Changes to Canadian Study Permit Policies
On September 18, 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced on-going adaptations to the immigration system to ensure that temporary residents welcomed to Canada receive adequate support. This announcement includes measures to manage the volume of temporary resident arrivals and uphold the integrity of the immigration system.
Under the new measures, international graduate program applicants will be required to submit a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) as part of their study permit application. The PAL, issued by the government of Ontario, verifies that Western University is within the provincial cap for international graduate study permit applications.
We are not issuing PALs to international graduate applicants at this time as we await further clarification on the implementation of this new policy.
Please note that the government announcement does not specify:
- When the PAL will be required for your study permit application.
- How the new PAL requirement will be operationalized.
Until further details are released, we recommend that you apply for your IRCC Study Permit as soon as possible.
We also recommend that you access this Government of Canada website to help you forecast how long it may take to process your study permit application: www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html
Despite the changes, Western University continues to admit international graduate students. We encourage you to explore our programs using the Degree Explorer to find the right fit for you.
We understand that this is a stressful time for our international graduate program applicants. We anticipate receiving more clarity about the implementation of this announcement in the coming months, although no specific dates have been confirmed.
Rest assured, we will continue to communicate with you and provide support as we learn more about the PAL process.
For further details about the study permit application process, please visit Western International’s website at iesc.uwo.ca/visas/study_permits.html. In addition, any immigration questions can be directed to iesc@uwo.ca.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate this process together.
Please check this website regularly for the most up-to-date information.
