Last Updated On 5 April 2024, 10:52 PM EDT (Toronto Time)
Canada announced a cap on new international students’ applications for the next two years in January 2024, with the requirement of a provincial attestation letter (PAL).
The federal cap on international students is set at approximately 360,000 approved study permits this year, a drop of 35% from 2023.
Province-wise implementation of capping is broadly weighted on the population of a particular province and an annual allocation for 2024 has been unveiled by most of the provinces.
These allocations seem to be kept track of using the provincial attestation letters (PALs).
In this article, we list province-wise annual allocations for study permits in 2024.
British Columbia
British Columbia has been allocated an 83,000 undergraduate study permit application quota for 2024, as compared to roughly 97,000 applications for undergraduate programs in 2023.
Based on recent acceptance rates, the federal government anticipates roughly 50,000 international students’ approvals in 2024 as compared to 60,000 in 2023.
Click here for more information on PALs being issued by British Columbia.
Alberta
Alberta began issuing PALs on March 1, 2024. Although the study permit approval allocation has not been made public, Alberta is reportedly having a province-wide allocation of 41,000 provincial attestation letters (PALs).
Like most of the other provinces, educational institutions are responsible for getting PALs from the provincial authority for the students applying for study permits.
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan has received 12,000 PALs to distribute to potential overseas students in 2024.
Students must first apply to the institution of their choosing and obtain a letter of acceptance.
If their application is accepted, the institution will notify the Ministry of Advanced Education.
The Government of Saskatchewan will then issue a PAL via an automated method, notifying students when the PAL is available.
Watch for an email from MyCredsTM (noreply@mycreds.ca) with instructions on how to download your unique PAL to your device.
Manitoba
Manitoba began its PAL system on March 4th, and 15,233 is the allocated number for PALs.
To learn more about the PAL procedure, students should contact their chosen DLI.
Before applying for a study permit in Manitoba, you must first contact your educational institute and request a PAL along with a letter of acceptance.
Ontario
Ontario has been reportedly allocated 235,000 PALs for 2024.
The number of PALs is equal to the number of study permit applications, but that does not guarantee that the IRCC will approve all of the applications.
So the total number of study permits that will be approved is expected to be less than the PAL number listed above.
The historical approval rate of 60% would suggest that the 235,000 applications will result in around 141,000 new study permits for cap-affected students in 2024.
Click here for more details on Ontario PALs and changes for international students.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia received an allocation of 12,900 applications for 2024, which is approximately 7,000 less than the total number of applications submitted in 2023.
Of that amount, 11,565 (90%) will be allocated to the province’s ten institutions and Nova Scotia Community College.
The remaining 710 are designated “for a dozen private career colleges” and 526 for nine language schools. Another 99 application places are available “to respond to unexpected circumstances and new programs.”
According to reports, Cape Breton University (CBU) has had a 52% decline in applications, totaling 5,086.
Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) will have 44% fewer students, for a total of 860, while Université Ste-Anne will lose 34%, to 962.
New Brunswick
On March 18, New Brunswick introduced its PAL system. Students, like those in other provinces, must contact their designated DLI to inquire about PAL application requirements.
New Brunswick is allotted quota of 9,279 PALs in 2024.
In some situations, schools may request a deposit fee from overseas students after receiving a LOA, following which the school would conduct the PAL application procedure on their behalf.
To receive your PAL in New Brunswick, please contact your school directly, as they are in charge of both applying for and providing the PAL.
Newfoundland & Labrador
As of March 19th, Newfoundland and Labrador began issuing PALs via their systems and has a quota of 2,365.
International students seeking to study in Newfoundland and Labrador can now get their PAL.
To obtain a PAL, pupils must contact their preferred school in the province directly.
The school is responsible for applying for the PAL on the student’s behalf and providing a copy after it has been processed.
Prince Edward Island
As per media reports, Prince Edward Island’s allocation for PALs is around 2,000 for 2024.
Canada International Students’ Capping and PAL Exemptions
It is important to reiterate that there have been some exemptions for which capping is not in place. This includes:
- primary and secondary school students;
- master’s or doctoral degree students;
- students already in Canada with a valid study permit or work permit holders and their in-Canada family members;
- students already in Canada applying for an extension
Province-Wise Study Permit Allocations 2024
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