Canada tightens financial checks for study permit applicants

Canada has updated its instructions for assessing study permit applications, introducing closer checks on whether international students have enough money to support themselves during their studies. The updated guidance, dated July 24, 2026, directs immigration officers to examine both the amount and source of an applicant’s funds. As per the new rules, officers may also review additional financial and employment documents to determine whether applicants are genuine students who can support themselves for the full duration of their programme. However, Canada has not changed the minimum amount of money applicants are required to show under the study permit rules.

According to the updated “Study permits: Assessing the application” instructions, officers must assess the source of funds in all cases. The guidance also says reviewing and verifying additional individual or family financial and employment documents may be necessary. The change makes the assessment broader than under the previous instructions. Earlier guidance suggested that additional financial documents may need closer examination in “some very high-risk environments.” That qualification has now been removed. Officers can also ask applicants to provide additional supporting documents based on the facts of an individual application. The updated instructions suggest applicants may provide six months of bank statements, including the month or the month before the application was submitted. The previous guidance referred to four months of bank statements. The government has also added pension income and income from rental properties as examples of financial documents that can be used as proof of funds. An earlier example referring to a bank draft convertible into Canadian dollars has been removed. For students applying to extend their study permits, officers have been instructed to assess the required funds based on the first year following the extension.

The update does not change the amount of financial support that international students must demonstrate. Applicants will still need to show that they have enough money to cover their tuition fees, travel expenses and living costs. The required amount depends on factors including family size, whether the student plans to study in Quebec and the immigration programme under which the application is made. For a single applicant studying outside Quebec under the standard study permit stream, the living-expense requirement is C$22,895, in addition to tuition and travel costs, according to the information provided. Under Canadian immigration rules, an officer cannot issue a study permit unless the foreign national meets the applicable requirements. The tougher financial assessment means applicants may now face greater scrutiny over not only how much money they have, but also where that money came from and whether it can support them during their studies.