International Education Centre

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced on January 22, 2024 that a provincial attestation letter (PAL) would be required for most new study permit applications. The Government of Ontario now has a PAL process in place and Algonquin College is now issuing PALs to eligible students. 

All new international students, with some exceptions, are required to submit a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) with their study permit application.

Algonquin College will NOT issue a PAL to students who are exempt from requiring a PAL when applying for a new study permit or to extend an existing study permit.  Please review below for a list of students who do not require a PAL:

• In-Canada students who meet any of the following criteria are exempt from requiring a PAL:
  • Have a valid study permit
  • Have a study permit and are applying for a study permit extension
  • Have a study permit that expired and can apply to restore status as a student within 90 days after the study permit expired. (Note that it may take up to 3 weeks or more for admissions assessment and the issuance of a Letter of Acceptance (LOA.)
  • Have a work permit (including spousal work permit or working holiday open work permit)
  • Are applying for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) plus an Academic Program or Private Pathway Program plus an Algonquin Academic Program
  • Are the dependant (under 22) or spouse of a study permit holder or a work permit holder

Please see IRCC link for a complete list of exemptions to find out if you need to provide a PAL with your study permit application. 

To receive a PAL, you must first confirm your seat by paying the tuition fees indicated on your Letter of Acceptance before the deadline. You must indicate that you need a PAL in the chat feed of your application portal or instruct your agent (if you have one) to do so on your behalf. Before you pay your fees, confirm that the name and date of birth on the LOA are correct and complete and match your passport name and date of birth. If there are any errors, notify us in your application before fees are paid since the PAL will use the same name and date of birth. If the information on the LOA and PAL do not match, we will not be issuing a second PAL, so it is essential this information is correct.  

Please monitor your student application portal as the PAL will be uploaded after your fees have reached your account and once the PAL has been approved by the Government of Ontario. If you applied via an agent, they will receive it in their Algonquin portal. 

Once you receive a PAL, apply for your study permit before the PAL expiry date as PALs must be used for a study permit application which is begun before the PAL expiry date.  Please note that the PAL expiry date refers to the date before which your study permit application must be submitted and NOT the start date of your program.  

If you do not require a PAL, the college will ask for proof of PAL exemptions such as your study permit, work permit, proof of relationship, etc.  

Due to a limited number of PALs available, Algonquin College will NOT issue a PAL in the following cases:

• English for Academic Purposes (EAP) only applicants.
• Anyone who has had a previous Canadian study permit rejection.
• Anyone who holds a current PAL from another Canadian institution.

• You will not be impacted by any of these changes.

Provincial Attestation Letter exemption requirement details.

• All programs of 8 months duration or longer and delivered at our Ottawa, Perth, Pembroke, 700 Sussex, or Rideau-Perley campuses will continue to provide eligibility for the Post Graduate Work Permit program.
• If you are accepted to a program beginning Spring 2024 or Fall 2024 and your spouse will be travelling with you to Canada, they will remain eligible for a Spousal Open Work Permit, if they applied for the Spousal Open Work Permit prior to March 19, 2024..  If they apply after this date, they will not be eligible for a Spousal Open Work Permit.  For additional information regarding this change, please visit IRCC website.

• All programs of 8 months duration or longer and delivered at our Ottawa, Perth, Pembroke, 700 Sussex, or Rideau-Perley campuses will continue to provide eligibility for the Post Graduate Work Permit program.
• You will not be required to submit an attestation from the province and your study permit will continue to be processed by IRCC. No action is required on your part.
• If your spouse will be travelling with you to Canada, they will remain eligible for a Spousal Open Work Permit if they also applied for a Spousal Open Work Permit prior to March 19, 2024.  If they applied after this date, they will not be eligible for a Spousal Open Work Permit. For additional information regarding this change, please visit IRCC website.

You will need a Provincial Attestation Letter or PAL from the Ontario Provincial government to apply for a Study Permit. Algonquin College obtains the PAL from the Ontario Government on behalf of the student. See the section above for information on how to get a PAL.  

• To receive a PAL, you must first confirm your seat by paying the tuition fees indicated on your Letter of Acceptance before the deadline. You must indicate that you need a PAL in the chat feed of your application portal or instruct your agent (if you have one) to do so on your behalf. Please monitor your student application portal as the PAL will be uploaded after your fees have reached your account and once the PAL has been approved by the Government of Ontario. If you applied via an agent, they will receive it on their Algonquin portal. Once you receive a PAL, apply for your study permit as soon as possible as PALs are valid until the expiry date indicated on the letter or until the study permit application cap is reached.
• All programs of 8 months duration or longer and delivered at our Ottawa, Perth, Pembroke, 700 Sussex, or Rideau-Perley campuses will continue to provide eligibility for the Post Graduate Work Permit program.
• If your spouse will be travelling with you to Canada, they will not be eligible for a Spousal Open Work Permit if they applied on or after March 19, 2024. For additional information regarding this change, please visit IRCC website. 

All programs of 8 months duration or longer and delivered at our Ottawa, Perth, Pembroke, 700 Sussex, or Rideau-Perley campuses will continue to provide eligibility for the Post Graduate Work Permit program.

No.  Programs delivered at our Ottawa, Perth, Pembroke, 700 Sussex, or Rideau-Perley campuses are delivered directly by Algonquin College and are not part of a curriculum licensing agreement.

If your spouse applied for a Spousal Open Work Permit prior to March 19, 2024, your spouse remains eligible for a Spousal Open Work Permit.  If they apply after this date, they will not be eligible for a Spousal Open Work Permit.  For additional information regarding this change, please visit IRCC website.

If you are currently in Canada on a valid study permit and your spouse is also in Canada on a Spousal Open Work Permit, they will remain eligible for an extension of a Spousal Open Work Permit. 

No. If you are accepted in a program and pay the tuition fees as per the deadline mentioned in the Letter of Acceptance, your acceptance is secured.

Please refer to the Algonquin College International Refund Policy.