Study in Canada / Visa Roadmap
Canada Study Permit: DLI First, Then Apply Before You Travel
IRCC study permit 2026: DLI letter, $CAN 150 fee, $22,895 living (1 person, from 1 Sep 2025), apply before you travel. Confirm on Canada.ca. Not legal advice.
Updated 2026-08-27 · 1,323 words · Zinjet editorial
Quick Summary Matrix
| Item | IRCC (retrieved 27 August 2026) |
|---|---|
| Permit fee | $CAN 150 |
| When to apply | Before you travel |
| School letter | Must be a DLI or IRCC refuses |
| Living funds (1 person, except Quebec) | CAN$22,895 / first year if you apply on or after 1 Sep 2025 (excludes tuition and transport) |
| What funds must cover | First-year tuition + living + travel to/from Canada |
| Programs > 1 year | Show year 1 and explain how you will pay the rest |
| Processing | Varies by country |
| Federal health cover | None for foreign students |
| 2026 issuance target | Up to 408,000 permits (see cap guide) |
Zinjet is not IRCC. Confirm every figure on Canada.ca.
After study: Canada PGWP. From Nigeria: Study in Canada from Nigeria.
What a study permit is
IRCC issues a study permit so foreign nationals can study at designated learning institutions (DLIs). Most foreign nationals need one. Exceptions live on Canada.ca — do not invent them from a WhatsApp list.
IRCC instruction: apply before you travel to Canada. Have the documents ready before you apply.
Step-by-step
1. Choose a programme and a DLI
Each province and territory runs its own education system. IRCC’s prepare page points to EduCanada, Universities Canada, and Colleges and Institutes Canada for school research.
- Primary/secondary (to grade 12): all Canadian primary and secondary schools are DLIs.
- Post-secondary: colleges, universities, private career colleges, vocational schools. Must appear on the official DLI list if you need a permit.
- Private career colleges: provinces do not always regulate them. IRCC: make sure the school meets provincial requirements and is on the DLI list.
- Language schools: many teach English or French as a second language; still check DLI if you need a permit.
IRCC suggests applying to the school at least six months ahead (primary/secondary) or a year ahead (post-secondary). Those are school windows, not permit processing times.
Browse Canada programmes. Blanks stay blank when the school did not list tuition.
2. Get a letter of acceptance
Every school has its own application rules, language tests, and fees. If they admit you, they send a letter of acceptance. You need that letter for the permit.
If admission is conditional, IRCC document checklists say you must show you can meet the conditions.
3. PAL / TAL if your cohort needs one
The 2026 cap splits PAL/TAL-required seats from exempt seats (master’s/PhD at public DLIs, K–12, and other exempt groups). Full tables: 2026 study permit cap. Ask the school whether your intake needs a provincial or territorial attestation letter. Zinjet does not sell quota.
4. Prove financial support
IRCC proof of financial support: you must prove you can pay, without working in Canada, for:
- tuition for the course or programme
- living expenses for yourself and accompanying family
- transport to and from Canada
You must show enough for the first year. For programmes longer than a year, you must also tell IRCC how you plan to pay the rest (for example a multi-year scholarship, or proof parents are employed).
Living-expense table (IRCC) — apply on or after 1 September 2025, all provinces except Quebec (excludes tuition and transportation):
| Family members (including you) | Amount per year (CAN$) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 22,895 |
| 2 | 28,502 |
| 3 | 35,040 |
| 4 | 42,543 |
| 5 | 48,252 |
| 6 | 54,420 |
| 7 | 60,589 |
| Each additional person | 6,170 |
Quebec uses a different table on the same IRCC page. If you apply before 1 September 2025, IRCC lists lower amounts (1 person CAN$20,635). Most 2026 applicants are in the $22,895 row.
These amounts are updated each year. Re-open the IRCC page before you lock a GIC or statement.
5. File the permit, then travel
Pay the $CAN 150 fee listed on the study-permit landing page. Biometrics may be extra. Processing varies by country. Do not buy a non-refundable ticket on a guess.
Health insurance
The Government of Canada does not pay medical costs for foreign students. Coverage depends on the province. Ask the school. Budget it as a real cost even though it is not in the $22,895 living row.
Documents officers actually open
IRCC and visa-office checklists vary by country, but the core is stable:
- Passport bio page
- Letter of acceptance from a DLI
- PAL/TAL if required
- Proof of funds (tuition + living + travel) with a clear source
- Explanation of how later years will be paid if the programme is longer than one year
- Language test if the school required one (school rule, then you upload it)
- Biometrics when IRCC asks
Officers assess amount and source. A one-day lump sum with no story is weaker than a documented parental salary plus a GIC. Zinjet does not write your letter of explanation for a fee on this page — get started if you want a counsellor.
Refusal risks
- Acceptance letter not from a DLI.
- Missing PAL/TAL when your cohort requires it.
- Living funds below the IRCC table, or tuition missing.
- Cannot explain source of funds.
- Applying after you already travelled, when IRCC said apply before travel.
- Conditional offer with unmet conditions.
- Assuming PGWP is automatic because the school is a DLI (it is not — see PGWP).
Real-world scenarios
One person, two-year college diploma, Ontario, 2026
Show first-year tuition + $22,895 living + travel, and a written plan for year 2. Ask the college about PAL. Check the DLI list and whether that programme is PGWP-eligible before you pay a large deposit.
Master’s at a public university
IRCC’s 2026 national table lists master’s and doctoral students at public DLIs as PAL/TAL-exempt (49,000 of the 408,000). Still need a DLI letter, funds, and the $150 fee. Confirm exemption on the live notice.
Family of three accompanying
Use the IRCC row for 3 people ($35,040 living, except Quebec) plus tuition plus travel. Dependants have their own permit/visa products.
Checklists
School stage
- School on the DLI list
- Programme length and PGWP flag checked (school + IRCC list)
- PAL/TAL question asked in writing
Permit stage
- Letter of acceptance in hand
- Funds = tuition + IRCC living table + travel
- Plan for years after year 1
- $CAN 150 (+ biometrics if required)
- Apply before travel
- Processing time checked for your country
Worked funds example (one person, not Quebec, apply after 1 Sep 2025)
IRCC living row: CAN$22,895.
If first-year tuition on the letter is CAN$20,000 and a return ticket is CAN$2,000, the first-year show is about:
20,000 + 22,895 + 2,000 = CAN$44,895
plus any school health-insurance invoice the college requires.
For a two-year diploma you still show year 1 in full and explain year 2 (parent employment, remaining savings, scholarship award letter). IRCC’s operational guidance (24 July 2026 update) tells officers to look at availability and source, not only a screenshot of one balance.
Do not use the old $20,635 row if you are applying in 2026 after 1 September 2025.
Quebec
IRCC publishes a separate living table for Quebec on the same financial-support page. If your DLI is in Quebec, use that table. Do not mix Ontario numbers into a Montréal file.
Biometrics and country processing
IRCC processing times vary by country. Open Nigeria (or wherever you are) the week you file. Biometrics, if requested, are at a VAC. The $150 permit fee is not the only money that leaves the account.
IRCC also runs special programmes (for example doctoral faster processing, Francophone pilots) with different financial or PAL rules. If you are not in that pilot, do not borrow its numbers.
How Zinjet fits
We list partner programmes in Canada and show PGWP flags when the school listed them. Get started or contact.
Related resources
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a study permit to study in Canada?
IRCC says a study permit allows foreign nationals to study at designated learning institutions (DLIs). Most foreign nationals need a study permit. Check Canada.ca for exceptions.
How much is the Canada study permit fee?
The IRCC study permit landing page lists the fee as $CAN 150. Confirm the current fee on Canada.ca before you pay. Biometrics and other fees can be extra.
How much money do I need besides tuition?
IRCC’s financial-support page says if you apply on or after 1 September 2025, one person (all provinces except Quebec) must show CAN$22,895 for living expenses for the first year, excluding tuition and transport. Family amounts are higher. Quebec has a different table. Confirm on Canada.ca.
When should I apply?
IRCC says you should apply before you travel to Canada, with a letter of acceptance from a DLI. Processing times vary by country.
What if my school is not a DLI?
IRCC says if you need a study permit and your acceptance letter is not from a designated learning institution, the application will be refused.
Do I need a PAL or TAL?
Many PAL/TAL-required cohorts are inside the 2026 cap. Master’s and doctoral students at public DLIs are listed as PAL/TAL-exempt in IRCC’s 2026 national table. Ask the school which box you are in, then read the cap notice.
Does Canada pay my medical costs?
No. IRCC says the Government of Canada does not pay medical costs for foreign students. Coverage depends on the province. Ask the school.
Not legal advice. Immigration rules change. Confirm every figure on the official government page before you submit. Official Canada student visa guidance