Canada has increased the minimum funds international students must show for living expenses when applying for a study permit, meaning students from Punjab planning to study there will now need to arrange a higher financial buffer.
According to updated guidelines from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), applicants submitting study permit applications on or after September 1, 2026, must show CAD 23,448 for one year of living expenses if they are applying outside Quebec. The amount is roughly ₹17 lakh, depending on the exchange rate.
New requirement applies from September 1
The revised amount is specifically for living expenses and does not include tuition fees or transportation costs. Students must therefore show separate funds for their first-year tuition and travel expenses in addition to the prescribed living-expense amount.
Students who submitted their applications on or before August 31, 2026, are not covered by the new September 1 threshold.
The change means students who previously planned their visa finances around the older requirement will now have to arrange additional funds to meet the updated threshold.
More funds required if family accompanies student
The financial requirement increases when family members accompany the applicant.
Under the latest IRCC table, applicants must show CAD 29,192 for a family of two, CAD 35,888 for a family of three and CAD 43,572 for a family of four. For every additional family member beyond seven, the requirement increases by CAD 6,318.
These figures are again separate from tuition and transportation costs.
Quebec follows separate rules
The revised figures apply across Canada's provinces and territories except Quebec, which has its own financial eligibility requirements for international students.
For students applying from India, the key takeaway is that simply showing funds for college fees will not be enough. The application must also demonstrate the required living expenses and transportation costs.
What students should arrange before applying
For applications filed from September 1, students should be prepared to provide financial documentation covering three major expenses:
First-year tuition fees
Required living expenses
Transportation costs between India and Canada
Students should check the latest IRCC requirements and ensure their financial documents clearly establish that the required funds are available.
Canada has a large Punjabi-speaking community
The change is particularly relevant for Punjab because Canada has a substantial Punjabi-speaking population. Statistics Canada recorded 942,170 Punjabi speakers in the country in the 2021 Census, making Punjabi one of Canada's most widely spoken non-official languages.
For students and families planning a Canada study route, the higher financial requirement means budgeting for the visa process will now need to account for the increased living-expense threshold, apart from tuition and travel costs.
