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 PAL exemptions. 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 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 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.

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.

Yes, a PAL will be required for incoming graduate students. Our international student advising team is working to understand the details and will share more information about the permit application process here when we have them.

For graduate students, Western University is not currently issuing PALs as we await further clarification. Please continue to monitor your email for an update from the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Once a service for issuing PALs is available, you will be sent information on how to make this request.

Please send any immigration questions to Western International at iesc@uwo.ca.