Proof of funds and income calculator
Express Entry asks one person to show $15,263 in settlement funds (IRCC table updated July 7, 2025), and the amount rises with family size. A study permit outside Quebec needs $23,448 for one person's first-year living costs, for applications from September 1, 2026, with tuition and travel on top. Canadian Experience Class candidates do not show settlement funds.
ClearToEnter: Funds & Income Calculator
Prepared · cleartoenter.ca
Prepared with ClearToEnter's free educational tools. Bring this to a licensed RCIC (register.college-ic.ca) or immigration lawyer (flsc.ca) to discuss your case. This is education, not advice; figures should be confirmed on canada.ca.
Pick the program and the family size
Published for 1 person
$15,263
The table and the sources are just below.
From 1 to 30. After 7, IRCC adds a set amount for each person.
Not sure who counts? Count them here
Each answer changes the family size above.
YouCounted: 1
That makes 1.
IRCC counts a spouse or partner and dependent children even when they are not coming to Canada, and even when they are already Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
This browser remembers the program, the family size and the currency. Nothing is sent anywhere, and the amounts you type are never saved.
Published by IRCC
Express Entry: settlement funds (FSW and FST)
- 1 person$15,263
IRCC table dated July 7, 2025.
Compared with IRCC’s page on November 11, 2026: every row matches. IRCC dates its page 2026-10-16.
| Family size | Amount |
|---|---|
| 1 (the family size picked) | $15,263 |
| 2 | $19,001 |
| 3 | $23,360 |
| 4 | $28,362 |
| 5 | $32,168 |
| 6 | $36,280 |
| 7 | $40,392 |
| Each extra person | $4,112 |
For example, the balance on a bank letter. It is never saved or sent.
This is the published figure. An officer decides every application. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Settlement funds (Express Entry)
What this means
This is the money IRCC asks you to show so you can settle in Canada. You declare it in your profile, then prove it with bank letters after an invitation. It must still be available when the visa is issued.
Who is not asked to show these funds
IRCC's rule: people applying under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and people who are authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer, do not need to show these funds, whatever the program.
What counts
- Money in a bank account in your name, or in a joint account with your spouse or common-law partner
- Money you can turn into cash easily, available when you apply and when the visa is issued
- Money in an account in your spouse’s name only may count, if you can prove you have access to it
What does not count
- Equity in a house or other property
- Borrowed money
- Money tied up in a vehicle or other assets
Sources: IRCC's proof of funds page and IRPR s. 76(1)(b)(i).
What the bank letter must show
IRCC asks for an official letter from each bank or financial institution that holds the money. Each letter must:
- Be printed on the letterhead of the institution
- Give its address, telephone number and email address
- Include your name
- List your outstanding debts, such as credit card debts and loans
- For each current bank and investment account, give the account number, the date the account was opened, the current balance and the average balance for the past 6 months
From IRCC’s proof of funds page. Confirm on canada.ca
When the money must be there
IRCC says the funds must be available both when you apply and when it issues the permanent resident visa.
Legal basis for proof of funds: funds must be transferable, available, and unencumbered by debts or other obligations. IRPR s. 76(1)(b)(i)
Example: A couple with one child counts as 3 people, even if the child stays in the home country. The published amount for 3 people is $23,360.
An educational tool. The amounts change every year, so confirm the current figure on canada.ca. Only an IRCC officer decides an application.
Next steps
Each guide explains the rule behind the number, with sources.
Frequently asked questions
How much money do I need to immigrate to Canada?
For Express Entry, one person shows $15,263 in settlement funds and a family of 4 shows $28,362, from IRCC's table updated July 7, 2025. Canadian Experience Class candidates, and people authorized to work in Canada with a valid job offer, do not show these funds. IRCC's fees come on top: $1,675 for one adult, with the right of permanent residence fee and biometrics.
What is proof of funds for Express Entry?
It is the money you show IRCC to prove you can settle in Canada: $15,263 for one person, set at 50% of the low income cut-off (LICO) for each family size and updated every year. The money must be available and free of debts, so borrowed money and equity in a home or a car do not count. IRCC asks for an official letter from each bank or financial institution that holds it.
Proof of funds for Express Entry: the letters and common mistakes
Who does not have to show settlement funds?
Canadian Experience Class candidates do not, and neither does anyone who is authorized to work in Canada and has a valid job offer, whatever the program. Everyone else invited through Express Entry has to show the amount for their family size. The rule comes from section 76 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, which asks for funds that are transferable, available and free of debts.
When are the funds checked?
At more than one point. You declare the amount when you create your Express Entry profile, then file the bank letters with your permanent residence application after an invitation. For Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades applicants, the funds must still be there when the permanent resident visa is issued and when you land, so spending them after you apply can affect the application.
How is family size counted?
Family size includes you, your spouse or common-law partner, your dependent children, and your spouse's dependent children. They are counted even when they are not coming to Canada with you, and even when they are already Canadian citizens or permanent residents. The count does not change based on who comes with you, so a couple with one child counts as 3.
How much money do I need for a study permit?
For applications made on or after September 1, 2026, outside Quebec, IRCC's cost-of-living figure is $23,448 for one person, and the count includes you. After 7 people, add $6,318 for each extra family member. First-year tuition and travel to and from Canada come on top of this amount. Quebec sets its own amounts, and a GIC is one of the proofs IRCC accepts.
What is the super visa income requirement?
The host in Canada must earn at least the low income cut-off for their household plus the visiting parents or grandparents: $46,720 for 3 people, from IRCC's table updated July 29, 2025. Since March 31, 2026, either of the 2 tax years before the application can count. If the host reaches 75% of the minimum, the parent's or grandparent's own income can cover the rest.
What is the minimum necessary income?
It is the low income cut-off for a family size, the income floor IRCC uses for sponsors. A Parents and Grandparents Program sponsor needs it plus 30% in each of the 3 tax years before applying: $47,549 for 2 people in the 2024 tax year. IRCC has paused new intake for that program and keeps processing the applications it already has.
Read deeper
The rule behind this tool: the law itself, and what it means.
Check your understanding
Five quick questions on the published rules. Nothing is stored.
Question 1 of 5