What is a Provincial Attestation Letter for a Canada Study visa
Team Universal Adviser
Published on: March 12, 2024
Canada Study Visa: how to get provincial attestation letter?
For those planning to pursue their career and higher studies in Canada in 2024, it’s high time to consider a few crucial pointers.
The effect of international students on Canada’s economy, communities, and universities is undeniably high. Hence, after considering the rise in the number of international study applications in recent years, the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada) now has made it necessary for international students to provide a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) from a province or territory along with their study permit application.
This new rule has been enforced solely to maximize the system’s integrity and guarantee a positive overall experience for students in Canada. Your cooperation in fulfilling this requirement is greatly appreciated.
As stated by the IRCC policies, if a student has applied for or intends to apply for a Canadian Study Visa from India after the 22nd of January, 2024, they will have to show an attestation letter to process their study permit further. This should be submitted along with other supporting documents.
This rule has been applied for most of the post-secondary international students at the college level or undergraduate level. If any students submit their study visa application without a PAL, their application will be returned by the IRCC.
This is also present to help the provinces and territories that have set a maximum limit of international students that they can accommodate each year, and the letter confirms this international students’ reservation within the set allocation.
Do I need a Provincial Attestation Letter?
If you are an Indian student, planning to study in Canada soon, here’s a list of applicants that might need a PAL along with their study visa application:
Post-secondary study permits students
Non-degree granting graduate program students (graduate diplomas and certificate programs)
Any applicant who’s not included in the exception list
Who doesn’t need a Provincial Attestation Letter?
Here’s a list of students who don’t need a PAL while submitting their Canada Study Permit application from India in 2024:
Primary or secondary school students
Master’s or doctoral degree students
Visiting or exchange students in a Designated Learning Institute
Students holding a study permit in Canada and those with work permits (encompassing study permit holders who have applied for an extension).
Family members residing in Canada with study permits or work permit holders.
Students whose study permits applications were submitted to IRCC before January 22, 2024.
More details about PAL
Our top RCICs have put together some important updates for the aspiring Canada Study Visa applicants, in case you might’ve missed it. These updates will help you go through a smooth visa process:
1. Temporary cap for international students in 2024
IRCC recently announced a temporary cap on the number of international students who were supposed to be issued a Canadian Study Visa, where there are an estimated 360,000 approved study visas planned. This is a decrease of 35% from 2023. It is also planning to introduce such caps for each territory and province.
Recently, IRCC has revised a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) for international students, stating that from December 1, 2023, the Designated Learning Institutes (DLIs) across the country will verify the LOA of every student permit application directly with the IRCC officers. This rule has been applied to save international students from fraud and scams and to make sure that their study permits are genuine.
3. Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)
From February 15, 2024, IRCC has planned to launch a longer, 3-year PGWP for students who will graduate from less than 2 years of a master’s program. Students are required to meet all the other PGWP eligibility criteria.
4. Enhanced Criteria for Spousal Open Work Permits
The eligibility criteria for open work permits for spouses of international students have been revised by IRCC. Presently, only spouses of international students enrolled in graduate (master’s and doctorate) and professional degree-granting programs are eligible to apply for an open work permit.
For those spouses and partners of students from India aiming to renew their current work permits, this eligibility stream will remain in effect.
If you are pursuing an undergraduate, college program, or any other course, your spouse is no longer eligible for an open work permit unless they already possess one.
Are you worried about the complexity of the Canadian Study Visa application process? Sit back and relax while our RCICs take care of the entire process for you.
Right from finding out your eligibility, assisting you in the language tests, and improving your scores, to filing and waiting for your ITA, our consultants will be with you right from the start to the end.
Right from finding out your eligibility, assisting you in the language tests, and improving your scores, to filing and waiting for your ITA, our consultants will be with you right from the start to the end.