Immigration
Updated 2 June 2026
Since January 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has continued to update its guidance regarding the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) requirement. Most study permit applicants are now required to include a PAL with their application, including Visiting International Research Students (VIRS), as VIRS participation is considered a non-degree-granting program.
Following the conclusion of undergraduate admissions, UBC has allocated a limited number of PALs for graduate-level VIRS participants. Given the limited availability of PALs, prospective VIRS students are strongly encouraged to keep their research visits to six months or less whenever possible.
If your research activities must extend beyond six months and you require a PAL, please contact our office for assistance.
UBC Vancouver: go.global@ubc.ca
UBC Okanagan: virs.okanagan@ubc.ca
The information above provides a general overview and is accurate at the time of publication. As immigration policies and requirements may change, please refer to IRCC’s website for the most current information.
What immigration documents do you need to start your VIRS program?
Check the duration of your VIRS research studies.
Students engaged in research activities for six months or less do not need a study permit and can complete their research studies under visitor status. However, a travel document such as a Temporary Resident Visa or Electronic Travel Authorization will likely be required, depending on citizenship. Review the documents you need to study in Canada. Find out which document you need by completing this online questionnaire.
Students engaged in research activities for longer than six months require a study permit, unless exempt from the requirement for a study permit. If you are coming to UBC for longer than six months, please see the notice above. Moreover, please see how to apply for an initial study permit, and see processing times for various immigration document applications on the Government of Canada website.
Start early!
Check estimated processing times for your immigration documents on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website, and apply for the documents you need for your VIRS program well in advance.
Applying for your initial study permit (VIRS)
After receiving your letter of acceptance
- Verify your personal information (for example, legal name, date of birth, permanent address, etc.) is correct on your student application in the Go Global Student Application Portal and on the VIRS Letter of Acceptance. If the information needs to be updated, you MUST notify Go Global within five business days of the email notification about your admission and prior to accepting your offer of admission.
- Accept your UBC admission offer in the Applicant Service Centre. Your acceptance to UBC is only confirmed after you accept your admission offer. You have three weeks from the date of your acceptance letter to accept your offer.
- Review the following requirements. To be eligible for a PAL, you must meet all of the following:
- Your VIRS research duration is more than six months
- You did not submit a study permit application before Jan. 22, 2024
- You have verified that the personal information in your VIRS letter of acceptance is correct and matches the information in your passport (legal name, date of birth, permanent address, etc
*Admitted VIRS will have visiting student status at UBC and are not considered to be studying in a master’s degree or doctoral degree program at UBC, even if enrolled in a graduate program. For that reason, those students are not exempt from the PAL requirement and need to obtain a PAL for their study permit application. See more details here.
4. UBC will issue your PAL, if you need one. Go Global will forward your request to be processed, and email you the PAL directly once ready. This document is used for initial study permit applications from outside Canada.
*Because of the limited number of PALs available, students will only receive one PAL. You MUST ensure all information is correct prior to accepting your admission offer. We are unable to re-issue PALs due to incorrectly submitted information (wrong birthdate, misspelled name, incorrect address, etc.).
Things to know before you apply for your initial study permit (VIRS)
You are applying for a study permit, not a work permit. Avoid using the word “internship” or “work” when applying for your study permit. You have been accepted as a student at UBC and are applying for a study permit. You will need your VIRS letter of acceptance and the British Columbia Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) to apply for a study permit.
Apply online
There are two ways to apply for a study permit: the “IRCC portal” and the “IRCC secure account.” Although the IRCC website directs most students outside Canada to submit a study permit application through the IRCC portal, we recommend you follow the steps in the Study Permit tutorial and apply through the IRCC secure account, even though outside Canada applications are not listed. If you decide to apply through the IRCC portal, you still will find our online resources helpful since many aspects are similar.
If you’re applying online, in your initial IRCC questionnaire, indicate that you want to apply for a study permit. For “Tell us more about what you’ll do in Canada. Include dates” section, indicate your actual period of study.
Start your study permit application for the VIRS program
Follow the steps outlined in the Study Permit Tutorial.
Your status at UBC
The Visiting International Research Student (VIRS) Program is considered full-time studies for which accepted students will be engaged in research under the supervision of a UBC faculty member. Furthermore, the research a student will engage in forms a student-institution relationship and not an employment relationship with UBC.
If you have questions about immigration documents, please contact us at virs.okanagan@ubc.ca. Make sure to include your UBC student number, your country of citizenship, and the length of time of your VIRS studies. If you are refused by Canadian immigration, please contact us immediately and we will work with our UBC immigration advisors to review your case and inform you of your options.
The immigration information on this page has been reviewed and endorsed by Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) or Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs) in compliance with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations. However, this is not a legal document and information can change without notice. Always refer to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the most up-to-date information. *
Page last updated July 2026
