In remarks attributed to Immigration Minister Marc Miller, it has been indicated that the current allocation of study permits available for college and undergraduate students stands at approximately 292,000. This comes after Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) set an initial cap on the overall intake of students at around 360,000 study permits earlier in January. However, clarification reveals that only 292,000 new study permits for college and undergraduate programs will be approved for the current year.
While the immigration minister lacks the authority to directly limit the number of approved visas, they can influence the processing of applications by the IRCC. Notably, this cap does not extend to primary and secondary schools, as well as master’s and doctorate-level university programs. Consequently, it’s anticipated that approximately 360,000 study permits will be approved in 2024, with an average approval rate of 60 percent.
The IRCC has delegated the responsibility of implementing this policy to provincial governments. Under this arrangement, provinces will issue Provincial Attestation Letters (PALs) to international students eligible to study at Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) within their jurisdictions. PALs, as per ministerial instructions, must include the applicant’s full name, date of birth, and address.
Under the new system, study permit applicants will now be required to present both a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from their institution and a PAL when applying to the IRCC for their study permit. Previously, only the LOA was necessary. The allocation of PALs to each province or territory will be based on their respective populations. To date, only two provinces—British Columbia and Alberta—have unveiled their systems for issuing PALs to students. Both systems involve DLIs applying to the provincial government on behalf of eligible students once they meet all necessary criteria.
