Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL)

A provincial attestation letter (PAL) is a new part of the study permit application required by the Canadian government for new international undergraduate and graduate students.

Most new international undergraduate and graduate students will require a PAL. IRCC provides a list of students who are exempt from requiring a PAL. If you do not fall under any of the categories, PAL is a mandatory document for your Study Permit application.

Yes! You can apply to Western without a PAL, but you will need to get a PAL to apply for a Study Permit if you receive an offer of admission.

If you are an undergraduate student, you must:

1. Accept your offer of admission to an undergraduate program at Western.
2. Pay your $2,500 tuition deposit.
3. Complete the PAL request form available in the Choose Western offer portal.

Once we receive confirmation that you have completed these steps, we will begin the process of issuing you a PAL.

For undergraduate students, please allow 5-10 days after completing the request form, accepting your offer, paying your deposit and meeting any condition (if applicable) to receive your PAL. If you have completed all requirements and haven’t received anything by then, you can reach out to welcome@uwo.ca.

You will get an email when your PAL is available for download on the Choose Western offer portal.

Important: before Western will issue you your PAL, you must:

1. Accept your offer of admission
2. Pay your $2,500 tuition deposit.
3. Submit your English Language Proficiency results if it is a condition of your offer

After you have your PAL you should apply as soon as possible for your study permit from  Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Submit your PAL from Western with your required documents. 

Check our Study Permit page for more information about the application process.

If you have a study permit issued to study in another institution, you need to apply for a new study permit from within Canada and have it approved before starting your studies at Western. A PAL may be required to complete your application. Please reach out to Western International at iesc@uwo.ca for support with your application.

Your PAL number starts with ON25. It can be found at the top left side of your provincial attestation letter.

Yes – a PAL is required if you are applying for a new study permit, even if you hold an open work permit. As an open work permit holder, you are eligible to apply for your study permit from inside Canada.

Please send any immigration questions to  Western International at  iesc@uwo.ca and any questions related to undergraduate provincial attestation letters (PALs) and PAL process to welcome@uwo.ca.

If you are a current student, your study permit validity and study permit extension application from inside Canada will not be impacted by these changes.

If you have taken a leave of absence from your studies at Western and your study permit will expire/has expired, and you are no longer in Canada, please contact Western International at iesc@uwo.ca to discuss your eligibility for a PAL.

If you are a current student, and need to apply for an extension at the same level of study as your current study permit, you will not be impacted by these changes.

If you have your current study permit issued to study in another institution (e.g. high school) a PAL will be required for your extension. Please connect with Western International for support with your application.

If you will be travelling outside of Canada and your documents will expire soon, be sure to plan ahead and renew before you go. You will need a PAL if you have to renew or apply for a study permit from outside Canada.

Please contact  Western International.

A provincial attestation letter (PAL) is a new part of the study permit application required by the Canadian government for most new international undergraduate and graduate students.

Yes, a PAL will be required for most incoming graduate students. IRCC provides a list of students who are exempt from requiring a PAL. If you do not fall under any of the categories, a PAL is a mandatory document for your Study Permit application.

Yes! You can apply to Western without a PAL, but you will need to get a PAL to apply for a Study Permit if you receive an offer of admission.

If you are an international graduate program applicant and require a PAL, you will need to do the following:

1. Accept your offer of admission.
2. Pay your $2,000 tuition deposit (Master's programs only) via the Office of the Registrar website.
3. Complete the PAL request form via the Graduate Student Web Services Portal.

Once we receive confirmation that you have completed these steps, we will begin the process of issuing you a PAL.

If you are a new international graduate student (a student who requires a study permit to study in Canada) applying to a Master's program, you are required to make a $2,000 CAD admission deposit as a part of accepting your offer of admission. International applicants applying to a doctoral program are not required to pay a tuition deposit.

Once you accept your offer of admission, you must pay your $2,000 CAD non refundable tuition deposit via the Office of the Registrar website. Please note that you will not receive an invoice for your tuition deposit, and you will not be able to request a PAL until the deposit appears in your Student Center account.

Your deposit will take 5-7 business days from the day of sending for the funds to be reflected in your Student Center account. Any questions can be sent to gradapps@uwo.ca.

Yes. If you have accepted an offer from a Western graduate program, and have paid your deposit, you can subsequently accept an offer to another Western graduate program. Your tuition deposit will be transferred, and can count as the deposit for your preferred graduate program.

Once you submit your request for a PAL, you can expect to receive a response within 1-2 business days.

Approved PALs will be available for download via the One Experience Portal.

After you have your PAL, you should apply as soon as possible for your study permit from Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Submit your PAL from Western with your required documents. Check our Study Permit page for more information about the application process. If you require support with your application, please contact Western International.

If you have a study permit issued to study at another institution, you need to apply for a new study permit from within Canada and have it approved before starting your studies at Western. A PAL may be required to complete your application.

If you are applying for a study permit extension at the same Designated Learning Institution (DLI) and at the same level of study, a PAL is not required.

Please reach out to Western International for support with your application.

Please send any immigration questions to Western International at iesc@uwo.ca and questions related to your offer of admission or the PAL request form to gradapps@uwo.ca.

Your PAL number starts with ON25. It can be found at the top left side of your provincial attestation letter.

Yes – a PAL is required if you are applying for a new study permit, even if you hold an open work permit. As an open work permit holder, you are eligible to apply for your study permit from inside Canada.

If you are exempt from the PAL requirement, please upload a letter of explanation in the PAL field indicating that you are not providing the document because you meet an exception. State the exception in your letter (ie: applying for a study permit extension for the same program and level).

You can review the list of exceptions on the IRCC website.

If you are unsure if you qualify for an exception, please speak with an International Student Advisor to confirm.