Requirements to Study in Canada for Indian Students (2026-27): IELTS, Funds & PAL

  • Last Updated on: October 7, 2026 by
  • Mavya Kunapareddy
Requirements to Study in Canada for Indian Students
Requirements to Study in Canada for Indian Students

To study in Canada as an Indian student in 2026-27, you need an offer from a designated learning institution (DLI) and the marks and English score it sets. A DLI is a school the Canadian government approves for international students; only its offer counts for a permit. You also need CAD 23,448 in living funds on top of tuition, a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) unless you’re exempt, and a study permit. Most families checking the requirements to study in Canada for Indian students want one answer: does your board, degree or IELTS band clear the bar? The five-profile table below answers that, and the English table covers 11 named schools.

Written by
Mavya Kunapareddy
Country Head-Canada
Canada head with 6 years of experience and guided over 600 students
89% Visa Success Rate
Reviewed by
Sridhar Kongara
Managing Director
Mr. Kongara Sridhar, Director of AOEC India, has over 12 years of experience in overseas education consulting, admissions, and student visa guidance.
Over 12 years Experience

Key Takeaways

  • Your institution sets the marks and English score; Canada sets the permit rules.
  • For applications from 1 September 2026, one student outside Quebec shows CAD 23,448 (approx. INR 15.84 lakh) for living costs, on top of tuition and travel.
  • Six of seven listed universities ask IELTS Academic 6.5; college diplomas ask 6.0.
  • Toronto and York need a master’s on top of a three-year Indian degree; UBC may accept First Class if your degree-awarding institution is rated A by NAAC, India’s college-grading body.
  • From 1 January 2026, a master’s or PhD at a public university needs no PAL; graduate certificates still do.
  • The permit fee is CAD 150 (approx. INR 10,131), plus CAD 85 (approx. INR 5,741) for biometrics.
Table of Contents
Canada Study Requirements by Applicant Profile (2026-27) Scroll here ↓ Academic Requirements for Indian Students: Class 12 and Bachelor’s Marks Scroll here ↓ English Test Requirements to Study in Canada by Institution Scroll here ↓ Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL/TAL): Who Needs One in 2026 Scroll here ↓ Financial and Permit Conditions for an Indian Application Scroll here ↓ Frequently Asked Questions Scroll here ↓

Canada Study Requirements by Applicant Profile (2026-27)

Two sets of rules decide a Canada study application. The college or university sets the marks and English score. For 2026, the study permit asks for a seat at an approved school, money for tuition, living costs and the flight home, a clean record, a medical exam if required, and a plan to leave. So the offer letter comes first.

Your profileAcademic barEnglish routePAL needed? (outside Quebec)Next step
Class 12 CBSE or ISC, for a bachelor’sFirst or Second Division, Waterloo’s minimum; Computer Science asks moreTest, or a waiver at UBC or YorkYesCheck the waiver before booking a test
Class 12 state board, for a bachelor’s or diploma70 or above in required subjects (Humber)Test needed; the UBC and York waivers exclude state boardsYesBook IELTS or PTE early
Three-year bachelor’s, for a master’sUBC may accept First Class from a NAAC A degree-awarding institutionWaiver possible if your degree was taught in English (UBC); programme may still askNo (public university)Confirm the NAAC route with your UBC programme
Four-year B.Tech or BE, for a master’s at a public university7/10 or First Class; 7.5/10 from an IIT (Toronto)Test needed if your degree wasn’t taught in English (Toronto)NoShortlist by your CGPA or class
Any bachelor’s, for a college graduate certificate or PG diplomaFirst Division (Humber)IELTS 6.5, no band below 6.0YesAsk the college when it issues PALs

If two rows fit, follow the tougher one: if you count on a waiver and don’t get it, you can miss the intake. A study gap usually doesn’t rule you out, but be ready to explain it. Still choosing cities and courses? Start with the study in Canada overview.

Apply to each school first; Ontario universities, Toronto included, take undergraduate applications through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC). Once you hold the offer letter, and a PAL where needed, you file the Canada study permit online with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Academic Requirements for Indian Students: Class 12 and Bachelor’s Marks

A Class 12 percentage alone won’t tell you whether you meet the requirements to study in Canada for Indian students. Canadian universities look first at your board and your maths paper, and for a master’s they count the years in your degree.

Class 12 marks for CBSE, ISC and state boards

  • For 2027 entry, the University of Toronto accepts CBSE and ISC and looks at state-board students with excellent results case by case. Toronto doesn’t count CBSE Applied Maths as calculus, so it won’t qualify you for business, engineering or science.
  • Waterloo sets a minimum of First or Second Division in Class 12, and Computer Science asks more: 90% in Standard XII Maths and 85% overall, with Applied Maths not counted.

So a CBSE commerce student who picks Applied Maths in Class 11 loses business at Toronto and Computer Science at Waterloo, whatever the percentage. If you might want a calculus-based degree, take Standard Maths. To match your stream to a programme, see study options in Canada after 12th.

Three-year vs four-year bachelor’s for a master’s in Canada

Master’s entry rules for 2027:

  • Toronto: a four-year bachelor’s, or three years plus a master’s, at 7/10 or First Class (7.5/10 from an IIT).
  • York: the same rule, at First Class.
  • UBC asks for a four-year bachelor’s or a master’s. Its India page says three years may count with First Class if the institution that awards your degree is rated A by India’s National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
  • Waterloo: 75% in a four-year Honours bachelor’s or equivalent.
  • Humber graduate certificates: First Division. A three-year degree can carry up to 2 backlog attempts (failed papers you re-sat); a four-year degree, up to 4.

For a BCom, BSc or BBA graduate, the three-year degree is the hard part. Rank your options like this. First, a college graduate certificate: Humber’s graduate certificates accept a three-year degree. Next, UBC, if your programme confirms the NAAC route before you pay the application fee. Last, Toronto or York after a master’s at home.

Ask for reference letters early: UBC’s graduate programmes need at least two, and some ask for up to four. Some Toronto graduate departments also require the GRE, so check your department’s page. Compare programmes in our guide to a master’s in Canada.

English Test Requirements to Study in Canada by Institution

For 2027 entry, IELTS Academic 6.5 overall is the usual requirement for a Canadian bachelor’s; the University of Toronto, UBC and McGill also want no band below 6.0. So a 5.5 in any one band rules out Toronto, even with 6.5 overall.

Institution (2027 entry)IELTS AcademicPTE AcademicTOEFL iBT (new 1-6 scale)Duolingo English Test
Universities: bachelor’s entry
University of Toronto6.5, no band below 6.065, no part below 604.5 (89)120, with 120 Production
University of British Columbia6.5, no part below 6.065, with 60 in each part4.5 (90)125
McGill University6.5, with 6.0 in each band65, with 60 in each part4.5 (90), most faculties125
University of Waterloo6.5, with 6.5 writing and speaking63, with 65 writing and speaking4.5, with 5 writing and speaking120, with 125 Literacy and Production
York University6.5604.5 (88)120
Toronto Metropolitan University6.5604.5120
Concordia University6.0, no band under 5.550, with 46 speaking and writing4.0 (70)105
Colleges: diploma entry
Conestoga College6.0, no band below 5.5534.5110
George Brown Polytechnic6.0, with 5.5 in each band544.0, no band below 4110
Humber Polytechnic6.0, no band below 5.553 to 57 by programme4, no score below 3.5105
Seneca Polytechnic6.0, no skill below 5.558No skill below 4105 to 110

At our Hyderabad desk, the most common mix-up is who sets the IELTS score: families assume the visa office does, but your school does, and few students can skip the test. For 2027 entry, UBC waives the test for CBSE or ISC students with 75% in Class 12 English, and York may waive it after four years of English-medium CBSE or CISCE study. Toronto requires Class 12 English but won’t accept it in place of a test. State-board students get neither waiver, so plan a test around your shortlist of universities in Canada.

Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL/TAL): Who Needs One in 2026

Most Indian applicants still need a PAL.

A Provincial Attestation Letter is the province’s confirmation that it has a study place for you (in Canada’s territories it’s called a TAL). You don’t apply for it yourself: your school arranges it. Since 1 January 2026, you don’t need a PAL for a master’s or PhD at a public (government-funded) university or college. You still need a PAL for:

  • a bachelor’s degree, diploma or certificate
  • a college graduate certificate or PG diploma, even after a degree
  • a master’s at a private university or college
  • an English-language (ESL) or other prerequisite course, even when the master’s that follows is exempt

If a letter you need is missing, IRCC sends the application back unprocessed and refunds the fee: you lose weeks, not money. A 2026 PAL expires on 31 December 2026, so it must still be valid on the day you file the permit, even if your classes start later. If you’re heading to Quebec, for McGill or Concordia, you need a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) instead of a PAL.

If you’re picking a PG diploma over a master’s, ask the college when it issues PALs before paying a deposit. For study permits applied for on or after 1 November 2024, a college certificate or diploma can lead to a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) only if its field is on IRCC’s eligible list. Bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees have no field rule.

Financial and Permit Conditions for an Indian Application

For applications made on or after 1 September 2026, a single student outside Quebec must show CAD 23,448 (approx. INR 15.84 lakh) as proof of financial support for one year of living costs. Parents, that excludes tuition and travel: your savings or bank loan must also cover first-year tuition and airfare.

Quebec sets CAD 24,617 for one person from 1 January 2026. Your bank statements must cover the last 6 months, counting the month you apply or the month before, and show where the money came from. A Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC), a deposit with a Canadian financial institution, is one accepted proof, not a requirement. The old Student Direct Stream (SDS) closed on 8 November 2024; Indian applicants now use the regular permit process.

A scholarship that covers only tuition doesn’t replace the proof for living costs and travel, so read the terms of any scholarships in Canada before counting them. Your funds, offer letter and statement of purpose (SOP) must match: the same course, the same costs, the same plan.

Your permit application also needs these; the two fees are at 2026 government rates:

From our counselling desk: in our 2026 files, PAL timing is what catches families off guard. The province issues the letter only after you confirm your seat, so a delay in accepting your offer pushes back your whole permit timeline. Accept your offer early so your school can request your PAL sooner.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Only in narrow cases: the UBC and York waivers cover some CBSE and ISC students, and everyone else needs IELTS, PTE, TOEFL or Duolingo. In 2026, Waterloo accepts only English scores from tests taken on or after 1 May 2025 for bachelor’s entry, so an older result won’t count there.

Yes, at colleges such as Humber, if your degree is First Division and you’re within Humber’s limit on backlogs (failed papers you re-sat). In 2026, graduate certificates and PG diplomas still need a PAL, because the exemption covers only master’s and doctoral degrees at public universities. Ask the college when it issues the letter.

In IRCC’s 1 October 2026 figures, a study permit for an applicant in India took 6 weeks. That figure moves every week, so treat it as a guide, not a promise. Apply as soon as you hold your offer, PAL and funds proof, and leave a margin before your intake.

Usually not: a programme of 6 months or less needs no study permit. But if your offer requires an English-language (ESL) course first, apply for a permit anyway. CIC News reports that IRCC advises this even for a course under 6 months. It also reports that since February 2026, the permit covers only the ESL course plus 90 days.

Average international tuition for 2026/27 is CAD 42,062 (approx. INR 28.41 lakh) for a bachelor’s and CAD 24,693 (approx. INR 16.68 lakh) for graduate study. On top of tuition, you must show CAD 23,448 (approx. INR 15.84 lakh) for living costs, and pay the permit fees. The full budget is in cost of studying in Canada.

Sources

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