色狐入口
A published by (IRCC) has clarified exactly who is required to submit a provincial attestation letter (PAL) when they apply for a Canadian study permit.
In late January this year, the federal government announced that most new post-secondary international students at the college or undergraduate level would now require a PAL from a province or territory as part of their study permit application.
In addition to (LOAs) issued to international students by the (DLI) they apply to, PALs will 鈥渟erve as proof that the student has been accounted for under a provincial or territorial allocation within the [recently implemented] national cap鈥� on study permits (more on that later).
IRCC has informed all provinces and territories that they must have a process for issuing PALs to international students in place by March 31, 2024. It should also be noted that, according to IRCC, 鈥渢he Government of Canada is working with the Government of Quebec to determine how the (CAQ) pour 茅tudes [for studies] could serve as a PAL.鈥�
Note: IRCC has indicated that they will return any study permit application received without an accompanying PAL unless the applicant is exempt.
Who needs a PAL?
According to IRCC鈥檚 notice, first published on February 5 and then updated on February 27, the department鈥檚 PAL requirements break down as follows.
PALs are a requirement for:
- Most post-secondary study permit applicants
- Most non-degree granting graduate programs (for example, certificate programs and graduate diplomas)
- Any international student not included in the exception list below
PALs are not required by:
- Primary and secondary school students
- Master鈥檚 or doctoral degree students
- In-Canada visiting or exchange students studying at a DLI
- In-Canada study permit and work permit holders (including existing study permit holders applying for an extension)
- In-Canada family members of study permit or work permit holders
- Students who have already been approved for a study permit and intend to travel to Canada for an upcoming program
- Students whose application we received before 8:30 a.m. EST on January 22, 2024
Other key changes to Canada鈥檚 international student landscape
PALs are just one of several new policies recently/soon to be implemented by IRCC. The department says the measures aim to help maintain and reinforce the integrity of Canada鈥檚 international student system while supporting 鈥渟ustainable population growth.鈥�
Accordingly, the federal government has taken the following steps 鈥� in addition to the introduction of PALs 鈥� to reform the international student system.
Intake cap on international student permit applications
Over the next two years, the Government of Canada will set an intake cap on study permits 鈥渢o stabilize new growth鈥� across the country.
In 2024, the cap is expected to result in approximately 360,000 approved study permits, a decrease of 35% from the year prior. This cap will be distributed across Canadian provinces and territories, weighted by population, and local governments in each region will then be responsible for distributing 鈥渢he allocation among their鈥� DLIs.
IRCC notes that the study permit cap for 2025 will be reassessed at the end of this year.
IRCC鈥檚 trusted institution framework
An upcoming Trusted Institutions Framework (TIF) will soon be implemented by IRCC as a way to provide 鈥淒LIs who meet certain IRCC integrity criteria [to take advantage of] certain benefits, such as priority processing of study permit applications by IRCC.鈥� More details about this framework are expected in the coming months, as the TIF is expected to be implemented by the Fall semester of 2024.
Changes to Post-Graduation Work Permit program eligibility criteria
IRCC is making certain international students ineligible for a (PGWP) while adding other students to the list of eligible recipients.
Specifically, beginning September 1 this year, 鈥渋nternational students who begin a study program that is part of a curriculum licensing arrangement will no longer be eligible for a [PGWP] upon graduation.鈥�
This measure, which was initially announced in January, applies to 鈥渟tudents [who] physically attend a private college that has been licensed to deliver the curriculum of an associated public college.鈥�
On the other hand, as of February 15, international students who graduate with a master鈥檚 degree are now eligible for a three-year PGWP. Previously, these graduates were restricted to a PGWP where the permit鈥檚 validity period was directly correlated with the length of the program of study.
Changes to open work permit eligibility
Open work permits will soon only be available to spouses of international students in master鈥檚 and doctoral programs. This means that the spouses of international students pursuing other , including undergraduate and college programs, will no longer be eligible. IRCC has not yet released details on this measure.
Increased cost-of-living requirement
As of January 1, 2024, IRCC has increased the cost-of-living requirement for study permit applicants. This requirement, according to IRCC, will now be adjusted annually when Statistics Canada updates the low-income cut-off. Before this adjustment on January 1, Canada鈥檚 cost-of-living requirement had not been adjusted once since it was first introduced in the early 2000s.
New LOA verification process
Since December 1 last year, DLIs across Canada have been required to confirm every LOA submitted by international students outside of Canada directly with IRCC. Under this new framework, DLIs will now have to verify every LOA submitted by an eligible student through the online portal, 鈥渨hich only their representative(s) to IRCC will have access to.鈥�