📘 Study Permit 2024–2025: Do You Need a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL)?

Starting in 2024, most study permit applicants to Canada must provide a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) or a Territorial Attestation Letter (TAL). These letters confirm that the province or territory has assigned you a study space under its quota system. Without one, your application will likely not be processed.

Who Needs a PAL/TAL?

• All new study permit applicants (including language or prerequisite programs)

• Each family member applying together must have their own PAL/TAL

  
  

  

Who Is Exempt?

You do not need a PAL/TAL if:

• You are applying for preschool, elementary, or secondary school (K–12)

• You are admitted to a vocational program in Quebec leading to a DVS, AVS, or STC

• You are an exchange student (tuition-free arrangement with a Canadian DLI)

• You have a Global Affairs Canada scholarship

• You qualify under special exemptions (e.g., Indigenous family reunification, crisis-related public policies)

Validity Period

• 2024 cap year: PAL/TAL issued between Jan 22, 2024 – Jan 21, 2025 is valid until Jan 21, 2025

• 2025 cap year: PAL/TAL issued between Jan 22, 2025 – Dec 31, 2025 is valid until Dec 31, 2025

When Do You Need a New PAL?

• If your PAL/TAL has expired

• If your last study permit was approved or refused

• If you change your school or level of study (e.g., undergrad → graduate)

Current Landscape

PAL quotas are unevenly distributed across provinces:

• Ontario & British Columbia: Highest demand, limited allocations, fastest to fill.

• Atlantic provinces & Prairie provinces: More availability, but fewer program options.

Professional Insight

PAL/TAL is now central to Canada’s strategy to manage international student intake. As a regulated immigration consultant, my advice is:

1. Contact your school immediately to understand the PAL application process.

2. Do not submit a study permit application without a valid PAL/TAL, unless you clearly meet an exemption.

3. Plan ahead — switching programs or schools can trigger the need for a new PAL and delay your study plans.

📌 Bottom line: PAL/TAL is no longer optional. Treat it as step one in your study permit journey for 2025.