Mar 26, 2024
The much-anticipated update is finally here bringing a ray of clarity to international students aspiring to pursue their higher education in Canada. With the federal government’s announcement related to a temporary cap on study permits earlier this year, it also introduced a significant update to its study permit application process. This latest development comes in the form of Provincial Attestation Letters (PALs). This official document will be issued by Canada’s Provincial or Territorial Government, and it will be a mandatory document for new post-secondary international students commencing their study permit applications beyond January 22, 2024. However, students planning to pursue a master’s or PhD in Canada are exempted from the requirement of having a PAL. Even for students who are already in Canada, you won’t require PAL to renew your study permits.
Aimed at restructuring and enhancing the application procedure for international students. Let’s know more about PALs ahead in this news.
Since the PAL will be serving as proof of international students being accepted by a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) within the limits of its allocation. Some of the Canadian provinces have already begun to issue the new Provincial Attestation Letters (PALs), they are given below.
British Columbia (BC) is one of Canada's most sought-after study destinations and provinces. Effective from the 4th of March, the Ministry of British Columbia has commenced the process of issuing a new Provincial Attestation Letter system under Canada's International Student Cap.
According to reports and keeping up with the new cap system, British Columbia has confirmed that 83,000 undergraduate permit applications will be processed for the year 2024.
The Government of Quebec has also given instructions on their PAL requirements. However, they are slightly different from other provinces. As per their norms, international students will be issued a ‘Quebec Acceptance Certificate or CAQ’ as their PAL. Furthermore, there will also be some additional terms to this CAQ, and the government have already commenced issuing these since the 13th of February 2024.
Under this framework, Alberta has also initiated the PAL system, signalling that international students can now connect to their higher education institutions for more details. Once you have paid your tuition fees deposit, your institution will upload your PAL on their portal. You will then receive an email stating that your PAL is now available for download.
Apart from the above-mentioned provinces, Nova Scotia has been allotted 12,900 study permit applications for the next academic year. This indicates that nearly the same number of PALs will be processed shortly after the province initiates the process.
Furthermore, these study permit applications will be fairly divided among public and private institutions in each province. Additionally, it is anticipated that most of the Canadian Provinces and Territories will start issuing PALs by the beginning of April 2024.
For study abroad aspirants eyeing Canada as their educational destination, this update heralds a new era of change in the application process. But don’t you worry, the introduction of Provincial Attestation Letters not only simplifies the bureaucratic hurdles but also ensures a smoother transition into the Canadian academic landscape with a more streamlined and transparent application experience.
Stay tuned for more such updates related to higher education in Canada and get to know more about how exactly this new process works. Don’t get bothered as a promising future filled with boundless opportunities for academic excellence and personal growth is waiting for you in Canada. For more information related to the application process and other insights, feel free to reach out to our experts at KC Overseas Education.