What is a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL)?
- A Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) confirms that you have been assigned one of the available spaces to study in the province you plan to study in.
- Immigration Canada now requires certain international students (including most incoming undergraduate students) to obtain a PAL to apply for their study permit.
- In Quebec, the CAQ will serve as both your CAQ and your PAL.
- For your CAQ to act as your PAL, it must include the following line:
This letter of attestation confirms that the applicant has a place in the Québec share of the distribution of study permit applications or that he or she has been exempted.
If you are applying for your study permit and have a valid CAQ without the PAL line, you will need to request an updated CAQ attestation letter from Immigration Quebec via their webform (select “CAQ – Updated Letter of Attestation”) before applying for your study permit.
Who needs a Provincial Attestation Letter?
You must provide a PAL:
- If you are applying for your study permit using the outside of Canada application (IMM1294) and
- You are an undergraduate student or
- You will be doing a program that is not a Master’s or PhD program – e.g., graduate certificate, graduate diploma, or post-graduate diploma program.
- If you are applying for a study permit from inside Canada (IMM 5709) and you do not qualify for a PAL exception
You do not require a PAL:
- If you are an incoming Master’s or PhD student
- If you are applying to extend your study permit from inside Canada (IMM 5709) for studies at the same designated learning institution (DLI) and at the same level of study as your current study permit.
Almost all international students require a CAQ – even if they are exempt from the PAL requirement. NOTE: A very small number of students do not need a CAQ to study in Quebec. See the short list of situations where a CAQ is not required.
I require a PAL. What do I need to include in my study permit application?
If you require a PAL, upload your CAQ in both:
- The CAQ section of your document checklist; and
- The Provincial or Territorial Attestation Letter (PAL or TAL) section of your document checklist
I am PAL-exempt. How can I prove this?
If you qualify for an exception to the PAL, you must provide proof of your exception in your study permit application . If you do not provide proof of your PAL exception, your application could be refused.
In the eligibility questionnaire, for the question:
Do you have a provincial or territorial attestation letter or meet an exception from submitting a provincial or territorial attestation letter?
- ANSWER: Yes, I meet an exception from submitting a provincial or territorial attestation letter.
- Upload Proof of Provincial or Territorial Attestation Letter (PAL or TAL) Exception in your document checklist.
Example: You do not require a PAL because you have been admitted to a Master’s or PhD program at McGill.
Include the following as proof you meet a PAL exception (combine and upload as one pdf):
- Brief cover letter explaining how you meet the PAL exception – e.g. I have been admitted to a Master’s degree/PhD degree program at McGill University (COMPLETE NAME OF PROGRAM) and am therefore exempt from the requirement to hold a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). See https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/study-permit/get-documents/provincial-attestation-letter.html#exemptions.
- Offer of Admission letter (confirming admission to a Master’s or PhD program)