IMMIGRATION DOCUMENTS: AFTER YOU ARRIVE
On January 24, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada additional groups of students who are now required to have a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) when applying for a study permit. Some highlights of the expanded PAL requirement are:
- These changes will apply to study permit applications that are submitted on or after January 22, 2025. They will apply to both in-Canada study permit extensions and outside Canada study permit applications.
- Master鈥檚 and PhD students are required to have a valid PAL.
- Students are exempt from submitting a PAL if they are extending their study permits within Canada at the same designated learning institution and same level of study as their current study permit.
For more information about who will be exempt from a PAL, review IRCC鈥檚 website
If you need a PAL for your study permit application, please review our FAQ page here on how to obtain a PAL from SFU. We will continue to update our webpages and online resources to reflect the expanded PAL requirements. Thank you for your patience.
In this section, you'll find information on the process for extending your study permit and passport, as well as applying for a temporary resident visa (TRV) or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) if you plan to travel outside of Canada.
If your study permit was issued for less than the amount of time you will take to complete your degree, you must extend it before it expires. It is your responsibility to ensure that your documents (study permit and passport) remain valid during your studies in Canada, so make sure to keep track of all expiry dates to maintain your immigration status.
Transferring to SFU from FIC or another Canadian institution?
You must log in to your MyCIC account and from your previous institution before you begin your studies at SFU. This is required each time you transfer between institutions in Canada.
If your study permit will soon expire, in addition to the process above you must also apply to extend it before the expiry date. Visit the extend your study permit section for instructions on how to extend your status.
Coming to SFU from a Canadian high school?
You will need to change your study permit conditions before you can start your studies at SFU. See High School Students in Canada: Change Conditions for information on this process.