How Much Does Immigration Cost in 2026? Build a Defensible Budget

There is no honest universal price for “immigration”

The total depends on the route, family size, filing location, currency date, required examinations, and whether a financial threshold is a fee, a refundable deposit, an investment, or simply proof that money remains yours. A defensible budget separates those categories instead of adding everything into one alarming headline.

The seven cost buckets

Bucket	Typical items	Cash leaves you permanently?
1. Government filing	Visa, residence permit, biometrics, right-of-residence fee	Usually yes; refund rules vary
2. Evidence	Language test, credential or skills assessment, police certificate, medical exam	Usually yes
3. Document preparation	Apostille, legalization, certified translation, courier	Yes
4. Professional help	Lawyer, licensed representative, tax adviser	Yes, but optional for many routes
5. Financial eligibility	Settlement funds, minimum bank balance, income evidence	Often still yours and must remain available
6. Investment or deposit	Fund, property, business capital, program deposit	Capital remains exposed or locked; fees and losses are separate
7. Relocation reserve	Flights, temporary housing, rental deposit, insurance gap, job-search runway	Mostly yes

Never call bucket 5 an “immigration fee.” Never call bucket 6 fully recoverable without accounting for market risk, financing, taxes, and exit costs.

Four current official fee examples

These examples illustrate why old articles age quickly. They are not complete family budgets.

Canada Express Entry economic immigration

Canada increased permanent-residence fees on April 30, 2026. The official list currently shows:

• principal applicant: CAD 990 processing + CAD 600 right of permanent residence = CAD 1,590;
• accompanying spouse or partner: CAD 1,590 including the same right-of-residence fee; and
• dependent child: CAD 270.

Biometrics, language tests, educational credential assessments, police certificates, medicals, translations, and travel are separate. Proof of settlement funds, where required, is not paid to the government and should remain available.

Germany long-stay entry visa

The federal visa procedure page lists EUR 75 for a long-stay entry visa, subject to reductions and exemptions. A residence permit after arrival can have a separate fee. Recognition, translations, insurance, housing, and relocation are not included in EUR 75.

Japan visa issuance

Japan changed its general consular fee schedule for applications accepted from July 1, 2026. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs states an approximate yen-equivalent fee of JPY 15,000 for single entry and JPY 30,000 for multiple entry, paid in local currency; nationality and purpose exceptions apply.

That is a visa issuance fee, not the price of a Certificate of Eligibility process, document preparation, professional help, or settling in Japan.

Australia

Australia changes visa application charges and may add different amounts for adult and child applicants, later instalments, onshore filing, or sponsorship. Use the official pricing estimator on the intended filing date. Its own disclaimer says the estimate may not include every charge.

A spreadsheet formula that stays useful

Build three totals instead of one:

Sunk application cost = government fees + tests + examinations + document preparation + professional fees

Restricted or invested capital = required maintained funds + deposits + investments

Relocation liquidity = travel + temporary housing + rental deposit + insurance gap + living runway + contingency

Then add four scenario columns:

1. principal only, approved first time;
2. whole family, approved first time;
3. one document refresh or retest; and
4. refusal or delayed move, including non-refundable losses.

The five figures to timestamp

• Government fee and the page’s effective date.
• Exchange rate used and its date.
• Family size and each dependant’s age at filing.
• Financial threshold in original currency and whether it must be maintained.
• Quote expiry for medicals, translations, assessments, and professional work.

A USD conversion is useful for comparison but should never replace the official currency in the filing budget.

What this article deliberately does not estimate

There is no universal lawyer fee, medical price, rental deposit, flight cost, or “six-month living budget.” Those vary by provider and city. Obtain written quotes, identify refund terms, and leave a contingency for expiring documents and delayed starts.

Use PlanTW to identify the exact route first. Only then copy its official fees and evidence requirements into the seven buckets above.

Fees can change without notice. Reopen the official fee page on the day you pay.