Letter of acceptance
A valid letter of acceptance from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI). We confirm the DLI is PGWP-designated where that matters to you.
Study permit · 2026
Your Canada study permit, done right.
Plain-language help for the 2026 rules — proof of funds, the new source-of-funds checks, PAL/TAL, PGWP and spousal work permit eligibility, and a clean, officer-ready file. Everything on this page updates as the rules change.
RCIC-regulated
Brampton & London
Reviewed August 2026
What changed on July 24, 2026
IRCC updated its instructions to officers, Study permits: Assessing the application. The dollar amounts did not change. What changed is how hard your money gets looked at: the source of funds must now be assessed in every case, the old limit confining deeper document review to “very high-risk environments” has been deleted, and officers are pointed to 6 months of bank statements rather than 4.
Practical effect: files that would have passed on a bare balance are now being tested on where the balance came from. See the full breakdown ↓
$22,895
Outside Quebec
Single applicant living costs — on top of tuition & travel (applications received on/after September 1, 2025).
$24,617
Quebec (CAQ)
Single applicant basic needs, set by MIFI, effective January 1, 2026.
$150
Study permit fee
IRCC processing fee; biometrics may be extra.
1,107
PGWP fields (frozen)
Non-degree field-of-study list is frozen for all of 2026.
Processing times
How long it takes right now.
IRCC estimates change every week and vary by where you apply. These figures refresh from our data feed; always confirm the live number on IRCC’s tool for your exact situation.
Inside Canada — extension
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Outside Canada — by country
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Estimates as reviewed August 2026. Check the live IRCC processing tool →
Who can apply
What you need for a study permit.
Meeting every requirement — and showing it clearly — is what separates an approval from a refusal. Here’s the core of what an officer looks for.
PAL / TAL
Most applicants need a Provincial or Territorial Attestation Letter.
Master’s & doctoral at public DLIs are PAL/TAL-exempt from Jan 1, 2026.
Proof of funds
Show $22,895 in living costs (single applicant, outside Quebec), plus first-year tuition and travel. More for family members.
Use the calculator below ↓
Source of funds
Where the money came from now matters as much as how much there is. Officers assess the source in every file.
Updated July 24, 2026.
Intent & ties
Satisfy the officer you’ll leave at the end of your authorized stay — genuine study plan and ties to home matter.
Admissibility
Be admissible: police certificates and a medical exam may be required depending on your situation and country.
Proof of funds
How much money you need to show.
The 2026 rule is two parts: a set living-cost amount that scales with family size, plus your first-year tuition and travel. Quebec runs a separate, higher table through the CAQ. Enter your numbers — the living-cost figure is filled in for you.
Your situation
Family size means you plus any spouse and children coming with you.
Federal amounts set by IRCC, in force since September 1, 2025.
Living-cost requirement for 1 person.
From your letter of acceptance. Leave blank if unsure.
Return airfare estimate, for you and anyone coming with you.
Total funds to show — first year
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Living costs (1 person)—
First-year tuition$0
Travel$0
Quebec applicants: Quebec’s basic-needs amount now includes health and hospitalization insurance for you and any accompanying family members, along with food, housing and installation costs, clothing and local transport. You must satisfy Quebec at the CAQ stage and IRCC at the study permit stage, but the same funds are assessed by both — you do not need to show the money twice. Quebec’s official figures →
Applied before September 1, 2025? Files received between January 1, 2024 – August 31, 2025 are assessed on the earlier amounts — $20,635 for a single applicant, rising to $54,611 for seven, plus $5,559 per additional person. The calculator above shows the current figures only. This matters when analysing a refusal on an older filing.
Source of funds · updated July 24, 2026
Having the money isn’t the test anymore.
Nearly half of study permit refusals turn on financial documentation — not because the applicant lacked funds, but because the file didn’t prove them in a way an officer could trust. The July 24, 2026 instructions make that standard explicit.
Source of funds is assessed in every file
The updated instructions state the source of funds must be assessed in all cases. This is no longer reserved for particular visa offices — it applies to your application regardless of where you file.
The “high-risk office” limit has been deleted
Officers previously dug into supplementary personal, family, financial and employment documentation only in some very high-risk environments. That qualifier is gone. Discretion is now exercised on the facts of your application.
Six months of statements, not four
And they must reach the month you submit, or the month immediately before it. Statements that stop three months short of filing invite a request for more — or a refusal.
Available, not merely visible
A large deposit shortly before filing needs a paper trail: sale deed, loan sanction, gift deed, salary credits, or the sponsor’s own statements. Unexplained inflow is the single most common weakness we correct.
Funding for the full program, not just year one
You show first-year funds, and you explain how later years get paid. Officers assess whether only genuine students capable of supporting themselves for the full duration are approved.
Extensions are measured on the year ahead
On a study permit renewal, funds are assessed against the first year following the extension — not the year you have just finished.
Acceptable proof
What actually counts as proof of funds.
You don’t need all of these. You need enough of them, consistent with each other, to cover living costs, tuition and travel — and to show where the money came from.
Bank statements — six months New 2026
Officer instructions now point to six months of statements including the month you apply or the month immediately before. IRCC’s public page still says four months. File six — the officer is reading from the longer standard.
Canadian bank account in your name
Where you have already transferred funds to Canada. Strongest evidence available because the money is demonstrably in reach.
Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC)
From a participating Canadian financial institution. Not mandatory on the standard stream — the SDS GIC route ended November 8, 2024 — but it removes the “are these funds actually available?” question.
Student or education loan from a bank
Sanction letter plus the disbursement terms and the security behind it. An unsecured in-principle letter is thin.
Proof you paid first-year tuition and housing
Must be accompanied by separate proof of living-cost funds and travel money — paid tuition alone does not satisfy the requirement.
Letter from the person or institution funding you
A sponsor letter on its own is never enough. It must be paired with the sponsor’s bank statements, employment or business records, and a documented relationship to you.
Scholarship or Canadian-funded educational program
Particularly strong where the award runs longer than one year — it answers the multi-year funding question at the same time.
Pension income New 2026
Added as an accepted example in the July 24, 2026 officer instructions. Useful where a retired parent is funding the student.
Rental property income New 2026
Added as an accepted example in the July 24, 2026 officer instructions. Support it with the lease, ownership documents and the rent credits landing in the account.
Dropped from the officer list: a bank draft convertible to Canadian dollars was removed from the examples in the July 24, 2026 update, although it still appears on IRCC’s public page. Don’t build a file around one.
Foreign exchange controls: if your country restricts the movement of money, you must also prove you will be permitted to export funds covering all of your expenses. Convert amounts at the Bank of Canada rate — inflated conversions from currency websites are cross-checked and cause refusals.
Sources: IRCC’s proof of financial support page and the officer instructions “Study permits: Assessing the application”, updated July 24, 2026. Where the two differ, we prepare to the officer-facing standard.
PGWP
Will your program lead to a work permit?
The Post-Graduation Work Permit is why most students choose Canada. Since 2024 there are two gates: a language test for everyone, and a field-of-study requirement for non-degree programs. Check yours.
Your program
Answer three quick questions.
PGWP field-of-study finder — for college / non-degree programs
Degree graduates are exempt from this list. For non-degree programs, your field must map to an eligible category. Search a keyword to see where it fits. The list is frozen for all of 2026.
No example matches that keyword — that doesn’t mean it’s ineligible. Check the official list or ask us.
These categories mirror IRCC’s eligible fields; the exact program list (by CIP code, 1,107 programs for 2026) is on IRCC. Language rules still apply: CLB/NCLC 7 for degrees, CLB/NCLC 5 for college, in all four abilities.
Spouse open work permit
Can your spouse work while you study?
The rules tightened on January 21, 2025. A spousal open work permit now depends on your program. Check where you stand.
Your (the student’s) program
Pick the option that best matches your study program.
Bringing a spouse or children raises your proof-of-funds requirement for the study permit itself — the living-cost figure scales with every accompanying family member, whether or not your spouse qualifies for a work permit.
Institution finder
Find a college or university.
A quick reference of major public Designated Learning Institutions — which are generally PGWP-designated. Search by name, filter by province or type, then confirm your exact institution and program on IRCC’s official list.
Reference only, not exhaustive, and DLI numbers change — always verify your institution and its PGWP status on the official IRCC DLI list. PGWP eligibility also depends on your specific program.
How we help
A stronger file, start to finish.
Our job isn’t just uploading forms. We shape how your application reads to an officer — the story, the funds, the fit, and the consistency across every document.
1
Program & PAL/TAL review
We confirm your DLI, program fit, PGWP implications, and whether a PAL or TAL is needed before you file.
2
Funds & source of funds
We build the money trail: six months of statements, sponsor income, and a documented explanation for every deposit an officer will ask about.
3
Statement of purpose
We help present your study plan, background, and future goals so your intent reads as genuine and logical.
4
Consistency check
Forms, documents, and letters are compared side by side so your file reads as one complete application.
Why it matters: a missing PAL/TAL, an unexplained deposit, or a program that won’t lead to a PGWP are among the most common, most avoidable problems we fix before a file is ever submitted.
Who we help
Wherever you are in the journey.
First-time applicants
New study permit applications from outside Canada — school fit, funds, PAL/TAL, and a clear statement of purpose.
Inside-Canada students
Extensions, program changes, and continuation planning while you keep valid status — with funds measured against the year ahead.
Refusal strategy
We read the refusal reasons and fix the root cause — so a re-application isn’t just a repeat of the first.
Quick start
Book a consultation.
Note the basics below and book a consultation — a licensed RCIC will map your program, funds, and source-of-funds position against the 2026 rules before you file anything.
Nothing is submitted from this page — jot the basics down, then bring them to the booking form.
Talk to a licensed RCIC
Ready to build your study permit file?
Every case turns on your program, funds, history, and goals. Contact us today to discuss your case — before you submit a single form.
General information only, not legal advice. Rules, fees, and dollar amounts change — always confirm the current requirements on canada.ca before filing. Reviewed August 2026.
Study permit review
Is your study permit application actually strong?
Send a few details. A licensed RCIC reads your profile personally, then replies with the routes that genuinely fit, the ones that do not, and the consultation fee and next available times.
- Read personally by a CICC-licensed consultant — never a bot, never a salesperson
- A written shortlist of the programs you realistically qualify for
- Consultations are fee-based; you get the fee and available times by reply
CHK Immigration Services — Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (CICC). Offices in Brampton and London, Ontario. Submitting this form does not create a client–consultant relationship; IRCC makes all final decisions.