How much IRCC says you need for living expenses
IRCC says you must prove you have enough money, without working in Canada, to pay for tuition, for living expenses for you and any family members who come with you, and for transportation to and from Canada. For applications made on or after 1 September 2026, IRCC's chart for all provinces and territories except Quebec shows CAD 23,448 per year for one person, CAD 29,192 for two and CAD 35,888 for three. IRCC describes the chart as how much money you will need to support yourself and your family members in Canada for the first year. It is an amount to show, not a payment you receive. The amounts do not include tuition and transportation, which need their own funds. IRCC says the amounts are updated each year. Quebec applicants must show they can cover the costs set by Quebec's immigration ministry, so these figures are not the Quebec amount.
What IRCC says you must show, and with which documents
IRCC says you must show enough financial resources for the first year of your studies. For programs longer than a year, you must also tell IRCC how you plan to pay for the full duration. IRCC assesses the amount of funds you have and their source. It gives examples of documents and says the list is not complete. The examples include proof that you paid first-year tuition and housing fees, which must come with documents showing you can cover living expenses and transportation. They also include a bank or education loan, a scholarship, pay stubs, a letter from the person giving you money, a Canadian bank account in your name (if you have transferred money to Canada), a guaranteed investment certificate (GIC) and bank statements for the past 6 months, including the month you applied or the month before. The statements must include documents showing the source of the income. IRCC says you do not need to provide all of the examples, but you need enough proof to meet all the financial capacity requirements. A GIC is one example, not a requirement.
India: the New Delhi visa office checklist
IRCC says to check the visa office instructions for your country or region for local requirements. IRCC's study-permit page for applicants in India lists the visa office instructions (IMM 5818) in its application package. This is the New Delhi Visa Office Additional Document Checklist, used together with the general study-permit document checklist; the edition read is marked 02-2026. The items it lists that relate to funding include the following. An official letter stating the total amount, duration and conditions of any scholarship or other award (marked if applicable). A reference letter from the people giving you financial assistance, which must give details of how your studies will be funded, their relationship to you, their occupation, their full contact details and the number of dependents they support. A letter from the employer of those people. Copies of payment receipts issued by the post-secondary institution (marked if applicable). Income tax returns for you and your parents for the past two years. Proof of employment (marked if applicable): a letter from your current or past employer and pay slips for the last 3 months. Its questionnaire also asks about your parents and any other primary financial supporter. Read the current version before you apply.
IRCC: study permit, proof of financial support IRCC: application to study in Canada, study permits (India package) IRCC: New Delhi Visa Office additional document checklist, study permit (IMM 5818)
Foreign exchange controls
IRCC says that if your country uses foreign exchange controls, you must prove that you will be allowed to export funds for all of your expenses. Neither IRCC page used for the India checklist says whether this rule applies to India. Check the current India visa office instructions before you apply.
Match the rest of the application: PAL/TAL
IRCC describes a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) as a letter from the province or territory where you plan to study that confirms there is space for you. The designated learning institution provides it, and it is usually required to apply for a study permit. If you rely on an exemption instead, IRCC says you need to provide proof that you meet it. You cannot apply with a PAL/TAL issued in a previous study permit cap year. Students applying to a Quebec institution need a Quebec Acceptance Certificate instead of a PAL/TAL.
IRCC: provincial attestation letter or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL)
Questions before acting
Does IRCC set a minimum bank balance for a study permit?
IRCC's page lists living-expense amounts for the first year, not a minimum bank balance. It asks you to show enough funds and their source, and lists bank statements for the past 6 months as one example of proof.
Is this a complete moving budget?
No. IRCC's living-expense amounts do not include tuition and transportation. Those need their own funds.
Can I apply the same figure to Quebec?
No. For Quebec, IRCC says applicants must show they can cover the costs set out by Quebec's immigration ministry.
Is there an India-specific checklist?
Yes. IRCC's application package for applicants in India lists the New Delhi visa office additional checklist (IMM 5818). It lists extra funding documents where applicable. Read the current version before you apply.
Corrections in this revision
The previous version included statements without sufficient direct support. This revision removes or corrects:
- Statements without direct official support: removed, or replaced with the official rule. Removed figures are not repeated on this page.
Review scope: legal and financial statements in this revised article. Recheck on a provider, professional, immigration or tax-rule change; reuse of dated figures requires a new check.
See recorded sources
- IRCC: study permit, proof of financial support — Canada — federal (IRCC), applications on or after 1 September 2026, all provinces and territories except Quebec. Rendered page shows 'Date modified: 2026-08-28'; chart for applications on or after September 1, 2026; read 6 Oct 2026
- IRCC: application to study in Canada, study permits (India package) — Canada — federal (IRCC), application package for applicants in India. Rendered page shows 'Date modified: 2026-08-14'; read 6 Oct 2026
- IRCC: New Delhi Visa Office additional document checklist, study permit (IMM 5818) — Canada — IRCC New Delhi Visa Office, study permit applications from India. Form edition printed as IMM 5818 E (02-2026); read 6 Oct 2026
- IRCC: provincial attestation letter or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) — Canada — federal (IRCC); Quebec uses a Quebec Acceptance Certificate instead. Rendered page shows 'Date modified: 2026-09-02'; read 6 Oct 2026
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About the author
António Mira is the founder of whereTOemigrate. For over a decade he has worked at the intersection of Portuguese real estate and overseas business, helping international clients navigate the cross-border decisions that come with relocating. He sits on the board of CCIAP (Portuguese-Arab Chamber of Commerce), the Portuguese-Saudi Business Council, and the Portugal-Hong Kong Business Association — always with one focus: enabling overseas business and human mobility into and out of Portugal.
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