What changed
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada raised the financial requirement for study permit applicants on 1 September 2026. A single applicant studying outside Quebec must now show CAD 23,448 for living expenses for the first year, up from CAD 22,895 for applications made between 1 January 2025 and 31 August 2026 — an increase of CAD 553. IRCC adjusts the figure every 1 September in line with Statistics Canada's Low-Income Cut-Off, so it moves annually rather than occasionally.
What it means for students
The number that binds you is the one in force on the day you apply, not the one you started saving against. The gap between the two figures is small enough to be easy to miss and large enough to fail an application, so if you assembled your funds earlier in the year, top the balance up before submitting.
The CAD 23,448 covers living costs only — first-year tuition and return travel are evidenced separately and sit on top of it. It is also the amount for a single applicant outside Quebec: bringing family members raises it, and Quebec sets its own requirement.