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Study Permit Proof of Funds: $23,448 From September 2026

For study permit applications made outside Quebec on or after 1 September 2026, IRCC's living-expense amount is $23,448 for one person, $29,192 for two and $35,888 for three, excluding tuition and travel. IRCC's page (dated 28 August 2026) also shows the earlier amounts for applications from 1 January 2025 to 31 August 2026. Quebec has its own requirements.

Anyone applying for a study permit from outside Canada has to show they can pay for their time here without working. IRCC splits that into tuition, living costs and travel. The living-cost figure is a set table by family size, and it went up for applications made on or after 1 September 2026.

This guide reads the table on IRCC's financial support page (page details dated 28 August 2026) and explains how to tell which column applies to you, what IRCC lists as acceptable proof, what is left out of the table, and where Quebec differs. It reports IRCC's rules. It does not say how much money any reader needs to arrange, or whether their documents would be accepted.

All amounts are in Canadian dollars and are the living-expense amounts for applications outside Quebec. IRCC revises them, so read the table on the page before relying on a number.

The table, old and new columns

IRCC's page gives two columns for living expenses outside Quebec, by the number of family members including the applicant. The column depends on when the application is made.

Applications on or after 1 September 2026:

  • 1 person: $23,448
  • 2 people: $29,192
  • 3 people: $35,888
  • 4 people: $43,572
  • 5 people: $49,419
  • 6 people: $55,736
  • 7 people: $62,054
  • each additional person above 7: $6,318

Applications from 1 January 2025 to 31 August 2026:

  • 1 person: $22,895
  • 2 people: $28,502
  • 3 people: $35,040
  • 4 people: $42,543
  • 5 people: $48,252
  • 6 people: $54,420
  • 7 people: $60,589
  • each additional person above 7: $6,170

The page states that these amounts do not include tuition and transportation costs. That is a clear line: the table is the living-expense part only.

The difference between the columns, worked out from the published figures, is $553 for one person, $690 for two, $848 for three, $1,029 for four, $1,167 for five, $1,316 for six, $1,465 for seven, and $148 for each additional person.

Which column applies to you

The column turns on the date of the application, as IRCC's table labels it: applications on or after 1 September 2026, or applications from 1 January 2025 to 31 August 2026. The page does not, in the part we read, explain the edge cases, such as an application started before the change and submitted after it. If your application straddles the date, read the page and the instructions on your application, because the date IRCC uses is IRCC's to define.

The family size in the table includes the applicant. A student travelling alone is a family of one. A student with a spouse and a child coming too is a family of three. The page's table is indexed to that count.

Two further points on reading the table correctly:

  • The figure is a living-cost amount per year. The table's own label is the living expenses amount; the page deals separately with how tuition and travel are shown.
  • The table is for applications outside Quebec. Quebec runs its own selection and financial requirements, covered below.

A change like this is a reminder to read the date on the page. IRCC reviews these amounts and has revised them more than once. The dated columns on the page are the safest guide to what applied when.

What IRCC says you have to prove

IRCC's page says you must prove that you have enough money, without working in Canada. The proof has to cover three things: tuition, living costs for you and any family members who come with you, and the cost of travel to and from Canada.

The living costs come from the table above. The page requires proof that you can cover tuition and transportation too, but it gives no dollar amounts for them in the part we read. For tuition, the page says a receipt from your designated learning institution can serve as proof of tuition and housing payments. How much tuition applies depends on your school and program, which the school publishes. Add that to the table amount to get a rounded picture of what the page asks you to show.

The page does not say that the table amount is the same as the full amount a given student must show. It says the table covers living expenses only. That distinction is the main reason students come up short on this requirement: they match their funds to the table and leave out tuition.

What counts as proof

IRCC's page lists the kinds of evidence it accepts. In the page's wording, examples include:

  • your bank statements, for your Canadian or foreign bank account, for the past 6 months. The page adds that this must include documentation showing the source of the income.
  • a guaranteed investment certificate from a Canadian financial institution.
  • proof of a student or education loan from a bank.
  • proof of a scholarship, or that you are in a Government of Canada-funded educational program. If a scholarship covers tuition only, you must also show funds for living and travel costs.
  • a letter from the person or institution giving you money, which includes details such as the supporter's occupation, their relationship to you, their dependants and the amount of support.
  • proof of a Canadian bank account in your name, if you have transferred money to Canada.

These are examples from the page. The page presents them as examples, and the officer decides whether the documents prove the point. The page does not say any one of them is required or preferred, so a reader should not infer that.

Foreign exchange controls get their own sentence. If your country has them, the page says you must prove that you will be allowed to export funds for all of your expenses. Students from countries with capital controls should read that part of the page closely, because the proof is about permission to move the money, as well as having it.

Worked examples with the published figures

These examples only combine published figures. They do not say what any student should do or whether a given application would succeed.

One student, application on 15 September 2026. The living-expense table shows $23,448. Tuition and travel are on top of that. If a school's tuition receipt shows a first-year payment, that supports the tuition part.

A student and spouse, on or after 1 September 2026. The table shows $29,192 for two people. For an application under the earlier column it would have been $28,502, so the later date is $690 higher.

A family of four. $43,572 under the new column. With five, $49,419.

A family of nine. Beyond seven, the page adds $6,318 per extra person: $62,054 + 2 × $6,318 = $74,690. That is arithmetic on the published rule, not a line on the page.

A scholarship covering tuition only. The page says that if a scholarship covers only tuition, the applicant must also show funds for living and travel costs. So the table amount for the family size still has to be shown from another source.

A supporter's letter. If a parent is providing funds, the page lists the information the letter has to include. A bare statement that a parent will pay does not meet the list.

Not every case fits neatly. For anything that does not, the safest step is IRCC's own page and the document checklist generated for your application.

Quebec, fees and what sits outside the table

Quebec. The page does not list Quebec amounts. It says that to get a Quebec Acceptance Certificate, known as the CAQ, applicants must show they can financially cover the costs set by Quebec's immigration ministry, the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration. The ministry's costs page is linked from IRCC's page. Quebec is a separate system, so the amounts on the page above do not apply to a Quebec CAQ. Use the Quebec government's site for those figures.

Government fees are a separate cost. The IRCC fee list (date modified 21 September 2026) shows a study permit at $150.00 per person, including extensions, and biometrics at $85.00 per individual, with a $170.00 maximum for a family of two or more eligible people. Those fees go to IRCC. They are not part of the proof-of-funds amount and the money you pay IRCC does not count toward it. Our guide to the study permit form explains the application itself.

Other costs. Health insurance, accommodation deposits, a medical exam where required and language tests are paid to other providers. We do not quote amounts for them.

If the application is refused. A refusal over funds is one of several reasons a study permit can be refused. Our guide to what to do after a refused study permit sets out the options in general terms.

Finally, remember that the table is a minimum set by IRCC. It is not an estimate of what a given city costs. A student who is choosing where to study should look at the school's own cost information.

If you want a regulated adviser to look at your own documents, the Migratio directory lists licensed Canadian immigration consultants (RCICs) and lawyers, with their College or law society details so you can check the register yourself. Migratio is a directory and booking service. It is not an immigration consultant and does not give advice on individual cases.

Questions people ask

How much money do you need for a Canadian study permit in 2026?

For applications outside Quebec on or after 1 September 2026, IRCC's living-expense amount is $23,448 for one person, $29,192 for two and $35,888 for three. These amounts do not include tuition and transportation, which you must also be able to cover.

What was the amount before September 2026?

IRCC's page shows $22,895 for one person for applications from 1 January 2025 to 31 August 2026, and $28,502 for two people.

Does the $23,448 include tuition?

No. IRCC's page states that the amounts do not include tuition and transportation costs.

What documents does IRCC accept as proof of funds?

IRCC lists examples including six months of bank statements (with documentation of the source of income), a guaranteed investment certificate, a student loan from a bank, proof of a scholarship, a letter from the person giving you money, and proof of a Canadian bank account in your name.

Does this apply to Quebec?

No. IRCC's page does not list Quebec amounts. For a Quebec Acceptance Certificate you must meet the costs set by Quebec's immigration ministry, so check the Quebec government's site.

What is the study permit government fee?

The IRCC fee list dated 21 September 2026 shows $150.00 per person for a study permit, and biometrics at $85.00 per individual or up to $170.00 for a family of two or more eligible people.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • IMM 1294, Application for a Study Permit Made Outside of Canada: what it asks and where applications go wrong — IMM 1294 is the form for a study permit applied for outside Canada, completed by each person who needs one. The IRCC fee list shows $150 per person for a study permit, plus $85 for biometrics where required, and IRCC's guide says fees are not refunded. Every Background Information question must be answered or the application is treated as incomplete and returned.
  • Study Permit Refused: Reapply, Seek Review or Rethink — There's no appeal from a study permit refusal. The options are a new application (which needs a new provincial or territorial attestation letter in most cases) or judicial review in the Federal Court within 60 days from outside Canada or 15 days from inside. Students in Canada also need to check their status.
  • IMM 5709: extending a study permit from inside Canada, what the form asks and common mistakes — IMM 5709 is the form for extending a study permit, changing its conditions or restoring student status from inside Canada. The IRCC fee list shows $150 per person for a study permit including an extension, and IRCC says to apply at least 30 days before the permit expires. An application missing a required letter or answer is typically returned.
  • Express Entry Proof of Funds 2026: Amounts by Family Size — IRCC's settlement funds table (marked updated July 7, 2025, on a page dated 22 June 2026) runs from $15,263 for one person to $40,392 for seven, plus $4,112 for each person beyond seven. IRCC says Canadian Experience Class applicants and people authorized to work in Canada with a valid job offer do not need to show proof of funds.
  • Canadian Immigration Fees 2026: The IRCC List, Explained — The IRCC fee list (date modified 21 September 2026) sets the government fees for most applications: for example $100 for a visitor visa, $150 for a study permit, $155 for a work permit, $1,590 for an economic permanent residence application including the $600 right of permanent residence fee, and $653 for an adult citizenship application. Medical exams, language tests, police certificates and representative fees are not on it.
  • PGWP eligibility 2026: program length, language, field of study, the 180-day deadline and the fee — A post-graduation work permit (PGWP) is for graduates of eligible designated learning institutions. IRCC's page, read on 10 October 2026, says you must meet all requirements: a program of at least 8 months, full-time study, language results (CLB or NCLC 7 or 5 depending on the program), an eligible field of study for some programs, and an application within 180 days. The fee is $255. This guide explains the rules. It cannot tell you whether you qualify.