Two rules changed, and both affect your IELTS
Most guides written about studying in Canada are out of date on the two points that matter most, and both of them are IELTS points.
The Student Direct Stream closed on 8 November 2024. It was the faster-processing study permit stream, and it required a Guaranteed Investment Certificate rather than a bank statement. If your plan involves a GIC in a "study visa" or "fast track", you are working from a closed programme. Every study permit now goes through the regular stream.
The post-graduation work permit changed on 1 November 2024. Most applicants now have to prove their language results when they apply. That requirement was added after the change, and it sits directly on top of the IELTS score you already have — the same test score now governs your study permit, your work permit and, eventually, your immigration application.
Proof of funds: what the current table says
You must show you can support yourself without working in Canada, for the first year of study. The living-expense table excludes tuition and travel, and IRCC revises it annually, so the figures below are a snapshot rather than something to plan against permanently.
For applications on or after 1 September 2026, outside Quebec:
| Family members, including you | Living expenses per year (CAD) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $23,448 |
| 2 | $29,192 |
| 3 | $35,888 |
| 4 | $43,572 |
| 5 | $49,419 |
| each additional | $6,318 |
Applications submitted between 1 January 2025 and 31 August 2026 are assessed against the previous table, which started at $22,895 for a single applicant. Officers apply the table in force on the date you apply, so the date matters.
Quebec sets its own amounts through its own immigration ministry, and the federal table does not apply there.
On top of the living-expense figure you need proof of first-year tuition and housing paid, and the usual financial evidence: bank statements for the past six months, a student or education loan letter, or a scholarship letter. If the scholarship covers only tuition, you still need to show living expenses separately.
A GIC is still accepted as one form of proof, which is worth knowing since SDS is gone. It is not mandatory for a regular study permit, and it does not restore faster processing.
Which IELTS, and what score
Study permits take IELTS Academic. General Training is for migration routes, and booking the wrong one means rebooking.
The score is set by the university, not by the immigration system, and it varies more than most candidates expect. Broadly: foundation programmes sit lower, undergraduate courses commonly ask around 6.0 to 6.5 overall, postgraduate taught courses commonly ask 6.5 to 7.0, and the more competitive faculties ask more. Most also set a floor on individual components.
Two things to hold onto. Check the specific programme, not the university's general page, because requirements differ within an institution. And check them again the year you intend to apply, because these figures are adjusted and the ones you read today may not be the ones assessed.
A useful margin: aim a little above the stated requirement, because institutions accept from a recognised test report with a validity window, and a score at exactly the minimum leaves no room if your real test is a day below it.
The post-graduation work permit, correctly
This is where the old advice is furthest off, and it is the part that affects your IELTS plan most directly.
As of 1 November 2024, most PGWP applicants must provide proof of language results when they apply. Applicants who applied before that date, and flight school graduates, are exempt from the new requirement.
Graduating from a designated institution does not by itself make you eligible. The institution's programme has to be on the eligible list, which is checked rather than assumed.
How long you get depends on the programme:
| Programme length | PGWP |
|---|---|
| 8 months or more, under 2 years | Up to the same length as the programme |
| 2 years or more | 3 years |
| Master's of at least 8 months (900 hours in Quebec) | 3 years, even if under 2 years |
The master's rule does not apply to certificate or diploma programmes. If you completed more than one programme, the permits can be combined, but each programme must itself be eligible and at least 8 months, and where one programme has a higher language requirement you must meet that higher one. You also cannot get a second PGWP for a later programme.
Your passport's validity caps the permit length, which surprises people who book a three-year permit and hold a two-year passport.
Why the language requirement matters more than it looks
Three points.
The test you sat may not be the test they need. Some PGWP routes require an approved test with a particular format, and IELTS for immigration or a specified test type may be required rather than the standard certificate you used for university. Check before booking, not after.
It is a second use of the same score. Planning for one IELTS and then needing a second one for the work permit is avoidable, and it is avoided by checking which test the route accepts.
Higher levels give longer permits. Several eligibility tiers depend on language level, so a higher score can affect the length of the permit and therefore your time in Canada. That makes language a factor in immigration outcomes, not just in admission.
What has not changed, and is often overestimated
The order of operations is stable: find programmes, check the English requirement for each, take the test once, apply and receive offers, accept an offer, then apply for the study permit. You need an offer before you can apply for the permit, and the offer needs your score — which is why doing the test after accepting an offer costs you weeks at the worst point.
How long a decision takes is not something anyone can tell you reliably. It varies with the country, the intake and the workload, and any timeline quoted to you is an estimate rather than a commitment.
Planning your IELTS for this route
- Take IELTS Academic. Migration routes want General Training; study does not.
- Check the programme's own requirement, including component floors, and check the year you plan to apply.
- Aim slightly above the stated figure, because the minimum leaves no margin.
- Check which test the PGWP route accepts before you book, so you are not sitting it twice.
- Revisit the funding figures near the time you apply, because IRCC changes them annually.
Migration rules change with little notice — SDS closing and the PGWP language requirement are both recent examples. Treat any figure you read, including the ones here, as a snapshot to confirm on the official pages.
For the immigration side rather than the study side, see how IELTS converts to CRS points. And if you would rather not work out the weakest skill alone, that is what a diagnostic is for — Step Ahead Institute works through it with you in Yamunanagar.
🎯 Practice What You Learned
Put these tips into action with our student practice portals:
Both portals are available for enrolled students — login required. Daily practice is what actually moves a score, so use them as often as you can and keep track of your own mock results.
📍 Visit Step Ahead Institute
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