Canada

Express Entry — Canadian Experience Class (CEC): total cost to complete

Name: Express Entry — Canadian Experience Class (CEC) cost-to-complete model
Creator: Visa Atlas
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

By Sam Parks · Last checked: 1 July 2026

A source-linked budget for a single Canadian Experience Class applicant after invitation: IRCC permanent-residence fees, biometrics, mandatory language test, medical exam, police certificates and translations, with the no-settlement-funds rule made explicit.

What does the Express Entry — Canadian Experience Class (CEC) actually cost?

Mandatory non-refundable costs are CA$2,075-CA$3,005. Refundable proof-of-funds requirements are tracked separately at none tracked, because that money is shown or blocked rather than normally lost.

Source checked against IRCC - submit an Express Entry profile on 1 July 2026.

Canada Express Entry money stack

Canada FSW, CEC and PNP cost and proof-of-funds answer

Use this route table to keep Canada paid-away fees, refundable settlement funds and province fees separate before comparing Express Entry budgets.

Route	Mandatory paid-away baseline	Proof-of-funds rule	Province layer
Federal Skilled Worker	CA$2,275-CA$3,055	CA$15,263 show-only settlement funds unless the applicant is authorized to work in Canada and has a valid job offer.	No province fee in the base FSW route.
Canadian Experience Class	CA$2,075-CA$3,005	CEC settlement funds are CA$0 in the model because IRCC says CEC invitees do not need proof of settlement funds.	No province fee unless the applicant also uses a PNP stream.
Express Entry PNP	CA$3,775-CA$4,555	CA$15,263 show-only funds unless the invitation/program basis creates a CEC or valid-job-offer exemption.	Province layer included: CA$1,500 Ontario-style nomination fee, with province-specific variation.

Paid fees versus funds

Refundable settlement funds are not fees paid away. They are a cash-flow barrier that must stay separate from IRCC processing fees, the right of permanent residence fee, biometrics, language tests, ECA, medicals, police certificates and province-specific nomination fees.

Source dates: FSW checked 21 July 2026, CEC checked 1 July 2026, PNP checked 1 July 2026. Latest source record in this cluster: 21 July 2026. These figures separate paid-away charges from proof-of-funds requirements so you can compare budgets without treating available funds as a fee.

What it actually costs

Money you don't get back

CA$2,075-CA$3,005

Mandatory fees, services and one month of insurance.

Proof of funds (returned to you)

CA$0

IRCC says applicants invited under the Canadian Experience Class do not need proof of settlement funds. If the checklist still asks, upload a letter explaining the CEC invitation.

Cost line	Amount	Type	When / who
Express Entry profile submission	CA$0	Gov fee	Creating an Express Entry profile is the pool-entry step. IRCC charges fees at the permanent-residence application stage after invitation, not when the profile is submitted. IRCC - submit an Express Entry profile
Permanent residence processing fee (principal applicant)	CA$990	Gov fee	Economic immigration processing fee for the principal applicant, including Canadian Experience Class. IRCC increased this fee on 30 April 2026. IRCC - citizenship and immigration application fees
Right of Permanent Residence Fee	CA$600	Gov fee	Successful applicants pay the RPRF before becoming permanent residents. IRCC refunds this fee if the application is withdrawn or refused. IRCC - citizenship and immigration application fees
Biometrics	CA$85	Gov fee	Single-applicant biometrics fee. Family biometrics are capped at CAD 170 when eligible family members apply at the same time. IRCC - citizenship and immigration application fees
Language test for first official language· indicative	CA$250-CA$430	Service	CEC applicants must submit approved English or French language test results. Minimums are CLB/NCLC 7 for TEER 0 or 1 jobs and CLB/NCLC 5 for TEER 2 or 3 jobs; provider and country pricing vary. IRCC - Express Entry language test results
Settlement funds not required for CEC(optional)	CA$0	Proof of funds	IRCC says applicants invited under the Canadian Experience Class do not need proof of settlement funds. If the checklist still asks, upload a letter explaining the CEC invitation. IRCC - Express Entry proof of funds
Immigration medical exam· indicative	CA$150-CA$450	Service	Permanent residence applicants and family members need an immigration medical exam unless IRCC can reuse a recent acceptable exam. Panel-physician fees vary by country and clinic. IRCC - apply for permanent residence through Express Entry
Police certificates· indicative	CA$0-CA$150	Service	Most applicants need police certificates after invitation. Country-specific fees vary; some jurisdictions issue them free, others charge per certificate, fingerprint, translation or delivery. IRCC - apply for permanent residence through Express Entry
Document translation / notarisation· indicative	CA$0-CA$300	Service	Minimum can be zero when every uploaded document is already in English or French. IRCC requires certified translation and supporting copies for documents in other languages. IRCC - apply for permanent residence through Express Entry
Educational Credential Assessment for CRS points(optional)· indicative	CA$0-CA$350	Service	Not required for CEC eligibility. Optional when using foreign education to improve CRS rank in the pool; costs vary by designated organization or professional body. IRCC - Canadian Experience Class education
Spouse or partner application + RPRF(optional)	CA$1,590	Gov fee	Optional family-scaling line for an accompanying spouse or common-law partner; same economic-immigration fee total as the principal applicant. IRCC - citizenship and immigration application fees
Dependent child application fee(optional)	CA$270per child	Gov fee	Optional family-scaling line for each accompanying dependent child. IRCC - citizenship and immigration application fees

Baseline sunk cost is the IRCC principal-applicant processing fee, RPRF, biometrics, first-language test, medical exam, police-certificate range and translation/notarisation range for a single CEC applicant after invitation to apply. Express Entry profile creation is shown as a CAD 0 line because IRCC charges at permanent-residence application stage. Settlement funds are not part of the CEC baseline; the CAD 0 proof-of-funds line is included only to make that source-backed distinction machine-readable. Optional ECA, dependant and provincial-nomination costs are excluded unless the applicant needs them. Last checked 1 July 2026.

Cite or reuse this dataset

This cost model is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite Visa Atlas for the compiled sunk/refundable split and cite each linked authority or provider source for the underlying line item.

Suggested citation

Visa Atlas, "Express Entry — Canadian Experience Class (CEC) cost-to-complete model", https://visaatlas.org/cost-to-complete/canada-express-entry-cec. Last checked 1 July 2026.

Page: https://visaatlas.org/cost-to-complete/canada-express-entry-cec
JSON endpoint: https://visaatlas.org/api/public/cost-to-complete

Primary and supporting sources (6)

FAQs

What does the Express Entry — Canadian Experience Class (CEC) actually cost to complete?

Mandatory non-refundable costs are CA$2,075-CA$3,005 in the current model. Separately, refundable proof-of-funds requirements are none tracked. The line table explains each item and source.

Is proof of funds a sunk cost?

No. Proof of funds is money you must show, hold or block. It can still be a cash-flow barrier, but it is different from application fees, document costs and insurance payments that you do not normally get back.

Why are some lines marked indicative?

Some third-party costs vary by country, provider and document count. Those lines use a range and are marked indicative so they are not confused with a single government tariff.