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Study in Canada · Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada rules
How do you apply for a Canadian study permit from Bangladesh?
You apply online, before you travel: most foreign nationals need a study permit to study in Canada, and the application must include a letter of acceptance plus — in most cases — a provincial attestation letter (PAL) from your school. If you apply on or after 1 September 2026, you must show living-expense funds of CAD $23,448 for a single applicant, on top of tuition and transportation.
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Most foreign nationals studying in Canada
CAD 150
CAD 85 (family maximum CAD 170)
CAD $23,448 for one applicant — applications on or after 1 September 2026
Tuition fees, and transportation to and from Canada
Online, before you travel to Canada
Do Bangladeshi applicants need a study permit?
Most foreign nationals need a study permit to study in Canada. Canada issues the permit as a document that allows a foreign national to study at a designated learning institution (DLI).
You should apply before you travel to Canada. Applying online is required whether you are outside Canada or already in Canada; a paper application is only available in narrow cases — if you have a disability that prevents you from applying online, or if you hold an identity or travel document for non-national residents, refugees or stateless persons.
What it costs
Study permit processing
CAD 150
Biometrics — individual applicant
CAD 85
Biometrics — families applying at the same time
Maximum CAD 170
Biometrics are for applicants between 14 and 79 years old. You normally need to give biometrics only once every 10 years.
There are also third-party costs that Canada does not collect and that you pay directly to the provider: medical exams, police certificates, language testing, and services at a visa application centre if you use one.
How much you must show for living expenses
These amounts are the living-expense figures Canada requires for the first year of your programme. They do not include tuition fees or transportation.
Applications on or after 1 September 2026, all provinces and territories except Quebec:
Canada states that these amounts are updated each year, so check the current figure before you apply.
1
CAD $23,448
2
CAD $29,192
3
CAD $35,888
4
CAD $43,572
5
CAD $49,419
6
CAD $55,736
7
CAD $62,054
Each additional member beyond 7
CAD $6,318
What “proof of funds” actually means. You must prove you have enough money, without working in Canada, to pay for tuition fees, living expenses for yourself and any family members coming with you, and transportation to and from Canada for all of you. You must show you have enough financial resources for the first year of your studies, and for programmes longer than a year you must also tell Canada how you plan to pay for the full duration.
Canada assesses both the amount you hold and its source, then confirms the funds are available to you throughout your studies. Bank statements are asked for the past 6 months, including the month you submitted your application or the month prior, and must include documentation showing the source of the income in them.
Quebec is different. To obtain a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) and study in Quebec, applicants must show they can cover the costs set by Quebec's Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration, not the table above.
Documents Canada gives as examples include a receipt for the first year of tuition and housing fees from your DLI, proof of a student or education loan from a bank, proof of a scholarship, pay stubs from recent employment, a letter from the person or institution supporting you, proof of your relationship to that person and a copy of their identification, a guaranteed investment certificate from a Canadian financial institution, pension documents, or rental income.
The provincial attestation letter (PAL)
The provincial attestation letter, or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL), is a letter from the province or territory where you plan to study confirming there is space for you. It is provided by the designated learning institution you plan to attend, and it is usually required to apply for a study permit. The province or territory issues it, not Canada's federal immigration department, and in most cases you must accept your offer and pay your tuition fees, in part or in full, to get one.
Submit it with your study permit application, not after, and for each study permit applicant even when you apply as a family. It is linked to the school you are applying to, and in most cases must be used during the year it was issued — a PAL/TAL issued during a previous study permit cap year cannot be used. It needs to be valid when you apply, not when you start studying. You can reapply with the same PAL/TAL only if it is still valid and your previous application was withdrawn before a decision or was not accepted for processing; you cannot reapply with the same PAL/TAL if your application was approved or refused.
You do not need a PAL/TAL if, for example, you are studying at preschool, primary or secondary school up to grade 12; you are in a degree-granting master's or doctoral programme at a public DLI starting 1 January 2026; you are at a school in the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot with a letter of acceptance identifying you as an FMCSP applicant; you are at a federally designated military college; you are an exchange student who does not pay tuition to the DLI; you received a scholarship from Global Affairs Canada; or you have already entered Canada and are extending a study permit at the same DLI and level of study. If you rely on an exception, you must provide proof of it with your application. In Quebec you need an attestation of issuance of your CAQ instead, issued by the Government of Quebec.
The full document list Canada publishes
Letter of acceptance from your DLI
Always required
Provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) — or CAQ for Quebec
Needed in most cases
Proof of identity: passport information page, plus 2 recent passport-size photos with the name and date of birth written on the back
Always required
Proof of funds
Always required
Letter of explanation — why you want to study in Canada and that you understand your responsibilities
Recommended
Medical exam
Check if needed
Police certificate
Check if needed
Proof of care (custodian) for minor children under 17 not coming with a parent or guardian
Check if needed
Country-specific documents from your local visa office
Check if needed
On the letter of acceptance: your school is asked to validate it. If your school does not respond by the deadline, Canada returns your application and refunds the processing fee. You must attach your letter of acceptance only in the LOA-specific upload space — attaching other documents there gives Canada your consent to disclose them to your school.
On the medical exam: you may need one if you plan to stay in Canada for more than 6 months, if you recently spent time in certain countries, or if you plan to work in certain jobs where public health must be protected.
The country-specific list matters and is not published as a static list — Canada directs you to select your country in the online application tool to generate your personalised checklist.
How biometrics work
You probably need to give your fingerprints and photo if you are between 14 and 79 years old. Pay the biometrics fee when you submit your application, otherwise you may experience delays. Give biometrics as soon as you get the letter telling you to do so — you have 30 days from the date on the letter.
The visa or eTA comes with the permit
If you need a visa or an electronic travel authorisation (eTA), Canada issues it automatically at the same time as your study permit. You do not apply separately and you do not pay another fee for it.
How the application runs, step by step
1. Get your documents ready — letter of acceptance, PAL/TAL, proof of funds and the rest of the published list.
2. Apply online. You will need a scanner or camera to make electronic copies, and a valid credit or debit card.
3. Pay your fees, including the biometrics fee, at the end of the application.
4. Give your biometrics within 30 days of the letter instructing you to.
5. Canada processes the application and contacts you if it needs more information.
6. Canada makes a decision. If you are approved, you are issued your documents and you travel to Canada with them.
If your application is refused, Canada sends you a letter telling you why.
What this page does not cover
• Processing time. Canada publishes a country-specific processing-time tool rather than a fixed number, so no figure is printed here.
• Your country-specific document list. Canada generates this from your answers in the online tool; it is not a static published list.
• Total cost of studying. Tuition varies by institution and programme, and this page covers only the fees Canada charges and the funds you must demonstrate.
• Whether the foreign-exchange-control rule applies to Bangladeshi applicants. Canada states that if your country uses foreign exchange controls, you must prove you will be allowed to export funds for all your expenses. The source does not name the countries affected, so this page states the rule as written and does not claim it applies to you.
Questions people ask
How much bank balance do I need for a Canadian study permit?
For applications on or after 1 September 2026, a single applicant must show CAD $23,448 for living expenses, and that excludes tuition and transportation. You must also show tuition for the first year and explain how you will pay for the rest of the programme. Canada also looks at the source of the funds, and asks for bank statements covering the past 6 months.
Do I need a provincial attestation letter?
In most cases, yes — it is provided by your school and issued by the province or territory. You do not need one if, for example, you are in a degree-granting master's or doctoral programme at a public DLI starting 1 January 2026, or you are studying at secondary level or below. If you rely on an exception, you must prove it with your application.
Do I need a police certificate for a Canadian study permit?
Canada says it may ask for one in some cases, and advises applying for one as early as possible if you think you might need it. It is not automatically required.
Do I need a medical exam?
Possibly. You may need one if you plan to stay in Canada more than 6 months, if you recently spent time in certain countries, or if you plan to work in certain jobs where public health must be protected.
Can I apply on paper instead of online?
Only in narrow cases: if you have a disability that prevents you from applying online, or if you hold an identity or travel document for non-national residents, refugees or stateless persons. If you are outside Canada, applying online is required.
Is the visa a separate application from the study permit?
No. If you need a visa or an eTA, Canada issues it automatically with your study permit, and you do not pay another fee for it.
Where these figures come from
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Government of Canada: “Study permit” (modified 24 April 2026); “Study permit: get the right documents” (modified 6 October 2026); “Study permit: how to apply” (modified 2 September 2026); “Proof of financial support” (modified 28 August 2026); “Provincial attestation letter or territorial attestation letter” (modified 2 September 2026). All retrieved 10 October 2026.
Method: every figure on this page is quoted from the Government of Canada pages listed and read on the date shown. Where Canada does not publish a fixed figure, none has been printed, and the page says so rather than estimating. Fee amounts and the annual living-expense figures change — confirm them at the source before you pay. Reviewed by the AGB editorial desk.
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