Provincial attestation letter
Most study permit applicants need to provide a provincial attestation letter (PAL) from the province or territory where they plan to study.
Unless you meet one of the exceptions, you must
- submit your PAL with your application, not after
- submit a PAL even if you’re applying for a prerequisite course or program, including language courses or programs
- submit a PAL for each study permit applicant, even if you’re applying as a family and submitting your applications together
How long a PAL is valid for
Your PAL only needs to be valid when we receive it with your application. Unless your PAL has an expiry date on it, it’s valid until January 21, 2025. You can resubmit a study permit application with the same PAL if the PAL is still valid.
How to get a PAL
-
For schools outside of Quebec
Provincial attestation letters are now available
Contact your school to find out how to apply for a PAL. Once you have a PAL, you can apply for a study permit.
-
For schools in Quebec
Quebec Acceptance Certificate
If you want to study in Quebec, you need an attestation of issuance of your Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ), which is issued by the Government of Quebec. Contact your school to find out how to apply for the CAQ.
Find out which documents you need to study in Quebec.For your CAQ to act as your provincial attestation letter, it needs to include the following line:
“This attestation letter confirms that the applicant has a place in Quebec’s share of the distribution of study permit applications or is exempt from it.”
CAQs for applications received before 8:30 a.m. ET on January 22, 2024, do not require the above line.
Who doesn’t need a provincial attestation letter
You do not need a PAL when applying for a study permit if any of the following applies to you:
- You’re applying to study in a preschool, primary school or secondary school (up to grade 12).
- You’re applying to study in a master’s degree or doctoral degree program.
- You’ve entered Canada and one of the following situations described under subsection 215(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) applies to you:
- You have a study permit and are applying for a study permit extension.
- You have a work permit.
- You’re a temporary resident who is a visiting or exchange student studying at a designated learning institution (DLI).
- You’re a temporary resident who has completed a course or program of study that is a prerequisite to you enrolling at a DLI.
- You’re under a removal order, but can’t be removed from Canada at this time.
- You have a temporary resident permit valid for at least 6 months.
- You’re a protected person.
- You’re eligible for permanent residence
- based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds
- based on a current public policy, or
- as a spouse or common-law partner (through the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class).
- You’ve entered Canada and you’re the family member of a foreign national who lives in Canada and who is in one of the following situations described under subsection 215(2) of the IRPR:
- a study permit holder
- a work permit holder
- a temporary resident permit holder with a permit that’s valid for at least 6 months
- a member of armed forces in another country under the Visiting Forces Act
- an accredited foreign government representative
- a participant in certain sports activities or events
- a worker in Canada who is a member of a foreign news company
- a religious worker
- a protected person
- eligible for permanent residence based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds
- eligible for permanent residence based on a current public policy
- eligible for permanent residence as a spouse or common-law partner (through the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class)
You need to provide proof that you meet one of the above exceptions if you don’t provide a PAL with your study permit application.
Page details
- Date modified: