Canada student visa 2026 for Indian students: study permit cap, PAL, funds, GIC, fees, processing time

Canada study permit cap 2026 and the PAL/TAL

Canada has capped study permits since 2024. IRCC's notice of 25 November 2025 sets the 2026 numbers:

The cap works through the provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL, or TAL in a territory). It confirms that the province has given you one of its spaces. You do not apply to the province yourself: canada.ca says to "contact your school (DLI) to find out how to apply for a PAL/TAL". Students going to Quebec usually need a Quebec acceptance certificate (CAQ) instead.

Who does not need a PAL/TAL in 2026:

• Master's and doctoral students in a degree programme at a public DLI, starting 1 January 2026.
• Preschool, primary and secondary school students (up to Grade 12).
• Some exchange students, Global Affairs Canada scholarship holders and certain people already in Canada, such as those extending at the same school and level.

So an Indian student going for a two-year diploma at an Ontario college, or a bachelor's degree, needs a PAL. A student starting a master's at a public university does not. A PAL for the 2026 cap year stays valid until 31 December 2026, unless it shows an earlier expiry date.

Canada study permit 2027: what has been announced

As of 20 October 2026, IRCC has not published a 2027 study permit cap or 2027 provincial allocations. The PAL page lists validity only for the 2025 and 2026 cap years.

What exists is the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan. Its supplementary page (dated 13 October 2026) lists 150,000 new students for 2027 and for 2028, down from 155,000 in 2026, with this footnote: "Notional targets and ranges for 2027 and 2028 will be confirmed or adjusted by November 1 of each year." If you plan a January or September 2027 start, watch canada.ca in November for the 2027 numbers and ask your school how it will issue 2027 PALs.

Canada study permit proof of funds and GIC amount

You must prove that you can pay, without working in Canada, for tuition, living costs and travel to and from Canada for you and any family coming with you. IRCC raised the living-cost amount for applications made on or after 1 September 2026:

These figures leave out tuition and travel, so a single student must show C$23,448 plus first-year tuition plus airfare. Quebec sets its own amounts; IRCC sends you to the Quebec immigration ministry for those.

Is a GIC compulsory for Indian students? No. The Student Direct Stream (SDS), which made a GIC a near-standard step for Indians, ended at 2 pm ET on 8 November 2024. Everyone now applies in the regular stream. IRCC lists "a guaranteed investment certificate from a Canadian financial institution" as one accepted proof, alongside others:

• receipts for first-year tuition and housing already paid
• an education loan from a bank
• scholarships or a Government of Canada funded programme
• bank statements for the past 6 months, a Canadian bank account
• letters from the people or institution supporting you, pay slips, pension or rental income papers

For a loan in India, see our PM Vidyalaxmi education loan guide, and for funding, our study abroad scholarships 2027-28 tracker.

Canada study permit fees and biometrics

From IRCC's official fee list (modified 21 September 2026):

• Study permit (including extensions): C$150 per person
• Biometrics: C$85 per person, or C$170 for a family of two or more applying together
• Open work permit for an eligible spouse: C$155 work permit fee plus the C$100 open work permit holder fee

Most applicants aged 14 to 79 give biometrics and have 30 days from the request letter to do it. You may also pay third parties for a medical exam if one applies to you. Applications must be made online through an IRCC account, whether you are outside or inside Canada.

Canada study permit processing time for India

The data file that feeds IRCC's official processing-times tool showed 7 weeks for a study permit from outside Canada for applicants in India, last updated 14 October 2026. IRCC updates this regularly and bases it on past applications, so it is a guide, not a promise. Check the official tool on the day you apply. The clock runs from when IRCC receives a complete application, so apply as soon as you have your letter of acceptance, PAL and funds proof.

Letter of acceptance verification

You upload the letter of acceptance (LOA) from your school in the LOA-specific space of the online form, and IRCC then asks your school to confirm it is valid. canada.ca says: "If your school does not respond by the deadline, we'll return your application and refund your processing fee." Before you apply, make sure your institution is a DLI and that the LOA details (name, programme, dates) match your passport and other papers.

Off-campus work hours on a study permit

Full-time post-secondary students with a study permit that allows off-campus work can work up to 24 hours a week during regular sessions and unlimited hours during scheduled breaks such as summer and winter holidays. You need a Social Insurance Number and must have started your programme. Part-time students may qualify only in their final semester under specific conditions.

PGWP rules: field of study and language

The post-graduation work permit (PGWP) is how most graduates stay to work. Current rules from IRCC:

• Field of study: "There are no field of study requirements for graduates with a bachelor's degree, master's degree or doctoral degree." Graduates of college, polytechnic and other non-degree programmes whose study permit application went in on or after 1 November 2024 must graduate in a field on IRCC's eligible list, which is tied to long-term job shortages.
• Language: CLB 7 in English (or NCLC 7 in French) in all four skills for university degrees; CLB 5 for college and other non-university programmes.
• Deadline and fee: apply within 180 days of graduating; the fee is C$255.

This matters for Indian students choosing between a college diploma and a degree: a diploma outside the eligible fields can leave you with no PGWP at all.

Can my spouse come with me on a study permit?

Your spouse or common-law partner can get an open work permit only if you are in one of these (rule in place since 21 January 2025):

• a master's degree programme of 16 months or longer
• a doctoral programme
• certain professional degrees at a university: medicine, dentistry, law, optometry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, nursing, education (BEd) and engineering (BEng)
• a few named pilot programmes

Spouses of students in most college diplomas, short master's degrees and other bachelor's programmes are not on the list. The spouse permit cannot run past your study permit.

Express Entry change from 3 November 2026

For graduates thinking about permanent residence, IRCC announced on 16 October 2026 that from 3 November 2026, Express Entry will give up to 100 points for a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation (100 at twice the median wage, 70 at 1.5 times, 50 at 1.3 times), and an LMIA will not be needed for such an offer. The release does not mention international students or study points. Our news report has the detail.

Comparing other countries

Rules are moving everywhere. See our UK student visa 2026 guide, the Australia student visa 2026 rules, study in Germany 2027 and New Zealand's post-study work change from 16 November.