Provincial Attestation Letters: What ASEAN Study Permit Applicants Need From Each Province

Why the PAL exists

Canada introduced the provincial attestation letter requirement for study permit applications on January 22, 2024, as part of measures to manage the number of new international students entering the country each year. A PAL confirms that the province or territory where you plan to study has allocated you one of its limited spots, in addition to the letter of acceptance you already get from your school.

Without a valid PAL matching your application, IRCC will not process most study permit applications. The requirement sits alongside your acceptance letter and proof of funds as a core document for ASEAN applicants heading to Canada from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste or Vietnam.

How you get one

• Accept your offer of admission from a designated learning institution first. Schools only request a PAL on behalf of students who have confirmed their place.

• Pay the tuition deposit your school requires. Most institutions will not request your PAL until you have paid at least part of your fees, since the letter confirms a real, committed spot rather than a conditional one.

• Wait for your institution to issue the PAL, or in some provinces a territorial attestation letter (TAL). The letter is signed by provincial or territorial authorities and includes your name, date of birth, and residential address.

• Submit the PAL together with your letter of acceptance and other study permit documents through your IRCC application.

Who is exempt

Not every applicant needs a PAL. Kindergarten-to-Grade-12 students are exempt. Most applicants extending or renewing a study permit while continuing at the same institution and level of study do not need a new one either. From January 1, 2026, master's and doctoral students applying to public institutions are also exempt from the PAL/TAL requirement, though check your specific program before relying on this if you plan to apply close to that date.

Quebec is different

If your school is in Quebec, you do not apply for a PAL. Quebec issues its own Certificat d'acceptation du Quebec (CAQ) through its provincial immigration ministry, and you submit that with your federal study permit application instead. Applicants heading to any other province or territory follow the standard PAL process described above.

Requirements around study permit numbers and provincial allocations have shifted more than once since 2024, so confirm your exemption status and your province's current process directly with your institution and on the official Government of Canada study permit pages before you apply.