The attestation letter has an expiration date: when does yours expire?

Canada's immigration policies and procedures have been in flux this 2024, so keep up to date daily with IRCC announcements and updates and recommendations made by regulated lawyers and consultants in Canada. In this article, we are going to discuss a very important change for international students who applied or are about to apply for a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) for study permit in Canada. 

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Recently, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced some changes regarding the validity of PALs, it is considered a slight modification, but not insignificant, as it has to do with the expiration dates of these documents and the implications for applicants. Let's see what the updates are.

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Do all PALs expire on the same date?

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IRCC's latest update emphasizes the importance of understanding the expiration dates associated with PALs, as while PALs may or may not show a specific expiration date, IRCC has established a default date for those attestation letters that do not reflect an expiration date. As read on the official government site, your PAL should only be valid when received with your application and, unless it has an expiration date, it will be valid until January 21, 2025. You can resubmit a study permit application with the same PAL if it is still valid. 

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How does this change affect study permit applicants?

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This new date has several implications for study permit applicants, which impact:

1. The need to manage a calendar: from now on, applicants should diligently review their PALs for expiration dates. Immiland recommends that, if a specific expiration date is mentioned, they mark it on their calendar to ensure timely submission of study permit applications. For PALs without explicit expiration dates, marking January 21, 2025 will be crucial to avoid missing deadlines.

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2. Timely submission of the application: while the attestation letter need only be valid when you submit the application, it is still important to submit your study permit applications as early as possible because, given the 60% approval rate for study permit applications and the possible need to resubmit in the event of rejection, early processing will increase the chances of successful processing.

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3. The importance of applying a successful resubmission strategy: in case your application is rejected, it is best to activate an action plan that includes sufficient time to better support your submissions before resubmitting them. We always recommend our users and clients to ask the government for the details and comments that led to the rejection, so it is more accurate to establish the next steps for a successful resubmission. Immiland's team can help you with the rejection and reconsideration process.

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4. You will need to be more aware of the limit on study permits: remember that IRCC imposed a limit on the number of study permits to be processed in 2024 and, once it is reached, no more applications will be considered. In this case, we recommend that you make your submission without unnecessary delay, so that you can better handle any issues arising from the cap.

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The Canadian study permit requires careful attention and proactive planning. It is not a case of apply and forget about the document once you receive it, so it is necessary to pay attention to this subtle but significant variation in the expiration date of PALs. Review the recommendations and create an action plan coupled with timely filing practices with the Canadian government to improve your chances of successfully obtaining study permits. 

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In case of doubts about your study permit or if you require improvement points for your educational profile, write to us at education@immilandcanada.com or ask for an immigration and educational consultation. We have a team of trained consultants to guide your case and help you understand your immigration status. We are Immiland, the complete immigration company for international students, foreign workers and entire families with the dream of living in Canada. 

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With love,

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Immiland