Study Permits Update — October 1, 2026

What You Should Do

• -If you are a master's or doctoral student at a public DLI, confirm your school appears on IRCC's upcoming list of eligible public DLIs (to be posted at canada.ca) before applying without a PAL/TAL — this exemption takes effect January 1, 2026.
• -If you are a new undergraduate or college-level applicant, contact your province or territory's designated authority to obtain a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) or Territorial Attestation Letter (TAL) before submitting your study permit application, as IRCC will not process applications without one once a province's allocation is exhausted.
• -Check the 2026 provincial and territorial allocation breakdown at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/2026-provincial-territorial-allocations-under-international-student-cap.html to see how many PAL/TAL spaces your province has been assigned — apply early, as spaces are fixed and first-come, first-served.
• -If your study permit application is returned by IRCC with processing fees refunded, check whether your province's allocation has been exhausted and reapply only after confirming available spaces — do not resubmit without a valid PAL/TAL.