Study Abroad: When you need PAL for study permit in Canada and when not

The students must apply for a study permit in Canada before coming to the country. However, in some cases, people can apply for a study permit from within Canada also, but this option is not available to everyone. The applicant must know which options are available to them.

Study Abroad: While applying for a study permit in Canada, the applicants must provide some documents. Provincial attestation letter (PAL) is one of the main documents which the applicants need to provide from the province or territory where they plan to study.

PAL will only be valid when the Canadian government receives it with the application and unless it has an expiry date on it, it will be valid until January 21, 2025.

There are some exceptional cases where you do not need the PAL, otherwise, you must:

• Submit a PAL even if you’re applying for a prerequisite course or program, including language courses or programs
• Submit your PAL with your application, not after
• Submit a PAL for each study permit applicant, even if you’re applying as a family and submitting your applications together.

Who does not need PAL

Following are the exceptional cases that does not require PAL:

• Students who are applying to study in a master’s degree or doctoral degree program.
• They are applying to study in a preschool, primary school (including kindergarten), and secondary school (up to grade 12).
• Vocational training program in Quebec that leads to one of the following - a skills training certificate (STC), an attestation of vocational specialization (AVS), and a diploma of vocational studies (DVS).
• If you’re the family member of a foreign national who lives in Canada and who is in one of the following situations described under subsection 215(2) of the IRPR - 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), 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, 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
• A condition under subsection 215(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) applies to you - if you’re a temporary resident who is a visiting or exchange student studying at a designated learning institution (DLI), you’re a temporary resident who has completed a course or program of study that is a prerequisite to you enrolling at a DLI, you have a study permit and are applying for a study permit extension, you have a work permit, and 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, or 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).

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