Families almost always underestimate the cost of a Canadian study visa — not because tuition is a surprise, but because a dozen smaller costs are never mentioned upfront. Here is the full itemised picture for 2026, separating what you spend from what you get back.
The government fees — what you actually pay IRCC
- ✓Study permit application: CAD 150 per applicant
- ✓Biometrics: CAD 85 per person — mandatory for Indian nationals aged 14 to 79
- ✓Minimum government total: CAD 235
These are non-refundable. If your application is refused, this money is gone, which is one more reason not to file a weak application 'just to try'.
The costs nobody mentions
- ✓VAC service charge — roughly CAD 30 to 100. Paid to VFS Global, not IRCC.
- ✓Medical examination with an IRCC panel physician in India — budget a few thousand rupees, more with dependants.
- ✓English test fee for IELTS or PTE, plus a retake if needed.
- ✓Courier, photographs, photocopies and document attestation — small individually, noticeable together.
- ✓Translation or notarisation of documents where required.
Realistically, budget CAD 500 to 800 in total to cover everything around the application itself, before tuition and living costs.
Where you give biometrics in Punjab
VFS Global operates Canada Visa Application Centres across India, including Chandigarh and Jalandhar — which is convenient for most Ludhiana applicants. Others include New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune and Kochi. Book the appointment as soon as your biometrics instruction letter arrives; slots at the Punjab centres fill quickly around peak intakes.
The big numbers: what you must show, not spend
This is the distinction that confuses families most. The CAD 22,895 living-cost requirement is not a fee. It is your own money, and if you use a GIC it comes back to you in instalments after you land. Quebec requires CAD 24,617 for applications from 1 January 2026.
Tuition is a genuine cost, and many students pay the first year upfront. That is no longer required now that SDS has ended, but it strengthens the file and is generally refundable by the institution if the visa is refused — confirm that policy in writing before paying.
A realistic first-year total from Ludhiana
Adding it together for a typical college or university programme: application and process costs, first-year tuition, the living-cost requirement, flights, and initial settling-in expenses. Most families should plan for a first-year outlay in the region of ₹25–40 lakh, with the exact figure driven mainly by tuition.
Remember the living-cost portion largely returns to you as you live on it. What is genuinely spent is tuition, government fees, travel and process costs. Our cost estimator will break this down against your specific course.
Costs after you arrive
- ✓Accommodation deposit, usually one to two months upfront
- ✓Health insurance where your province does not cover you immediately
- ✓Phone, transit pass and basic setup in the first month
- ✓A buffer — the GIC releases about CAD 2,000 on arrival with the rest paid monthly, so you will not have the full amount available on day one
What to avoid
- ✓Paying an agent in cash without a receipt or written fee breakup
- ✓Assuming the GIC covers tuition — it does not
- ✓Forgetting year two entirely when planning the budget
- ✓Filing an application you know is weak, and losing CAD 235 plus the intake
If you want a written, itemised estimate for your specific course and city before committing, ask us — the first assessment is free and we will put the numbers in writing.
Refundable versus non-refundable — know the difference
Sort every rupee into one of three buckets before you commit:
- ✓Gone regardless: study permit fee, biometrics, VAC charge, medical, English test, courier
- ✓Returned to you: the GIC or living-cost funds, which you live on after landing
- ✓Conditionally refundable: tuition deposits — refundable on visa refusal at most institutions, but only if their written policy says so. Get it in writing before paying.
Where families get caught out
The two most common surprises are the second year and the dependant. Programmes longer than a year need year-two tuition and living costs planned from the outset, and officers increasingly ask about it. And if a spouse is accompanying you, both the funds requirement and the process costs rise — this is not a small adjustment.
If you are comparing countries on cost
Canada is not automatically the cheapest option any more once the living-cost requirement and rising tuition are counted. A one-year UK master's finishes in half the time, which can make the total outlay lower even where annual tuition looks higher. Run both before deciding — our country-by-country cost guide sets out the comparison, and our destinations page lists current partner institutions.
Paying safely
- ✓Pay tuition directly to the institution, never into a personal account
- ✓Use formal banking channels under LRS and keep the A2 form and remittance receipt
- ✓Insist on a receipt for every rupee paid to a consultant
- ✓Never pay anyone to 'arrange' or 'guarantee' an approval — that offer is either a scam or a fraud you would be party to