Working Through a Family of Plainly Four's Federal Fees for an Express Surely Entry Application
Two adults, two kids, one Express Entry application. Before anyone mentions flights, shipping, or a first month’s rent in Canada, it’s worth knowing exactly what express entry federal fees family of four totals actually add up to — because the government portion alone is bigger than most people guess, and smaller than the total move will actually cost.
The line-by-line breakdown
Working from the federal fee schedule as it currently stands, here’s what a household of two adults and two dependent children pays IRCC directly:
| Line | Amount (CAD) |
|---|---|
| Principal applicant (processing fee + Right of Permanent Residence Fee) | $1,590.00 |
| Spouse (processing fee + Right of Permanent Residence Fee) | $1,590.00 |
| Dependent child × 2 | $540.00 |
| Biometrics (family cap) | $170.00 |
| Total IRCC fees | $3,890.00 |
Total IRCC fees for a family of four, in other words, land at $3,890 — before a single dollar is spent on anything outside the application itself.
Why the biometrics line looks smaller than expected
The Express Entry biometrics fee for a family works differently to the per-person fees above it. Rather than charging $85 per person as it would for individuals applying separately, IRCC caps biometrics at $170 for a family of two or more applying together — covering the principal applicant, their spouse or common-law partner, and dependent children (including those children’s own dependants, where relevant). For a household of four, that cap means real savings compared to paying the individual rate four times over.
What this total does and doesn’t include
This is the part worth reading twice: this figure is federal government fees only. It excludes language testing, Educational Credential Assessment fees, medical exams, police certificates, document translation, courier costs, and any fees paid to an immigration consultant or lawyer. What Express Entry actually costs in government fees is genuinely just one line item in a much longer real-world budget — the $3,890 above is the floor, not the ceiling, for a family application.
Why it’s worth separating the two numbers
Conflating “the government fee” with “the total cost of immigrating” leads to underestimating a move by a wide margin. Language tests for four people, an ECA for at least one adult, medicals for the whole family, and police certificates covering every country lived in for six months or more since age 18 — none of that is small, and none of it appears in the table above. Budgeting off the IRCC fee schedule alone will leave a family short.
The practical takeaway
Treat $3,890 as the confirmed, fixed federal cost for a family of four — a number you can actually plan around, since it comes straight from the published fee list rather than an estimate. Then build the rest of the budget around it separately: testing, assessments, medicals, certificates, and professional help if you use it. For a full picture specific to your own family’s situation, a licensed RCIC can help map out what else belongs in that wider budget.