The new announcements will not affect your status in Canada, as study permit renewals are not included under the new regulations. Please refer to the ISSO study renewal guide for additional information.

Congratulations! Once you check that your name, address, and other biographical details are correct, accept the offer (see here how) and celebrate this big milestone, you can start preparing documents for the next steps. Part of the new study permit process includes the receipt of a new document, called a ‘provincial attestation letter’ or ‘PAL’, to be issued by the provinces.

To receive your PAL you need to accept your offer of admission and pay the tuition deposit. Once these steps are complete, we will initiate the attestation letter process. We will upload your attestation letter to Carleton360, so you can view and retrieve it along with the offer of admission.

Attestation letters cannot be reissued, so please ensure your personal information (name, address, etc) is correct before accepting your offer letter.

It is very important that you accept an offer and get an attestation letter from only one Canadian university.

Learn more about attestation letters on the IRCC website.

Be sure to check your status on Carleton360 regularly and upload any missing or requested documents to make sure your application is complete. Admissions processing may take between  4-6 weeks from the time all your documents are received.

If you require a study permit (see who is exempt), you need to focus first on your academic application, providing your documents to the university, and awaiting your admissions decision. See our page outlining this process. The sooner we can make a decision on your application, the sooner we will be able to guide you through the study permit process.

Once students check that their name, address, and other biographical details are correct, accept their offer of admission at Carleton and pay the tuition deposit, we will initiate the PAL process. Within approximately a week, students will be able to access PALs in Carleton360, along with their offer of admission. Please note that notifications are not sent out once the PAL is added to your account, so check your account a week after paying the deposit. Attestation letters cannot be reissued, so please make sure your personal information (name, address, etc) is correct before accepting your offer letter.

Note: we are awaiting information from the province of Ontario prior to issuing 2025 PALs. We hope to begin issuing them early in 2025. All offer holders will be updated by email when we initiate the process.

Different universities have different PAL processes. Carleton doesn’t require you to request the attestation letter. All you need to get one is to receive an offer of admission, accept your offer and pay the deposit.

The primary documents you’ll use for your study permit application are the offer of admission and the provincial attestation letter (PAL). Even before you receive your offer and PAL, you can start preparing the other documents you’ll need for the study permit application. The official list of documents can be found on the IRCC website. Once you prepare all the documents, including the offer of admission and PAL, you can apply for a study permit. If you have questions about study permits, the International Student Services Office (ISSO) has information available on their website, and you are welcome to attend an ISSO online event.

Once you have all the required documents, and submit a study permit application, IRCC sends the universities the offers to verify. Carleton University is receiving these requests, and verifying offers twice per week, well within the 10-day timeframe. Once we verify the offers of admission, IRCC proceeds with the study permit assessment. No action is required from you. You don’t need to request a verification.

The post-graduate work permit (PGWP) length for students graduating from undergraduate (Bachelor’s) degrees has not changed. After completing your degree program, you can apply for a three-year post-study work permit to gain Canadian work experience. Additionally, at Carleton University, we assist our students in obtaining their first local work experience through paid co-op placements, internships, and research opportunities during their studies.

This is true. The IRCC website states: “A single applicant will need to show they have CAN$20,635, in addition to their first year of tuition and travel costs. This change applies to new study permit applications received, on or after January 1, 2024. This amount reflects updated cost-of-living requirements.” Learn more on the IRCC website.