Canada student visa: Requirements and how to apply

Some of the Canada study permit advice circulating in student groups is out of date. Checklists can still mention routes that no longer exist, and money figures that have since moved.

This page sets out what a Canadian study permit requires as things stand, with every figure linked to the government source it came from. If a number here matters to your application, click through and check it on the day you apply. Canadian rules have changed frequently in recent years.

Reviewed against Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada guidance.

A study permit is the document that lets you study in Canada. It is not a visa, and the distinction has practical consequences.

The permit allows you to study. A visitor visa or an electronic travel authorisation is what actually lets you enter the country, and it is normally issued alongside the permit rather than applied for separately. You cannot use the study permit on its own to board a flight.

Three things in the current process were not part of it a couple of years ago, and they are where outdated advice often goes wrong.

You need a provincial or territorial attestation letter. IRCC is explicit that you get a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) from your school, and that in most cases you need to accept your offer and pay your tuition, in part or in full, before the school will issue it. If you are going to Quebec, a Quebec Acceptance Certificate takes its place.

Your letter of acceptance gets checked. Post-secondary institutions have to confirm your acceptance letter directly with IRCC. If your school does not respond by the deadline, your application is returned to you. That is worth knowing because it is a failure mode you cannot fix from your side.

The Student Direct Stream is gone. IRCC's current financial requirements guidance no longer includes it. If you are working from a checklist that tells you to apply through SDS, that checklist is out of date, and so is everything else on it.

Canada has also been applying caps to the number of study permit applications it processes. We cover that separately in the 2026 study permit cap, GIC requirement and standard stream explained.

To be approved you need to show all of the following:

• Acceptance by a designated learning institution, with a letter of acceptance your school will confirm to IRCC.

• A provincial or territorial attestation letter from that school, or a CAQ if you are studying in Quebec.

• Enough money to cover tuition, your living costs and your return travel.

• A clean record, with a police certificate if you are asked for one.

• Good health, with a medical exam if you are asked for one.

• Evidence that you will leave Canada when your permit expires.

The last one is the least concrete. It is assessed on your whole application rather than on any single document.

How much money do you need to show?

For applications submitted on or after 1 September 2026, a single applicant studying outside Quebec needs to show CAD 23,448 for living expenses, on top of tuition and travel. Bringing two family members raises the total to CAD 35,888.

Read that carefully, because the mistake is common. The living-cost figure sits on top of your tuition, not inside it. Budget for both.

A guaranteed investment certificate from a Canadian financial institution is one of the accepted ways to evidence this, which is why GICs come up constantly in Canada discussions. It is one option among several rather than a rule.

If a loan is part of how you are covering the cost, the sanctioned amount and the documentation matter more than the intention. Our guide to proof of funds for 2026 covers what tends to be accepted, and you can check your eligibility in about ten seconds without affecting your credit score.*

Have these ready before you open the application, not while you are filling it in:

• Passport, valid well beyond your intended stay.

• Letter of acceptance from your designated learning institution.

• Provincial or territorial attestation letter, or your CAQ for Quebec.

• Proof of funds covering tuition, living costs and return travel.

• Passport photographs to the specification IRCC asks for.

• Academic transcripts and any test scores your programme required.

• A statement of purpose explaining your study plan.

• Medical exam results or a police certificate, if requested.

The attestation letter is the one with a dependency you do not control. It usually needs your offer accepted and tuition paid first, so working backwards from your intake date is the best way to plan.

Two fees are paid to the Canadian government, and both are listed on IRCC's fee list:

• Study permit, including extensions: CAD 150 per person.

• Biometrics: CAD 85 per person, capped at CAD 170 for a family of two or more applying together.

Those are the government fees only. Medical exams, police certificates, courier charges and translation all cost money too, and none of them appear on that list.

The order matters more than any single step, because three of them depend on the one before.

• Get accepted by a designated learning institution and receive your letter of acceptance.

• Accept the offer and pay tuition, in part or in full, so your school can issue your attestation letter.

• Arrange and document your funds, whether that is savings, a GIC, a sponsor or a loan.

• Apply online through IRCC, upload every document and pay both fees.

• Give your biometrics at the appointment you are instructed to book.

• Complete a medical exam or provide a police certificate if you are asked.

• Wait for the decision, then travel with your approval letter and your passport.

As early as your acceptance and attestation letter allow. Processing times vary by country and by season, and IRCC publishes a current estimate rather than a fixed figure, so treat any duration you read in a forum as out of date.

The part you control is how quickly you get the attestation letter, and that depends on paying tuition. Leaving the deposit until you have a permit decision gets the order backwards and can cost you time.

A study permit can carry permission to work during your studies, subject to conditions printed on the permit itself. The hours allowed off campus have been adjusted more than once in recent years, so check the conditions on your own permit and the current IRCC guidance rather than what a previous intake was told.

Do not build your budget on part-time earnings. IRCC assesses proof of funds without relying on work in Canada.

Family members can apply to accompany you, and the financial requirement rises accordingly. The figures on IRCC's financial support page scale with the number of people coming, which is why the two-family-member total of CAD 35,888 is so much higher than the single figure.

Eligibility for a spouse to work has been narrowed in recent policy changes. Check the current position directly if it affects your plans, because this is one of the rules that has moved most.

A post-graduation work permit is the usual route to working in Canada after you finish, and eligibility depends on your institution and your field of study. The criteria have tightened, and some programmes that previously qualified no longer do.

Check eligibility before you choose a programme, not after you graduate. It is an expensive thing to discover late.

For funding, school options and cost of living, see our Canada study destination page. You can also use our visa preparation tool to check what you still need.

Disclaimer

*Loan and promotion offers are subject to our eligibility, funding, and credit assessment criteria. Loan amounts are subject to the cost of attendance limits set by schools.

Prodigy Finance Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom. Prodigy Finance loans are offered to eligible borrowers and these loans are governed by English law.

The purpose of this guide is to provide prospective students with a general overview of the international student visa process and should not be regarded as legal or immigration advice, or as a substitute for official guidance from government authorities, embassies, or consular offices. While we've taken care to compile accurate and up-to-date information, Prodigy Finance Limited does not accept liability for any inaccuracies, omissions, or outdated details. We strongly encourage all prospective students and readers to consult the official government websites and immigration authorities relevant to their study destination for the most accurate and current information. Prodigy Finance Limited is not authorised to provide immigration services and cannot offer personalised visa advice or assistance.