Provincial attestation letter or territorial attestation letter

The provincial attestation letter or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) is

a letter from the province or territory where you plan to study that confirms there’s space for you
provided by the designated learning institution (DLI) you plan to attend
usually required to apply for a study permit

Find out if you need a PAL/TAL

Answer a few questions to find out if you need a PAL/TAL when you apply for your study permit.

Are you applying to study at a Quebec DLI?

Yes
No
Are you applying to study in any of the following schools or programs?
- preschool
- primary school
- secondary school (up to grade 12)
- federally designated military college
- vocational training program in Quebec that leads to one of the following:
  - a diploma of vocational studies (DVS)
  - an attestation of vocational specialization (AVS), or
  - a skills training certificate (STC)
- school participating in the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot (FMCSP) and you have a letter of acceptance from this school identifying you as an applicant under the FMCSP
- master’s degree-granting program at a public DLI
- doctoral degree-granting program at a public DLI
- Yes
- No
  Do any of the following situations describe you?
  
  You’re in Canada or entering Canada at a port of entry and are eligible for an exemption from certain study permit requirements based on a public policy as part of a migration response to a crisis or other pressure.
  
  You’re exempt from certain study permit requirements under the temporary measures to reunite families of Indigenous people separated by Canada’s border.
  
  You’ve received a scholarship from Global Affairs Canada.
  
  You’re an exchange student studying under an exchange arrangement between your home institution and a DLI in Canada, and you don’t pay tuition fees to the DLI.
  - Yes
  - No
    
    Have you already entered Canada?
    
    Yes
    
    Do any of the following situations describe you?
    
    You’re applying for a study permit extension at the same DLI and level of study as your current study permit.
    
    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, or
    
    based on a current public policy, or
    
    as a spouse or common-law partner (through the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class)
    
    Yes
    
    No
    
    No

You need a Quebec Acceptance Certificate instead of a PAL/TAL

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.

Who needs a CAQ

Most students who don’t need a PAL or TAL and want to study in Quebec must still get a CAQ. There are very few exceptions.

Make sure your CAQ is valid when you apply

A CAQ that was issued in a different year will be accepted into processing as long as it is still valid when we receive your application.

Your CAQ 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, did not require the above line.

Re-using a CAQ

You can apply for a study permit again with the same valid CAQ, no matter what the decision was on your last application, unless you’re changing your level of study.

When changing schools, you can only apply for a study permit again with the same valid CAQ if

your CAQ was issued before December 6, 2024, and you’re changing schools at the same level of study
you’re a minor child at the primary or secondary level and your CAQ is not linked to a specific school

Find out which documents you need to study in Quebec.

You need a PAL/TAL

Based on the answers you provided, you need a PAL/TAL to apply for a study permit.

Find out how to get a PAL/TAL.

Check the full list of exemptions

You don’t need a PAL or TAL when applying for a study permit if any of the following applies to you.

You’re applying to study at a
- preschool
- primary school (including kindergarten)
- secondary school (up to grade 12)
- degree-granting graduate program at the master’s or doctoral level at a public DLI starting January 1, 2026
- school participating in the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot (FMCSP) and you have a letter of acceptance from this school identifying you as an applicant under the FMCSP
- federally designated military college or
- school in Quebec in a vocational training program that leads to one of the following:
  - a diploma of vocational studies (DVS)
  - an attestation of vocational specialization (AVS)
  - a skills training certificate (STC)
You’re an exchange student studying under an exchange arrangement between your home institution and a DLI in Canada, and you don’t pay tuition fees to the DLI.
You’ve received a scholarship from Global Affairs Canada.
You’re in Canada or entering Canada at a port of entry and are eligible for an exemption from certain study permit requirements based on a public policy as part of a migration response to a crisis or other pressure.
You’re exempt from certain study permit requirements under the temporary measures to reunite families of Indigenous people separated by Canada’s border.
You’ve entered Canada and one of the following situations applies to you:
- You’re applying for a study permit extension at the same DLI and level of study as your current study permit.
- 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, or
  - 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 need to provide proof that you meet one of the above exceptions if you don’t provide a PAL/TAL with your study permit application.

You don’t need a PAL/TAL

Based on the answers you provided, you don’t need a PAL/TAL to apply for a study permit.

However, you need to provide proof that you meet one of the exceptions to the PAL/TAL requirement with your study permit application.

Once we review your application, we’ll be able to confirm whether you meet the exemption.

Check the full list of exemptions

You don’t need a PAL or TAL when applying for a study permit if any of the following applies to you.

You’re applying to study at a
- preschool
- primary school (including kindergarten)
- secondary school (up to grade 12)
- degree-granting graduate program at the master’s or doctoral level at a public DLI starting January 1, 2026
- school participating in the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot (FMCSP) and you have a letter of acceptance from this school identifying you as an applicant under the FMCSP
- federally designated military college or
- school in Quebec in a vocational training program that leads to one of the following:
  - a diploma of vocational studies (DVS)
  - an attestation of vocational specialization (AVS)
  - a skills training certificate (STC)
You’re an exchange student studying under an exchange arrangement between your home institution and a DLI in Canada, and you don’t pay tuition fees to the DLI.
You’ve received a scholarship from Global Affairs Canada.
You’re in Canada or entering Canada at a port of entry and are eligible for an exemption from certain study permit requirements based on a public policy as part of a migration response to a crisis or other pressure.
You’re exempt from certain study permit requirements under the temporary measures to reunite families of Indigenous people separated by Canada’s border.
You’ve entered Canada and one of the following situations applies to you:
- You’re applying for a study permit extension at the same DLI and level of study as your current study permit.
- 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, or
  - 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 need to provide proof that you meet one of the above exceptions if you don’t provide a PAL/TAL with your study permit application.

About your PAL/TAL

Getting and submitting your PAL/TAL

Find out how to get your PAL/TAL and when you should submit it.

Who issues my PAL/TAL?

The province or territory where you plan to study issues your PAL/TAL. It confirms that you’ve been assigned one of the available spaces to study in that province or territory.

How do I apply for a PAL/TAL?

You should contact your school (DLI) to find out how to apply for a PAL/TAL. Once you have one, you can apply for a study permit.

When do I submit my PAL/TAL?

You should submit a PAL/TAL

with your study permit application, not after
for each study permit applicant, even if you’re applying as a family and submitting your applications together

How long your PAL/TAL is valid for

Your PAL/TAL is linked to the school you’re applying to. In most cases, it must be used during the year it was issued.

How long is my PAL/TAL valid for?

Unless it has an earlier expiry date on it, it’s valid

until December 31, 2025, for the 2025 study permit cap year
- This means that your PAL/TAL was issued between January 22, 2025, and December 31, 2025.
until December 31, 2026, for the 2026 study permit cap year
- This means that your PAL/TAL was issued between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2026.

You can’t apply with a PAL/TAL that was issued during a previous study permit cap year.

Your PAL/TAL needs to be valid when you apply for your study permit. It does not need to be valid when you start your studies.

What should I do if my PAL/TAL is expired?

You can’t apply for a study permit with a PAL/TAL that has expired or is no longer valid. You must get a new PAL/TAL before you reapply.

When can I reapply for a study permit with the same PAL/TAL?

You can reapply with the same PAL/TAL if

your PAL/TAL is still valid, and
your study permit application was accepted for processing and you voluntarily withdrew your application before a final decision was made, or
your study permit application was not accepted for processing
- This means that your fee was refunded and you were told that your application was not processed.

You can’t reapply with the same PAL/TAL if your study permit application was approved or refused.

When to get a new PAL/TAL

In some cases, you may need to get a new, valid PAL/TAL before you can reapply for a study permit. The scenarios below will help you find out what to do based on your situation.

My PAL/TAL has expired or is no longer valid.

You must get a new PAL/TAL before submitting your study permit application.

My previous study permit application was approved or refused.

You must get a new PAL/TAL before submitting your study permit application.

I’m changing schools.

As of January 22, 2025, you must get a new PAL/TAL before you submit your study permit application when changing schools.

I’m changing my level of study.

In most cases, you must get a new PAL/TAL when changing your level of study.

This means that you’re moving from

the secondary level to the post-secondary level, or
the graduate level to the post-secondary level

I’m attending a degree-granting graduate program at a public DLI.

You don’t need a new PAL/TAL when moving from the post-secondary level to a degree-granting graduate program at a public DLI.

I’m extending my study permit.

If you’re applying for a study permit extension at the same DLI and same level of study as your current study permit, you don’t need a new PAL/TAL.

If you’re applying to extend your study permit at a different DLI or at a different level of study, you need to get a new PAL/TAL, unless you’re moving from the post-secondary level to a degree-granting graduate program at a public DLI.

I’m restoring my status.

You need a new PAL/TAL when applying to restore your status as a student, even if you plan to keep studying at the same DLI and at the same level of study.

I’m reapplying to study in Quebec.

If you’re reapplying to study in Quebec, find out if you need to renew your authorizations.

I’m studying in Quebec. Can I reuse my CAQ?