Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL)

As of January 22, 2024, the PAL requirement applies to the below-listed students applying for a Study Permit outside Canada:

• Undergraduate students (Bachelors and After-degree programs)
• ESL students
• Students admitted to any other study program that is longer than six months in length AND does not lead to a Masters or a PhD degree (for example, Campus Saint-Jean programs)

At this time, foreign nationals who meet the following criteria do not need a PAL:

• Master’s or doctoral degree students
• Primary and secondary school students
• Received a scholarship from Global Affairs Canada
• Exempted from study permit requirements based on a public policy as part of a migration response to a crisis.
• Students whose applications were received by IRCC before 8:30 a.m. ET on January 22, 2024
• Foreign nationals who are inside Canada and one of the following situations applies to them:
  • Applying for a study permit extension or to restore status;
  • Have a work permit that was not issued through International Experience Canada;
  • Visiting or exchange students at a designated learning institution (DLI);
  • Under a removal order, but cannot be removed from Canada at the time of application;
  • Have a valid 6-month or longer temporary resident permit;
  • Protected person
  • Eligible for permanent residence based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, current public policy, or as a spouse or common-law partner; and
  • The family member of a foreign national listed here

The PAL requirement does not apply to study permit extension applications.

As of May 1, 2024, your PAL will be sent via MyCreds account. You will receive an email from MyCreds (noreply@mycreds.ca) and will need to follow the instructions in this email to download your PAL. Keep an eye on your email; there is a possibility that this email notification may get directed to the Spam/Junk folder in your email inbox. For details, please visit this page. Click here to learn how to download your PAL from your MyCreds account.

The Government of Alberta only enters a student’s first name and last name on the PAL, so students who have a middle name may notice that their middle name is not listed on their PAL. If your first name, last name, and Date of Birth (as listed on your passport) are listed correctly on the PAL, it would be fine to submit your PAL to IRCC with your study permit application.

In case you notice that your first name, last name, or date of birth is entered incorrectly on the PAL, please contact the Student Service Centre to request an updated PAL. When submitting an inquiry via the Student Service Portal, enter “PAL amendment” in the subject line and include a clear description of the issue and a copy of your passport. 

It is fine to submit your study permit application to IRCC using your PAL with a different program name and the University of Alberta Offer of Admission as long as the PAL was issued to by a post secondary institution in Alberta and your PAL is still valid. 

The Government of Alberta (GOA) is issuing one PAL per student so if you have been issued a PAL by the Government of Alberta based on your admission offer to a different Post Secondary Institution (PSI) in Alberta, the University of Alberta cannot request another PAL on your behalf from the Government of Alberta. 

Please submit your University of Alberta Offer of Admission and PAL issued to you based on a different PSI offer of admission when applying for a Study Permit. In addition, please include an explanation letter along with your PAL to address why the PSI name on your Offer of Admission does not match the PSI name listed on your PAL (i.e. GOA only issues one PAL per student in Alberta and once a student receives a PAL from one PSI in Alberta, their PAL cannot be amended to reflect a different PSI name. The Government of Alberta has confirmed with IRCC that students can submit a PAL with a different Alberta (PSI) name with their Study Permit application). 

No, a PAL is not required if you will be applying to enter Canada as a visitor to attend a study program that is less than 6 months in duration. 

Yes, a PAL is required if you are an exchange/visiting student who will be applying for a student irrespective of the length of your study program. 

• If you are an undergraduate exchange student, contact your Exchange coordinator at the University of Alberta to initiate the PAL request on your behalf. 
• If you are a graduate exchange/visiting student, contact an International Student Specialist through the student service portal and explain your reason for applying for a study permit. Once your request is assessed, the International Student Specialist will provide you with an update.

You can use the same PAL to apply for your study permit as long as the PAL is still valid (review the expiry date listed on your PAL). If your PAL has expired at the time you plan to submit your study permit application to IRCC, you must contact an International Student Specialist via the student service portal.

No, a valid PAL is not required at the time of entry. A CBSA officer should not require you to provide a valid PAL at the time of entry. 

Yes, if you are not exempt from the PAL requirement, you must present a valid PAL at the time you apply for a study permit at the Port of Entry. 

Even if you are eligible to apply for a study permit at the Port of Entry, we advise students to apply for study permits online and enter Canada after their online application gets approved to avoid any issues or delays with receiving a study permit at the Port of Entry.

Note: You must provide all required documents to the CBSA officer to issue you a study permit.

• Program/admissions questions: Student Service Centre
• PAL process and timelines: Student Service Centre
• PAL applicability & Study Permit questions: International Student and Visitor Services