Provincial Attestation Letter
Tanım
A Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) is a document from a Canadian province or territory confirming an applicant holds a spot within that jurisdiction's share of Canada's capped study-permit intake. Introduced in 2024, most study-permit applicants must include a valid PAL, though rules and exemptions change; verify current requirements with IRCC.
How the PAL works
Canada introduced the PAL in 2024 to administer a national cap on new study-permit applications. Each province and territory receives an allocation of spaces, and the PAL is the document confirming an applicant holds one of them. Most study-permit applications must include a valid PAL for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to process them.
Applicants do not obtain the PAL from the federal government. It is issued by the province or territory, usually through the designated learning institution, and the exact process differs across the country. Quebec issues an equivalent letter (a TAL) linked to its own attestation system.
A recent and changing requirement
Because the PAL was created to manage a cap, its scope has shifted since 2024 and continues to change. For example, from 1 January 2026 master's and doctoral students at public institutions are exempt from the PAL requirement, and other exemptions and provincial processes are periodically revised.
For this reason, always confirm whether a specific applicant needs a PAL, and how to obtain it, against current IRCC guidance rather than older summaries. Agencies supporting students heading to Canada treat the PAL as a live requirement to re-check each intake.
Because PAL rules move between intakes, agencies re-verify the requirement per applicant, and a platform like VisaCRM keeps the PAL as a tracked, dated document tied to each student's province and institution.
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What is a Provincial Attestation Letter?
It is a document from a Canadian province or territory confirming that an international student holds a place within that jurisdiction's share of Canada's capped study-permit intake, introduced in 2024. Most study-permit applications must include a valid PAL for IRCC to process them, though some categories of applicant are exempt.
Who needs a PAL?
Most study-permit applicants have needed one since the cap began, but the scope has changed over time. Notably, from 1 January 2026 master's and doctoral students at public institutions are exempt. Other exemptions exist too. Because the rules shift between intakes, verify whether your specific situation requires a PAL using current IRCC guidance.
How do I get a PAL?
You do not apply to the federal government for it. The province or territory issues the PAL, usually through your designated learning institution once you have accepted an offer and, in many places, paid a deposit. The exact steps and timing differ by province, so follow the instructions from your institution and provincial authority.
Is the PAL the same as a study permit?
No. A PAL is only one supporting document you include with a study-permit application; it confirms your place in a province's allocation. IRCC still assesses the full application, including finances, admission and intent, before deciding whether to issue the study permit. Without a required PAL, though, the application is generally returned as incomplete.
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