Canadian study permit (student visa) from Cameroon: $23,448 to prove since September 1, 2026
To get a study permit, you have to prove to IRCC that you can pay for your studies and your life in Canada without working there. The amount required changed on September 1, 2026. The rules below were checked on canada.ca on October 7, 2026, along with what they change for an application prepared from Douala or Yaoundé.
The amount to prove since September 1, 2026
For an application submitted since that date, outside Quebec, a single student must show CAN$23,448 for living expenses. From January 1, 2025 to August 31, 2026, it was CAN$22,895. If family members come with you, the amount rises: CAN$29,192 for two people, $35,888 for three, $43,572 for four. IRCC states that these amounts are updated every year.
They cover neither tuition nor travel. The total to prove therefore adds first-year tuition and living expenses, plus the return trip for you and for each family member who comes with you. If the program lasts more than a year, you must also explain how you will pay for the rest of your studies.
Quebec has its own rules. You need a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ), and the amounts are set by the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration.
The documents IRCC accepts as proof
The official list starts with what is already paid: your school's receipt for the first year of tuition and housing. Then come a student loan from a bank, a scholarship, recent pay stubs, and your bank statements for the past six months, up to the month you apply or the month before, whether the account is in Cameroon or in Canada.
IRCC also accepts a guaranteed investment certificate (GIC) from a Canadian financial institution, or a Canadian bank account in your name if you have transferred money to it. Income from a pension or a rental property counts too.
If someone else is paying, a parent, an uncle or a company, you need two documents: a letter from that person or organization, and proof of your relationship with them. A statement in an uncle's name, with no letter and no proof of the relationship, leaves a question unanswered in your file.
The rest of the application
The letter of acceptance comes from the school that admits you, a designated learning institution (DLI). In most cases, you also need an attestation letter from the province or territory where you will study. It confirms there is space for you. Your school tells you how to get it, and IRCC asks you to include it with your application, not to send it afterwards.
Since January 1, 2026, this letter is no longer required for a master's or doctoral degree at a public institution. It is not required for primary or secondary school either.
Add a copy of your valid passport and two recent photos. Finally, IRCC recommends a letter of explanation. It says why you want to study in Canada, and shows that you understand your responsibilities as an international student.
Fees, biometrics and medical exam
The study permit costs CAN$150. Biometrics cost CAN$85 per person, capped at CAN$170 for a family.
Cameroon is one of the countries for which IRCC requires a medical exam when you come to Canada for more than six months after living in one of these countries for six months in a row during the previous year. A program longer than six months, when you live in Cameroon, falls into this case. The price and the steps of the exam in Cameroon are explained here: /en/article/visite-medicale-immigration-canada-cameroun-prix-oim
The addresses for the medical exam and biometrics, and what to bring, are in our Addresses tab: /en/check-list.html#adresses
Working while you study
An eligible student can work off campus up to 24 hours a week during classes, and without limit during the breaks set in the school's calendar. To do so, you must study full time in a program of at least six months leading to a degree, diploma or certificate, and have a social insurance number. That future pay does not replace proof of funds: IRCC requires that you can pay without working in Canada.
If you have already been refused
Since July 29, 2025, a study permit refusal comes with the officer's note explaining the decision. Read it before you resubmit anything. We explain how to read it, and when to reapply: /en/article/visa-canadien-refuse-note-agent-redemander
To find out whether studying is the right door in your situation, our assessment is free: /en/evaluation.html