Plan for four things: tuition, living costs, the one-off costs of the study permit and travel, and any deposits. The immigration minimum for living costs is not a full budget.
Your first year at a glance
- CAD 41,746average international undergraduate tuition a year (Statistics Canada, 2026)
- CAD 24,028average international graduate tuition a year (Statistics Canada, 2026)
- CAD 23,448living costs to show for the study permit: one person outside Quebec
- CAD 235study permit (CAD 150) and biometrics (CAD 85)
- Tuition at the national averageCAD 41,746 63.8%
- Living costs at the IRCC minimumCAD 23,448 35.8%
- Study permit and biometricsCAD 235 0.4%
Total for the first yearCAD 65,429
Use the tuition in your institution’s profile. In Vancouver and Toronto, rent alone can take most of the living-cost minimum; add flights, health insurance and the medical exam.
What to plan for
- TuitionCAD 41,746 a year
International tuition is set by each institution and programme: the profiles in this guide give the published fee and the year it applies to. As a guide, Statistics Canada’s 2026 averages are CAD 41,746 a year for international undergraduates and CAD 24,028 for international graduate students.
- Proof of funds for the study permitCAD 23,448
For applications made on or after 1 September 2026, one person studying outside Quebec must show CAD 23,448 for the first year’s living costs, on top of tuition and travel. Each family member who comes with you adds more (CAD 29,192 for two people, CAD 35,888 for three). IRCC updates these amounts every year.
- Realistic living budgetCAD 23,000 a year
EduCanada advises budgeting at least CAD 23,000 a year for living costs; rent in Vancouver and Toronto can take much of that. Use each university’s own cost estimate and plan for housing deposits and winter clothing.
- Study permit and biometricsCAD 150
The study permit fee is CAD 150 and biometrics CAD 85. A medical exam by an IRCC panel physician is required for students from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Romania who will stay more than six months; the clinic sets its own fee.
- Health insurance
Every province has its own rules: some universities enrol international students in a university plan, others in the provincial plan. The cost is shown in the profile where the institution publishes it.
- Deposits
Most institutions ask for a tuition deposit to confirm your place, and usually for part of the tuition before they request your attestation letter. Refund rules for a refused study permit are set by each institution: read them before you pay.
- Travel and arrival
Flights, the first month’s rent, transport passes and setting up a phone and bank account.
The proof of funds is not your budget
The CAD 23,448 figure is the legal minimum IRCC asks to see for one person’s first year of living costs outside Quebec. It does not include tuition or travel, and it is not what a year in a big city costs. Show the funds without relying on work in Canada: IRCC does not count future earnings.
- CAD 23,4481 person · a yearapplications on or after 1 September 2026
- CAD 29,1922 people · a year
- CAD 35,8883 people · a year
- CAD 43,5724 people · a year
Accepted proof, for example
- A tuition and housing receipt from the institution
- Six months of bank statements showing the source of funds
- A Canadian GIC
- An education loan
- A scholarship letter
- A sponsor letter with proof of income
Sources: IRCC proof of financial support (date modified 28 August 2026); IRCC fees (21 September 2026); IRCC medical exam country table (16 July 2026); EduCanada cost of studying (27 August 2026). Quebec sets its own amounts.