In April this year, Canada announced the province-wise allocation of study permits with the aim of reducing the number of international students enrolled in Canadian institutes by almost 35% compared to last year. In addition to the caps, the IRCC has also added another criterion to cut down on fraud and misuse of the study permit system. There were many instances of fake letters of acceptance being provided to international students who would then be given a study permit without any verification.
The earlier process for applying for a study permit required the student to receive a letter of acceptance from a Designated Learning Institute which was considered enough proof that the student had gained admission to an institute in Canada. To remove the possibility of any fake letters of acceptance being used to gain a study permit, the IRCC introduced the Provincial/Territorial Attestation Letter. The Attestation Letter needs to be submitted along with the application or study permit. These Letters of Attestation are valid till January 21, 2025 unless otherwise mentioned on the letter. These letters only apply to international students applying for a college or undergraduate program.
The Provincial Attestation Letter is not required for anyone applying for a Master’s or Doctoral program and also if you are applying for a renewal.
The Letter of Attestation is also proof that the student has been accounted for under a provincial allocation within the national cap. The Letter of Attestation must be uploaded online along with all other documents required to complete the application process. Once all the documents have been uploaded, the application will be processed, and the study permit will be issued if IRCC is satisfied with the application.
The general process for obtaining the PAL is the same in each province.
Step 1: Receive the Letter of Acceptance from the Institute
Step 2: Pay the Tuition Fees
Step 3: Apply for PAL/TAL
Step 4: Receive the PAL/TAL (This procedure can vary in each province as shown below)
PROVINCIAL SYSTEM OF RELEASING THE PAL
In Alberta, the international student must first accept the offer from the university or college and pay the tuition fee. The University or college will then request the Government of Alberta for the PAL. Once the PAL is ready, the University will inform the student via email so that the student can then download the PAL from the MyCreds account. This is a national digital wallet for post-secondary credentials. This wallet stores all academic credentials like transcripts, awards and other documents which can then be shared with employers or the government. The entire process of receiving the PAL can take up to two weeks. (courtesy www.alberta.ca).
The British Columbia Government has a similar process for issuing the PAL to international students. Once the student has received the Letter of Acceptance from the institute, they need to request the institute to process the PAL. It must be noted that only one PAL can be issued to an international student even if they have received more than one Letter of Acceptance. The PAL will be sent directly to the institute who will then issue it to the student. (courtesy www.gov.bc.ca).
The provinces and territories will stop issuing PAL’s once they have achieved their allocation of study permits as per the cap announced by the Government of Canada. British Columbia has allocated 53% of PAL's to public institutes and the remaining 47% to private institutes.
Saskatchewan was one of the first provinces to introduce an Automated Provincial Attestation Letter Processing System. This system also uses the Mycreds portal to issue PAL’s. The province has also stopped accepting new applications from post-secondary institutions that want to enroll international students. New applications will only be accepted from January 2026 onwards.
The Manitoba Government has also announced that the PAL’s will be issued by the universities in the province and not by the government.
The Ontario Government has announced that it is prioritizing post-secondary institutions that will help prepare graduates for in-demand jobs that support the provinces’ labour market needs. This indicates that study permits will only be issued for those students applying for programs that are in line with the government’s priorities. Ontario has also announced that 96% of the study permit allocations will go the publicly assisted institutions and the remaining to private institutions and language schools. (information courtesy www.ontario.ca).
According to these criteria, programs in high demand areas such as skilled trades, health, human resources, STEM, Hospitality and child care would be given preference while allocating study permits. French language enrollments will also be prioritized.
Other smaller provinces have similar processing systems. To know more about the new changes in the study permit program, visit www.canadianxperience.com or www.canada.ca.
THE IMPACT
The biggest impact of the study permit caps will be on the private educational institutes which are more dependent on international students for their funding and have more flexible admission criteria. British Columbia is taking steps to ensure that private institutes meet higher standards for approval. This includes “higher assessment criteria for degree quality, demonstrated labour-market need for graduates and appropriate resources and student support”.
For 2025, the Canadian Government has announced a further reduction in the issuance of study permits by 10%. The final numbers will only be announced by January.
Contact CanadianXperience for guidance on understanding the new changes in the study permit process and requirements to confidently decide on your next step. CanadianXperience is an Education Consultancy specializing in study in Canada.
Kommentare