Immigration
Studying in Canada
How can I receive my PAL?
As of Jan 22, 2025, most international students applying for a study permit from outside of Canada, and some students applying to extend their study permits from inside Canada will be required to have a (PAL/TAL), unless exempted. Since British Columbia is a province of Canada, the applicable letter for study permit applicants needing a PAL/TAL will be the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL).
- Visit to check if you meet one of the PAL exceptions.
- Review various scenarios on our News and Updates page to determine whether you need a PAL for your application.
If a PAL is required for your study permit application, the process of obtaining your PAL differs among various student groups at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV. Please read below for more details.
Newly admitted international undergraduate students
If you are applying for a ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV study permit, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Confirm your personal information with ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV by logging into . Review your personal and contact information and ensure that it is accurate and up to date.
- Check and confirm that your name in go¶¡ÏãÔ°AV matches the name in your passport.
- When requested by ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV ¶¡ÏãÔ°AVs, upload an unofficial copy of your passport in .
- Review your contact information in go¶¡ÏãÔ°AV. For example, if you are currently residing outside Canada, update your contact information accordingly.
- If needed, you can update your personal and contact information directly in go¶¡ÏãÔ°AV.
- Have trouble accessing go¶¡ÏãÔ°AV? Follow the instructions here to seek help.
Step 2: Accept your offer of admission and pay your admission deposit fee via .
Step 3: Wait for your PAL to be processed. You will be contacted by ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV with a response within 5-7 business days.
Newly admitted international graduate students
If you are admitted into a graduate program and applying for a ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV study permit, follow the steps below:
Step 1: When you receive an offer of admission, you will be prompted to confirm your personal information with ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV within the graduate online application portal ().
- Check and confirm that your name in goGRAD matches the name in your passport.
- Review your contact information. For example, if you are currently residing outside Canada, update your contact information accordingly.
Step 2: Accept and pay your admission deposit in the graduate online application portal. PALs will only be issued following the receipt of the admission deposit.
Step 3: Wait for your PAL to be processed. You will be contacted by ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV with a response within 5-7 business days.
New Undergraduate and Graduate students who are in Canada
New undergraduate and graduate students who are currently in Canada as a study permit holder (e.g. high school student, university/college transfer student, etc.), must apply, and be approved for, a new ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV study permit before you can start your studies at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV. You will be required to have a valid PAL, unless you meet one of the .
- Review our post here on IRCC's new regulation of changing schools for post-secondary study permit holders
- Review this FAQ on the PAL requirement for transfer undergraduate students.
To request a PAL, please follow the steps as outlined above for undergraduate and graduate students.
Incoming exchange students
Important terminology: ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Exchange students
Students coming to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV under an exchange arrangement between their home institution and ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV and who pay tuition fees to their home institution.
Important terminology: ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Study abroad students
Students coming to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV from a ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV partner institution who pay tuition fees to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV.
One-term Exchange Students
In accordance with , if you are studying at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV for one term as an exchange student, you do not require a study permit. Therefore, a PAL is not required.
While a study permit is not required, you may benefit from having a study permit (for example, if you want to work while in Canada, you may be able to do so as a study permit holder if you meet ). If you would like to apply for a study permit as a one-term exchange student, you will be exempt from submitting a PAL when applying for a study permit.
Two & Three Term Exchange Students
If you will be studying at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV as an exchange student for two or three terms, you will require a study permit to study in Canada.
As an exchange student, you are from submitting a PAL with your study permit application.
For more information about how to apply for a study permit, please review the ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV website.
One-term Study Abroad Students
A study permit is not required to study at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV for a one-term study abroad student. Since a study permit is not required, a PAL is not required and cannot be issued by ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV.
Depending on your country of citizenship(s), you may need either a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or an electronic travel authorization (eTA) to travel to Canada. Review the webpage here to check what immigration document you will need.
CURRENT/RETURNING ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS INSIDE CANADA
If you are a current international student at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV and need to extend your ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV study permit to complete the same level of study (such as undergraduate to undergraduate), you are exempt from submitting a PAL.
If you are a current ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV international student and need to extend your ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV study permit to complete a different level of study (such as from undergraduate to graduate level) at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV, you will need a PAL (even if you continue to study at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV), unless you meet a .
For current ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV undergraduate and graduate students, if your study permit will expire soon, review our online resources for information about how to extend your study permit within Canada.
If you are unsure whether or not you need a PAL, contact an International Student Advisor, Immigration Specialist for assistance.
Current/returning ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV international students outside Canada
If you are a current ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV international student who is outside Canada and your study permit already expired, you need to apply for a new study permit from outside Canada before you can return to Canada and continue your studies at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV.
In most cases, a PAL will be required unless you meet as outlined by IRCC.
Connect with an International Student Advisor, Immigration Specialist to guide you through the process of applying for a study permit from outside Canada.
If you are a returning student who is not active within your academic program (e.g. undergraduate students who have been absent from ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV for three or more consecutive terms, students who are required to withdraw, etc.), before you can request a PAL and resume your studies, you must apply for reactivation or readmission to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV.
For more information about ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV’s reactivation/readmission policy, visit the following webpages:
- Undergraduate Students: Reactivation and Readmission
- Graduate Students: Returning to Studies
If you have any additional questions about PAL:
- If you are a current ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV student studying at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV and are PAL exempt, check our instruction guide for a proof of PAL exemption example letter. See our: Study Permit Extension Proof of PAL Exemption: Current ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV students.
- For further inquiries regarding how to apply for a study permit, contact an International Student Advisor, Immigration Specialist for assistance.
- For questions related to admission and paying admission deposits:
- Undergraduate students: submit your questions via the .
- Graduate students: contact your Graduate Program directly for assistance.
- For questions related to the PAL issuance process at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV:
- Undergraduate students: submit your questions via the .
- Graduate students: contact the Graduate Studies office
- Exchange students: contact the ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Exchange and Study Abroad team.
This page was last updated on February 14, 2025.