CHANDIGARH: Indian students planning to study in Canadian educational institutions will now need to show more money for living expenses when submitting their applications. This leaves fewer options, especially for those from India who want to study or settle in the country.
Only 22,405 international students arrived during the first six months of this year, tracking well below the full-year target of 155,000 new international students. Thus, colleges in Ontario are suspending programmes, while universities and student groups are pushing Ottawa to issue more study permits.
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), a single student applying to study in any Canadian province or territory except Quebec must now show CAD 23,448 for one year of living expenses. This is up from the earlier CAD 22,895, which was applicable to study permit applications submitted between January 1, 2025, and August 31, 2026, meaning the requirement for a single student has increased by CAD 553. Besides this amount, tuition fees and transportation costs will be separate.
Announcing the change, IRCC said it updates the financial requirements every year to keep pace with the cost of living and help protect international students from exploitation.
On September 1, IRCC held a Canadian Experience Class Express Entry draw and invited 2,000 people who already have Canadian work experience. The score needed was 521 points. Regulated Canadian immigration consultant Jugraj Randhawa posted on X about the draw, “September 1, 2026 Express Entry CEC Draw: 2,000 ITAs at CRS 521.”
Another consultant, Parun Upneja, also shared the details on X, saying the cut-off was 521 and advising people close to the score to check their profiles carefully.
The Canadian government plan for 2026-2028 is to limit new temporary residents to 385,000 this year. Only 155,000 of these can be new international students.
IRCC says the aim is to bring the total number of temporary residents below 5 per cent of Canada’s population by the end of 2027.
For students travelling with family members, the required amount is higher. For two family members, including the applicant, the annual living expense requirement is CAD 29,192. For three family members, it is CAD 35,888, while four family members must show CAD 43,572.
IRCC states that applicants must prove that they have enough money to cover their tuition fees, living expenses and transportation costs for themselves and accompanying family members. Students must demonstrate that they have sufficient financial resources for the first year of their studies. If the programme lasts longer than one year, they must also explain how they plan to pay for the full duration of their studies.
“Applicants can use documents such as bank statements, proof of an education loan, scholarship documents, proof of tuition or housing payments and employment-related financial records,” says IRCC, and it will assess both the amount of funds available and their source.
Since the temporary cap was issued, Ontario colleges have been hit the hardest, with hundreds of programmes suspended and thousands of job losses. Centennial College has had a total of 61 programmes suspended between the two years, 54 in 2025 and an additional seven this year.
Meanwhile, Fanshawe initially announced 40 programme suspensions last year, followed by another 10 later that year and nine additional suspensions announced this year in March. Meanwhile, Algonquin College approved the suspension or cancellation of another 30 programmes.
On the other hand, the Canadian government has planned a special one-time programme to give permanent residency to up to 33,000 temporary workers in 2026 and 2027. These are people who already have jobs, pay taxes and are living in communities that need workers.