Show Money

The Show Money or the Proof of funds or the Settlement Funds is usually the biggest problem of an interested applicant for Federal Skilled Worker Class.

Although the Show Money is not part of the applicants cost for his or her application for Permanent Residents Visa for Canada.



It is just that since the Government of Canada does not provide financial support to new skilled worker immigrants it is necessary for an applicant to provide proof th he has enough money to support himself and his dependents after he arrives in Canada.

An applicant must provide proof of his funds during the second stage of his application, or the time that he will need to send the full application package to the Visa office of his home country or currently legally residing. As proof the Canadian Embassy will require him that he provides a Bank Certificate showing the amount that was required of him.

Settlement funds is not just a show money. You must be able to satisfy the Visa Officer that the funds you will declare is unencumbered and that it is available for use on your initial settlement in Canada.

The amount of money you need to support your family is determined by the size of your family. These amounts are updated every year.

Settlement Fund Requirement Table

Number of
Family Members
Funds Required
(in Canadian dollars)
1 $10,833
2 $13,486
3 $16,580
4 $20,130
5 $22,831
6 $25,749
7 or more $28,668

To establish that you have enough settlement funds, you need to provide the original bank certificate illustrating your deposit which shows the amount you need based on your family size. Since the objective is to convince the Visa Officer that the funds you declare is available for use, unencumbered and not just borrowed, it will help if will also submit bank statements, copy of bank passbooks and or Certificate of Time Deposits if these are available.

Although if you do not do not have a long banking transaction history showing the accumulation of your funds, this is not a cause for worry. What is important is that you be able to explain, if asked, where did your money came from.

Question: What if, for example, you sold one of your properties to come up with the required funds, then deposited the proceeds in a new bank account you have opened. Since it will appear that the account was just newly opened and you have made a one-time deposit of, say, P500,000.00. will this be a problem?

No. That is because you can simply explain where the money came from supported by the deed of sale of the property you sold.

Now, if you have real properties under your name, it is best that you also declare them in your Personal Net Worth Statement as well but for as long as you have enough funds, it is not necessary for you to have real properties.

So there's no need to ask your parents to transfer those land titles under your name.

Settlement fund requirement or show money is no longer required if you have an Arranged Employment Opinion (AEO). It is not easy to find an employer who is willing to process an AEO for but not impossible, I have clients who were able to get AEO's.

But you would have to exert a lot of effort to do this, the more applications you send, the better are the chances that you will find that 1 employer who will be willing to help you process your Arranged Employment.

A lot of applicants, think that they can not apply for the FSW Program because they think that they do not have this amount but, they are usually wrong, they come to us and with proper explanation, they would realize that they have this requirement after all.

So, how much money should you bring in Canada?

Find out how much it costs to live where you are planning to settle in Canada.

Bring as much money as possible to make moving and finding a home in Canada easier.

Important Note: Disclosure of funds

If you are carrying more than C$10,000, you must tell the Canadian official you will talk to when you arrive in Canada that you have this amount. If you do not tell an official, you may be fined or put in prison.

These funds could be in the form of:

* cash
* securities in bearer form (for example, stocks, bonds, debentures, treasury bills) or
* negotiable instruments in bearer form (for example, bankers’ drafts, cheques, travellers’ cheques or money orders).

If you have more questions about the show money, please give us a call.

CANADIAN IMMIGRATION CONSULTANCY-SM North EDSA

Address: Unit 301, 3rd Floor, NorthLink Bldg, SMNorth EDSA 1105 Quezon City, Philippines Tel No: 0917 820 2531 Email: iai@go2canada.com