Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL)
A two-year cap was placed on the number of new study permits that will be issued by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and most study permit applications submitted to IRCC will require a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) from a province or territory.
Note:
- This cap does not apply to students who are currently in Canada and will be applying to extend their study permits.
- The cap will not apply to degree-seaking students in Master's and PhD programs
Common Questions about the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL)
As of January 22, 2024, the attestation requirement applies to newly admitted 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)
Note: Students who submitted their SP application prior to 8:30 a.m. on January 22, 2024, will not be impacted.
An attestation letter is not required in the following scenarios:
- In-Canada study permit and work permit holders applying to extend their stay as a student (includes study permit holders applying for an extension)
- In-Canada family members of study permit or work permit holders
- Master’s or doctoral degree students applying for a study permit outside Canada
- In-Canada visiting or exchange students applying for study permit inside Canada
- primary and secondary school students
- Students whose applications were received by IRCC before 8:30 a.m. ET on January 22, 2024
No, the attestation letter process does not apply to study permit extension applications.
Until April 30, 2024, your PAL will be uploaded to your UAlberta Launchpad portal. You will receive an email stating that your PAL is ready for download.
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.
If your study permit application was submitted to IRCC before 8:30 am ET on January 22, 2024 , your application will not be impacted.
If your study permit application was submitted to IRCC after 8:30 am ET on January 22, 2024 , your application will be returned to you.
The PAL process and the LOA Verification process are two different processes.
- The Provincial government is responsible for administering the PAL process. If you are not exempt from the PAL requirement, this process must be completed before you submit your Study Permit application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). You must submit your PAL to IRCC along with your Letter of Acceptance when applying for a Study Permit. For University of Alberta students, the PAL process is administered by the Province of Alberta; details are here.
- Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) administers the LOA Verification process. Students are not required to take additional steps to initiate this process.
Please note, 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