Provincial attestation letter or territorial attestation letter
Most study permit applicants need to provide a provincial attestation letter (PAL) or territorial attestation letter (TAL).
Unless you meet one of the exceptions, you must submit a PAL/TAL
- with your application, not after
- even if you’re applying for a prerequisite course or program, including language courses or programs
- for each study permit applicant, even if you’re applying as a family and submitting your applications together
How long a PAL/TAL is valid for
Your PAL/TAL only needs to be valid when we receive it with your application. Unless it has an expiry date on it, it’s valid until January 21, 2025. You can resubmit a study permit application with the same PAL/TAL if it’s still valid.
How to get a PAL/TAL
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For schools outside of Quebec
Provincial attestation letters and territorial attestation letters are now available
Contact your school to find out how to apply for a PAL/TAL. Once you have one, you can apply for a study permit.
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For schools in Quebec
Quebec Acceptance Certificate
If you want to study in Quebec, you need an attestation of issuance of your Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ), which is issued by the Government of Quebec. Contact your school to find out how to apply for the CAQ.
Find out which documents you need to study in Quebec.For your CAQ to act as your provincial attestation letter, it needs to include the following line:
“This attestation letter confirms that the applicant has a place in Quebec’s share of the distribution of study permit applications or is exempt from it.”
CAQs for applications received before 8:30 a.m. ET on January 22, 2024, do not require the above line.
Who doesn’t need a PAL/TAL
You don’t need a PAL/TAL when applying for a study permit if any of the following applies to you.
- You’re applying to study at a
- preschool
- primary school (including kindergarten)
- secondary school (up to grade 12)
- federally designated military college or
- school in Quebec in a vocational training program that leads to one of the following:
- a diploma of vocational studies (DVS)
- an attestation of vocational specialization (AVS) or
- a skills training certificate (STC)
- You’re applying to study in a master’s degree or doctoral degree program.
- You’ve received a scholarship from Global Affairs Canada.
- You’re eligible for an exemption from study permit requirements based on a public policy as part of a migration response to a crisis or other pressure.
- You’ve entered Canada and one of the following situations applies to you:
- You’re applying for a study permit extension or to restore your status.
- You have a work permit, unless you received it through International Experience Canada.
- You’re a temporary resident who is a visiting or exchange student studying at a designated learning institution (DLI).
- You’re under a removal order, but can’t be removed from Canada at this time.
- You have a temporary resident permit valid for at least 6 months.
- You’re a protected person.
- You’re eligible for permanent residence
- based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds
- based on a current public policy, or
- as a spouse or common-law partner (through the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class).
- You’ve entered Canada and you’re the family member of a foreign national who lives in Canada and who is in one of the following situations:
- a study permit holder
- a work permit holder
- a temporary resident permit holder with a permit that’s valid for at least 6 months
- a member of armed forces in another country under the Visiting Forces Act
- an accredited foreign government representative
- a participant in certain sports activities or events
- a worker in Canada who is a member of a foreign news company
- a religious worker
- a protected person
- eligible for permanent residence based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds
- eligible for permanent residence based on a current public policy
- eligible for permanent residence as a spouse or common-law partner (through the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class)
You need to provide proof that you meet one of the above exceptions if you don’t provide a PAL/TAL with your study permit application.
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