move every day, and clinics and test centres set their own prices.

Before you pay anything:

• Check the fee page or pricing calculator on your destination’s official immigration department website.
• Enter every family member so the total reflects your real household.
• Confirm assessment fees directly with the body that assesses your occupation or qualification.
• Call your nearest approved medical clinic for its current price list.

Your Next Steps, In Order

• Choose your country and route first. Costs vary so much between systems that comparing them early can save thousands.
• Confirm which body assesses your skills or qualifications, and price it before you commit.
• Book language tests for every adult who needs one. A strong score can unlock points and avoid extra charges.
• Run the official fee calculator with your whole family included, and save the result.
• Wait for medical instructions before booking, then book only the tests you have been asked for.
• Collect police certificates from every country you have lived in, timed so they are still valid when you file.
• Add a 10–15% buffer for exchange-rate swings, card charges and any test you might need to repeat.

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