Provincial Attestation Letters, or PALs, are now being sent by Alberta and Manitoba to foreign students who have been admitted to their respective universities.
Through Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) within their respective jurisdictions, both provinces have started to issue PALs. The only Canadian schools authorized to take in foreign students are DLIs.
Information about the number of PALs allotted to each province and their distribution is now unavailable.
In Alberta, how can I obtain a PAL?
Although not much is currently known about the system, the IRCC claims that as of March 1st, Alberta has started issuing PALs.
Post-secondary institutions (DLIs) will request PALs on behalf of overseas students who have been accepted to their schools, according to the province government’s website. Additionally, the government advises students with any inquiries or for more information to get in touch with their individual school’s registrar.
International students may need to provide proof of their continued commitment to study with their particular DLI in order to be eligible to request a PAL through them. A closer look at some of the province’s DLI pages, such as those for the University of Alberta or the University of Calgary, for instance, reveals that in order for students to be eligible to have their DLI request a PAL from the Albertan government, they must also pay a deposit in addition to accepting their offer of admission.
To inform students that their PAL is ready for download for their final study permit application, the majority of Albertan universities will send an email to the address they provided on their application.
In Manitoba, how can I obtain a PAL?
The Manitoba provincial government started providing PALs to international students on March 4th, 2024, according to the IRCC’s official webpage.
Similar to Alberta’s system, DLIs around the province will administer PALs in Manitoba. Before the school may apply for a PAL on their behalf, international students requesting a PAL from the Manitoba provincial government might additionally need to make a deposit payment to their preferred DLI.
For instance, the University of Manitoba’s official website states that before submitting an application for a PAL on behalf of a student, the university would need a non-refundable tuition deposit of “$2,000 CAD paid by credit card.” Once an applicant’s application has been decided upon, the deposit must be paid within ten business days.
When PAL requests are made on behalf of students, different DLIs in the province could have varying requirements. When applying, prospective overseas students should confirm these prerequisites in detail with the registrar of the school of their choice.
Visit our dedicated webpage here to learn more about obtaining a study permit, who needs one, and other important details.
