Last Updated On 4 March 2024, 9:47 PM EST (Toronto Time)
The British Columbia (B.C.) government is now providing Provincial Attestation Letters (PALs) directly to qualifying postsecondary institutions for new international student applicants to apply for a study permit to study in the.
The PAL issuing procedure in B.C. is now up and running, effective March 4, 2024.
On January 22, 2024, the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that new study permit applicants must attach a PAL with their study permit application, with some exceptions.
Reports are also coming in that Alberta has also begun issuing PAL to international students.
The good thing about the mechanism set for issuing PAL so far is that institutions themselves are getting the PAL on behalf of international students.
International students planning to study in British Columbia and Alberta can now contact their respective institutions for additional information on PALs.
What are provincial attestation letters?
The provincial attestation letter is a verification letter that the province sends to the institution, which then sends it to the overseas applicant.
The letter will serve as proof that the application was accounted for within the federal government’s maximum limit.
Applicants will include the attestation letter with their study permit application.
Institutions that have used their full allocation will be unable to submit additional applications until the federal government issues a new allocation for the following year.
However, there will be a limited number of PALs given the recent cap on international students introduced by the Canadian government, so there will be a limited number of PALs that a province can issue in Canada.
How many PALs will B.C. issue in 2024?
The allocation for the province of British Columbia allows for 83,000 undergraduate study permit applicants.
This compares to roughly 97,000 study permit applications for undergraduate programs in 2023.
Based on recent acceptance rates, the federal government anticipates roughly 50,000 granted study permit applications in 2024.
This is compared to the estimated 60,000 accepted study permits for British Columbia in 2023.
Who needs a provincial attestation letter (PAL)?
Most post-secondary studies permit applying to non-degree-issuing graduate programs, such as certificate programs and diplomas.
Anyone else not mentioned in the exception list below:
Who does not require a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL)?
1. primary and secondary school students;
2. master’s or doctoral degree students;
3. students already in Canada with a valid study permit
4. in-Canada work permit holders and their in-Canada family members;
5. students already in Canada applying for an extension; and
6. students whose application was received before 8:30 a.m. (Eastern time) on Jan. 22, 2024.
Check out full list of 1-year Master’s programs in Canada offering 3-year post-graduation work permits that you can apply for without PAL.
As a study permit applicant for Canada, do I need to apply for a PAL?
No, as of right now, B.C. and Alberta have set up a procedure whereby your educational institution will be in charge of obtaining a PAL for you along with your offer letter.
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