Alberta & Manitoba issues provincial attestation letters to international students who have been accepted to schools in their provinces. Both provinces have begun issuing PALs via DLIs in their jurisdictions. DLIs are the only Canadian schools that are approved to accept international students.
Details regarding the number of PALs allocated to either province or how they will be distributed aren’t available as of now.
How Can I Get A PAL In Alberta?
Alberta & Manitoba issues provincial attestation letters. Alberta has begun issuing PALs though not much is presently known about the system.
According to the provincial government’s website, post-secondary institutions will request letters on behalf of international students who are accepted to their institutions. The government also urges students to contact the registrar of their respective schools for more information or any questions that might emerge.
Moreover, to be able to request a PAL via a DLI, international students might have to show their specific DLI a further commitment to study with them. For instance, a further look at the specific DLI pages in the province indicates that students have to pay a deposit along with accepting their offer of admission to qualify to have their DLI request a PAL from the government of Alberta.
Most Albertan universities will send an email to the address that the applicant has used on their application to let them know that their PAL is available to download for their final study permit application.
How Can I Get A PAL In Manitoba?
According to IRCC’s official webpage, the Manitoba provincial government has started issuing PALs to international students as of March 4th, 2024.
Like Alberta’s system, Provincial Attestation Letters in Manitoba will be delivered via DLIs across the province. International/ foreign students seeking a PAL from the provincial government might also need to pay a deposit to their selected DLI before the school can apply on their behalf.
For instance, the official page of the University in Manitoba indicates that the university will require a non-refundable tuition deposit of CAD 2,000 paid by credit card before applying for a PAL on the student’s behalf. The deposit must be paid within 10 business days from the time a decision has been made on a student’s application.
Other DLIs in the province might have other requirements when requesting PALs on behalf of the student. Thus, it is advisable for new international/ foreign students to check these requirements thoroughly with their chosen school’s registrar at the time of applying.