On January 22, 2024 (Canada time), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced a new reform policy for international students to stabilize the growth in the number of international students over a two-year period.
It is expected that in 2024, the upper limit of the number of study permits will be about:, in the spirit of fairness, establish caps for provinces and territories weighted by population. Therefore, one of the new policies is to require most study permit applicants to provide a letter from the province or region, so let's take a closer look at this policy.
Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL).
Effective January 22, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET, most new post-secondary international students at the college or undergraduate level must provide a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) from a province or territory when applying for a student visa. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will refund any application that does not contain a PAL, unless otherwise exempted.
This letter will prove that the student has been included in the provincial or territorial allocated places within the national cap. Provinces and territories have been asked to develop plans to issue PALs by March 31, 2024. If you want to study in the province of Quebec, you will need proof of the issuance of the Quebec Certificate of Admission (CAQ), which is issued by Quebec**.
International students whose applications are received by IRCC by 8:30 a.m. on January 22, 2024, as well as international students who have been granted a student visa and intend to travel to Canada for an upcoming program, are not affected by the new policy.
Who needs to provide a provincial attestation letter?
Most post-secondary student visa applicants.
Most graduate programs that do not award degrees (such as certificate programs and graduate diplomas).
Others not included in the list of exemptions below.
Who doesn't need a provincial attestation letter?
Primary and secondary school applicants (Pre-K to Grade 12).
Master's or doctoral degree applicants.
The following are already in Canada:
Apply for a student visa extension.
Work visa holders.
Visiting or exchange students studying at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI).
As a prerequisite for admission to the DLI, have completed a course or program of study.
Hold a temporary resident permit that is valid for at least 6 months.
The dependents are in Canada, and the dependents hold a study permit or work permit, or a temporary resident permit valid for more than 6 months.
Applications received before 8:30 a.m. on January 22, 2024.