IRCC's annual cost-of-living update for study permits takes effect September 1, 2026: a single applicant outside Quebec must now show $23,448, up from $22,895 — verified directly against IRCC's live proof-of-funds page.
IRCC's annual cost-of-living adjustment for study permits takes effect September 1, 2026. A single applicant applying to study anywhere in Canada except Quebec must now show $23,448 in living-expense funds — up $553 from the $22,895 that has applied since September 1, 2025. This is the third increase since the flat $10,000 requirement was replaced in January 2024, and IRCC's own live page already shows both tables side by side, confirming the new figure directly rather than through a third party.
The Full Table, Old and New
This amount is the living-expense component only — it does not include tuition or transportation, which must be shown separately. Here is the complete family-size table, verified directly against IRCC's page:
- 1 person: $23,448 (was $22,895)
- 2 people: $29,192 (was $28,502)
- 3 people: $35,888 (was $35,040)
- 4 people: $43,572 (was $42,543)
- 5 people: $49,419 (was $48,252)
- 6 people: $55,736 (was $54,420)
- 7 people: $62,054 (was $60,589)
- Each additional family member beyond 7: +$6,318 (was +$6,170)
Which Applications This Affects
The cutoff is your application's submission date, not your intended start date or when a decision is made. If you submit on or after September 1, 2026, the new $23,448 table applies. If you submitted before that date, IRCC assesses your file against the table that was in force when you applied — $22,895 for a single applicant — even if your file is still being processed after September 1. This distinction matters for timing: if you are close to having your documentation ready, there is no benefit to waiting past September 1, and applicants who can genuinely submit before the cutoff lock in the lower figure.
Quebec is not affected by this change. Quebec runs its own, separate financial-capacity test through the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI) as part of the Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) process, on its own schedule — currently $24,617 for a single applicant, unchanged by this federal update.
A Pattern Worth Planning Around
This is not a one-time jump. The rest-of-Canada figure has now moved three times in under three years — $10,000 flat until January 2024, then $20,635, then $22,895, and now $23,448 — a cumulative increase of more than 134% since the old flat rate. IRCC ties this to Statistics Canada's low-income cut-off (LICO) and recalculates it every September 1, with no indication the annual adjustments will stop. If your study plans are more than a few months out, budget for the number to be higher again by the time you actually apply.
Getting the proof-of-funds package right the first time is almost always cheaper and faster than recovering from a refusal — section 220 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations gives officers no discretion once funds are found insufficient. If you want a second set of eyes on your financial documentation before you submit, we review these files every week.
