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Frequently Asked Questions: Updates to Canadian International Study Permit Requirements

FAQ

Information last updated: January 30, 2025

About the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) & Eligibility

Updates to study permit requirements for international students

As of January 22, 2025, the Government of Canada amended study permit application requirements (external link)  for most new international students applying for an undergraduate degree, graduate degree or English language pathway program. These amendments require students interested in studying at TMU to submit a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) (external link, opens in new window)  with their study permit application. TMU will request a PAL for students once they have accepted their TMU Offer of Admission and paid their tuition deposit.

Students who are extending their study permit within Canada AND changing between levels of study, OR changing their Designation Learning Institution (DLI) are also required to submit a PAL.

Students who have already entered Canada and are applying for a study permit extension at the same Designated Learning Institution (DLI) and level of study as their current study permit DO NOT require a PAL.

An attestation is a declaration that verifies information. As of January 22, 2025, the Government of Canada announced that, other than a few exemptions, most international applicants to undergraduate degree, graduate degree and English language pathway programs will be required to provide a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) or Territorial Attestation Letter (TAL) (external link, opens in new window)  from the province or territory in which they will study. For studies at TMU, the PAL must be provided by the Government of Ontario, the province in which Toronto Metropolitan University is located.

Most study permit applicants, including undergraduate degree, graduate degree and English Language pathway students, need to provide a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) or Territorial Attestation Letter (TAL) when applying for a study permit.

Unless you meet one of the exceptions (external link) , you must submit a PAL/TAL

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

Who doesn’t need a provincial or territorial attestation letter?

You don't need a PAL/TAL when applying for a study permit if any of the following applies to you:

  • You’re applying to study at a:
    • preschool
    • primary school (including kindergarten)
    • secondary school (up to grade 12)
    • school participating in the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot (FMCSP) (external link)  and you have a letter of acceptance from this school identifying you as an applicant under the FMCSP
    • federally designated military college
    • school in Quebec in a vocational training program that leads to one of the following:
      • a diploma of vocational studies (DVS)
      • an attestation of vocational specialization (AVS)
      • a skills training certificate (STC)
  • You’re an exchange student studying under an exchange arrangement between your home institution and a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada, and you don’t pay tuition fees to the DLI.
  • You’ve received a scholarship from Global Affairs Canada.
  • You’re in Canada or entering Canada at a port of entry and are eligible for an exemption from certain study permit requirements based on a public policy as part of a migration response to a crisis or other pressure.
  • You’re exempt from certain study permit requirements under the temporary measures to reunite families of Indigenous people separated by Canada’s border (external link) .
  • You’ve entered Canada and one of the following situations applies to you:

You need to provide proof (external link)  that you meet one of the above exceptions if you don’t provide a PAL/TAL with your study permit application.

How to get a PAL

Once you have received your Offer of Admission and Letter of Acceptance (LOA), you will be required to accept your offer and pay your tuition deposit. Once your payment has been processed, TMU will request a PAL on your behalf if it is determined that you need one.

We will notify you via your ChooseTMU Applicant Portal if a letter has been requested for you and once it is ready for download via MyServiceHub. Further instructions will be provided when your PAL is available.

Yes, you must accept your Offer of Admission and pay your tuition deposit before TMU can request a PAL on your behalf.

After you have accepted your Offer of Admission and submitted your tuition deposit, we will notify you via the ChooseTMU Applicant Portal if we have requested a PAL for you and when it’s ready.

Please remember that it can take several days for a payment to be processed by your bank and TMU.

Please follow the instructions if you have been notified via your ChooseTMU Applicant Portal that your PAL is ready for download.

It is in your best interest to download your PAL as soon as possible. Although you technically have until the deadline cited in your Offer of Admission to accept your offer, and until the tuition deposit deadline cited in your Offer of Admission to pay your deposit, it is in your best interest to do both as soon as possible to receive your PAL in enough time to submit an application and receive a study permit for the start of classes. Your PAL includes an expiry date.

Since the length of time to receive a study permit can vary substantially, submit your application as early as possible to provide enough time to comfortably receive an answer and begin the planning to arrive and settle in Toronto for your studies at TMU.

PAL Timelines

Your PAL should be available for download within approximately three business days after we have received your tuition deposit and you have accepted your Offer of Admission.

As soon as we receive your PAL, we will notify you via your ChooseTMU Applicant Portal. You will then be able to download it from MyServiceHub

Please follow the instructions if you have been notified via your ChooseTMU Applicant Portal that your PAL is ready for download.

Unfortunately there is no way of decreasing the time to receive your PAL. On average, your PAL should be available for download within approximately three business days after we have received your tuition deposit and you have accepted your Offer of Admission. 

As soon as we receive your PAL from the issuing office, we will notify you via your ChooseTMU Applicant Portal that it is available for download from MyServiceHub. Please follow the instructions if you have been notified via your ChooseTMU Applicant Portal that your PAL is ready for download.

Please review the FAQ above regarding PAL eligibility, requests and timelines. If you think you should have a PAL and it's not available in MyServiceHub, please reach out to the International Admissions team at intladmissions@torontomu.ca for assistance.

Deferring Your Start Date Due to Study Permit Delay or Denial

We recognize that you may not be able to attend TMU if your study permit application is delayed or denied. If you want to defer your undergraduate program start date to a future term, we encourage you to apply for a Deferral of Admission. TMU does not guarantee deferrals, but we do our best to grant them whenever possible. 

Note: Requests for deferrals will not be accepted after the deferral deadline. If you miss this deadline, you must submit a Permanent Withdrawal Request in order to avoid tuition fee charges. You are academically and financially responsible for the courses you are enrolled in.

Please consult Deferral of Admission for the deferral deadline. If you miss this deadline, you must submit a Permanent Withdrawal Request in order to avoid tuition fee charges. You are academically and financially responsible for the courses you are enrolled in. If you withdraw from your program and you wish to attend TMU in the future, you will be required to submit a new application for admission.

Inbound Exchange Students

Exchange students studying under an exchange arrangement between their home institution and Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) do not pay tuition fees to TMU and are therefore exempt from obtaining a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) (external link, opens in new window) . This applies for both one semester and year-long inbound exchange students. 

Exchange students who will study at TMU for less than 6 months can apply for an electronic travel authorization (eTA (external link, opens in new window) ) or temporary resident visa (TRV) (external link, opens in new window)  depending on their country of citizenship. Exchange students who will study at TMU for more than 6 months are required to obtain a study permit.

For questions related to immigration, such as your temporary resident visa (TRV) or electronic travel authorization (eTA) application, please reach out to International Student Support at issask@torontomu.ca.

For questions related to your exchange, please reach out to your exchange coordinator or global.learning@torontomu.ca.

If you have further questions about your study permit application, check out International Student Support - Study Permit or connect with an International Student Advisor at a virtual drop-in advising session.

Note: Students are solely responsible for ensuring that they are in compliance with all Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) regulations during their studies and while in Canada. The information on this page does not constitute legal advice and information may change without notice. Always refer to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website (external link)  for the most up-to-date information.