Provincial Attestation Letters (PAL)

When you are considering whether to use a current address at the time of application or your permanent address, you should be consistent and use the same address which you will have continued access to. The address on your Letter of Admission, PAL and study permit application should be the same.

Not all address details you provide to UBC will appear on the PAL. The information from address line 2, the postal code, and the province/state will not be included on the PAL. This will not impact your application.

Make sure the name that you provided in your UBC profile matches your full legal first name and last name as they appear on your passport. Your name on your UBC Letter of Admission, PAL and study permit application form should be the same.

If your passport has a separate field for middle name(s) and you enter your middle name separately in your UBC profile, it would show up on your UBC Letter of Admission, but not on your PAL since PALs do not include middle names. This will not impact your application.

You will need both your Letter of Admission and your undergraduate level Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) before applying for your study permit.

1. Confirm your personal information in your UBC student record.
   Log into the Applicant Service Centre, click Edit Profile, then select “Contact Summary” to confirm that your name matches the name on your passport, and that your home address and date of birth are correct. You can update your address in the system if needed. To update your name or date of birth, email ubc.pal@ubc.ca.
2. Accept your offer of admission and pay your deposit.
   Learn how to accept your UBC offer and pay the acceptance deposit.
3. Wait for your Provincial Attestation Letter.
   UBC will automatically send you your Provincial Attestation Letter by email within about 3 business days after you accept your offer. Check the email account that you provided when you applied to UBC. If you do not get your PAL after 3 business days, contact ubc.pal@ubc.ca. 
4. Download your Letter of Admission from UBC.
   Log into the Applicant Service Centre, click Admissions, and select “Letter of Admission”.
5. Apply for your study permit.
   Review our initial study permit tutorial to prepare your application.

You will need both your Letter of Admission and your graduate level Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) before submitting your study permit application.

All graduate degree programs

1. Confirm your personal information in your UBC student record.
   Log into the graduate application system eVision to confirm that your first and last names match the names on your passport, and that your home address and date of birth are correct before you accept your offer. Ensure that all personal details are correctly reflected in your Letter of Admission. If changes are required, please email graduate.apply@ubc.ca.
2. Download your Letter of Admission and accept your offer of admission.
   Download your Letter of Admission from the graduate application system eVision, then accept your UBC offer and pay the acceptance deposit, if required.
3. Wait for your Provincial Attestation Letter.
   UBC will automatically send you your Provincial Attestation Letter by email within about 3 business days after you accept your offer. Check the email account that you provided when you applied to UBC. If you do not receive your PAL after 3 business days, reach out to your graduate program staff.
4.  Apply for your study permit.
   Review our initial study permit tutorial to prepare your application.

This information applies to students coming to UBC through a Go Global exchange program. If you are studying at UBC as a Visiting Student or the UBC-TEC de Monterrey Joint Academic Program, check the “Non-degree” sections below.

If you will go on exchange for one term (less than 6 months), you do not require a study permit. Read the “New non-degree seeking students studying 6 months or less” section below.

You will need your Letter of Acceptance before applying for your study permit. Exchange students coming to UBC through Go Global are exempt from the Provincial Attestation Letter.

1. Confirm your personal information in your UBC student record.
   Check that your name matches the name on your passport and that your home address and date of birth are correct in your profile in the Go Global Student Application Portal and on your Letter of Acceptance (LOA). If you need to correct any information, you must notify Go Global within 5 business days of receiving the email notification about your admission and before accepting your offer of admission.
2. Download your UBC Letter of Admission.
   You can find the letter in the Go Global Student Application Portal.
3. Accept your offer of admission.
   Log into the Applicant Service Centre and accept your offer before the deadline.
4. Apply for your study permit.
   Review our initial study permit tutorial to prepare your application.

As a Visiting International Research Student (VIRS), you will need both your Letter of Acceptance (LOA) and your Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) before applying for your study permit if your research period is more than 6 months.

VIRS who require a PAL and who are studying at the graduate level will receive a graduate level PAL, while students who are studying at the undergraduate level will receive an undergraduate level PAL.

If your research period is 6 months or less, you do not require a study permit – read the “New non-degree seeking students studying 6 months or less” section below.

1. Confirm your personal information in your UBC student record.
   Check that your name matches the name on your passport and that your home address and date of birth are correct in your profile in the Go Global Student Application Portal and on your Letter of Acceptance (LOA). If you need to correct any information, you must notify Go Global within 5 business days of receiving the email notification about your admission and before accepting your offer of admission.
2. Download your UBC Letter of Admission.
   You can find the letter in the Go Global Student Application Portal.
3. Accept your offer of admission.
   Log into the Applicant Service Centre and accept your offer before the deadline.
4. Get your Provincial Attestation Letter.
   If you are a VIRS student studying in Canada for more than 6 months, request your PAL by completing the online form.
5. Apply for your study permit.
   Review the VIRS study permit tutorial to prepare your study permit application.

You will need both your Letter of Admission and your undergraduate level Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) before applying for your study permit.

1. Confirm your personal information in your UBC student record.
   Log into the Applicant Service Centre, click Edit Profile and select “Contact Summary” to confirm that your name matches the name on your passport, and that your home address and date of birth are correct. You can update your address in the system if needed. To update your name or date of birth, email ubc.pal@ubc.ca.
2. Accept your offer of admission and pay your deposit.
   Learn how to accept your UBC offer and pay the acceptance deposit.
3.  Request your Provincial Attestation Letter.
   Contact your program to request this document.
4. Download your Letter of Admission from UBC.
   Log into the Applicant Service Centre, click Admissions, then select ”Letter of Admission”.
5. Apply for your study permit.
   Review our initial study permit tutorial to prepare your application.

This section applies to one-term exchange students through Go Global, VIRS, access studies, visiting students, and unclassified students studying for 6 months or less.

If you will study in Canada for 6 months or less, you do not need to apply for a study permit and do not need a PAL, but you’ll likely need to apply for a travel document to come to Canada as a visitor.

Most visitors are allowed to stay in Canada for 6 months from the day they enter Canada. You can study in Canada without a study permit as a visitor if both of the following applies to you:

• Your entire program of studies will be completed within 6 months or less.
• Your program will be completed within your first 6-month visitor period.

Therefore, if you will enter and leave Canada within 6 months and complete your studies within your first 6-month visitor period, a study permit and a PAL are not required.

If you would like to stay longer beyond the 6 months, you can apply for a Visitor Record after arriving in Canada to extend your stay as a visitor, however, your studies must be completed within your first 6-month period.

You must apply for and receive a travel document before you can travel to Canada. You should apply as soon as you receive your Letter of Acceptance from Go Global or Enrolment Services. Depending on your citizenship, you need one of the following to travel to Canada as a visitor:

• Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
• Temporary Resident Visa (TRV)

Contact International Student Advising if you need support with your TRV.

US citizens and US lawful permanent residents do not need an eTA or TRV.

Check the Travelling to Canada guide for recommended documents to bring and other considerations.

This section applies to unclassified, access studies, visiting students.

If your program of studies is 6 months or less, you do not require a study permit—read the section above for “non-degree seeking students”.

If your program of studies is more than 6 months, you will need both your Letter of Admission and your undergraduate level Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) before applying for your study permit.

Unclassified, access studies, and visiting students

1. Confirm your personal information in your UBC student record.
   Log into the Applicant Service Centre, click Edit Profile and select “Contact Summary” to confirm that your name matches the name on your passport, and that your home address and date of birth are correct. You can update your address in the system, if needed. To update your name or date of birth, email ubc.pal@ubc.ca.
2. Accept your offer of admission.
   Learn how to accept your offer and pay your deposit
3. Request your Provincial Attestation Letter
   Contact ubc.pal@ubc.ca to discuss next steps.
4. Download your Letter of Admission from UBC.
   Log into the Applicant Service Centre, click Admissions, then select ”Letter of Admission”.
5. Apply for your study permit.
   Review our initial study permit tutorial to prepare your application.

If you cannot return to Canada before your current study permit expires, you will need to apply for a new study permit from outside Canada and wait for your application to be processed before returning to Canada. In this case, you will need a PAL in addition to a current Letter of Enrolment. Your PAL would be issued for the graduate or undergraduate level, depending on your program.

1. Confirm your personal information in your UBC student record.
   Check that your name matches the name on your passport, and that your home address and date of birth are correct in Workday. If you need to update any information, check how to change your personal information.
2. Request your UBC Letter of Enrolment.
   Contact an Academic Advisor in your faculty or your graduate program staff to request a Letter of Enrolment and make sure the letter indicates when you will resume studies, as well as your expected program completion date. Use a Letter of Enrolment issued within the past 30 days – not your Letter of Admission from when you were first accepted to UBC.
3. Contact International Student Advising.
   Send a webform to share your document expiry dates, when you will resume studies, if you transferred to UBC from a Canadian high school/post-secondary institution, and your travel plans.
4. Wait for your Provincial Attestation Letter.
   If a PAL is required, International Student Advising will request it for you and, upon approval by the PAL team, it will be emailed to you directly from the UBC PAL Team.
5. Apply for your study permit.
   Review our initial study permit tutorial to prepare your application. Be sure to include your recently issued Letter of Enrolment and UBC PDF transcript in your application.

Plan ahead if your documents expire soon and you have travel plans. In general, it’s best to extend your study permit and Temporary Resident Visa (if you need one) inside Canada before you travel. It’s also possible to return and extend your study permit from inside Canada before your study permit expires. Contact International Student Advising for support with planning your document extensions and travel plans.

You will need a current UBC Letter of Enrolment for your study permit extension, not your initial Letter of Admission to UBC. Learn how to apply for your study permit extension and how to get your Letter of Enrolment by reviewing the study permit extension tutorial.Whether you need a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) in your study permit extension application and which level of studies your PAL will be depends on your situation—check below.

Current UBC students in the same level of studies

If you applied for your study permit with a UBC Letter of Admission, and you are continuing studies at the same level of studies, you do not need a PAL. For example, if you are extending your study permit to continue your undergraduate degree (even if you changed programs or majors), or you are changing from a master’s degree to a doctoral degree, you do not need a PAL. Apply for your study permit extension from inside Canada before your study permit expires.

If you transferred to UBC before Nov 8, 2024: If you transferred to UBC from a Canadian high school or another post-secondary institution in Canada before Nov 8, 2024, send International Student Advising an online form with details about your situation before applying to extend your study permit. An assessment must be made to determine if a PAL will be required as part of your application.

If you transferred to UBC after Nov 8, 2024, you need a PAL. Check the next section.

Current UBC students changing levels of studies at UBC

If you applied for your study permit with a UBC Letter of Admission, and you are changing levels of studies at UBC, you can continue studies with your current valid study permit.

For example, if you are an undergraduate student who completed your bachelor’s degree and have been accepted to a master’s degree at UBC, you can continue to study at UBC with the same study permit, so long as it’s still valid. If you will have a gap of more than 150 days between programs, contact International Student Advising.

If you need to extend your study permit, you will need a PAL for your study permit extension application. Send International Student Advising an online form about your situation for support.

Current UBC students restoring status

If your study permit extension was refused, or your study permit has expired and you need to apply for restoration, contact International Student Advising for assistance.

You will need both your Letter of Admission and your Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) before applying for your study permit. Your PAL would be issued for the graduate or undergraduate level, depending on your program.

As of Nov 8, 2024, you must be enrolled at the Designated Learning Institution (DLI) named on your study permit. If you change institutions, you must apply for a study permit extension with your UBC Letter of Admission and most students need to receive the new study permit before beginning studies at UBC. Be sure to apply for a study permit extension with your UBC Letter of Admission and PAL as soon as you receive them. If you will have more than 150 days between institutions, contact International Student Advising for support.

If you are a new undergraduate bachelor’s degree student:

1. Confirm your personal information in your UBC student record.
   Log into the Applicant Service Centre, click Edit Profile, then select “Contact Summary” to confirm that your name matches the name on your passport, and that your home address and date of birth are correct. You can update your address in the system if needed. To update your name or date of birth, email ubc.pal@ubc.ca.
2. Accept your offer of admission and pay your deposit.
   Learn how to accept your UBC offer and pay the acceptance deposit.
3. Wait for your Provincial Attestation Letter.
   UBC will automatically send you your Provincial Attestation Letter by email within about 3 business days after you accept your offer. Check the email account that you provided when you applied to UBC. If you do not get your PAL after 3 business days, contact ubc.pal@ubc.ca.
4. Download your Letter of Admission from UBC.
   Log into the Applicant Service Centre, click Admissions, and select “Letter of Admission”.
5. Apply for your study permit.
   If you will apply from inside Canada, review our study permit extension tutorial to prepare your application. If you will apply from outside Canada, review our initial study permit tutorial.

Plan ahead if your documents expire soon and you have travel plans.

You can only apply for a study permit extension when you are in Canada. If you have travel plans, you have a few options:

• Apply for an extension before you leave Canada using a trusted friend’s Canadian address and return before your study permit becomes invalid and your Temporary Resident Visa expires (if applicable). If your study permit is issued while you are away, ask your friend to send a digital copy and to mail the original study permit to you so that you can return with it.
• If you have already left, you may come back to Canada and extend your study permit before your study permit becomes invalid and Temporary Resident Visa expires (if applicable).

If you will not be returning to Canada before your study permit becomes invalid or expires, apply for a study permit from outside of Canada as soon as possible.

Only some people can apply for a study permit through the process inside Canada and be exempt from the PAL.

Contact International Student Advising for support.