British Columbia Provincial Attention Letter (PAL)
British Columbia announced the implementation of a provincial attestation letter on March 4, 2024. After the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on January 22, 2024, all the provinces had a 31st March deadline to implement the Provincial Attestation Letter process in place. To know more, read our blog published on January 22, 2024
British Columbia is the first province to implement this process, which will enable overseas applicants to apply for admission and visas to British Columbia institutions.
The provincial attestation letter is a verification letter provided by the province to the institution. Institutions will provide it to international students, who will then submit the attestation letter when they apply for their study permit.
The letter will serve as proof that the applicant has been accounted for within the maximum cap set by the federal government. In addition, if the intuition has used its total allocation, it will not be able to accept more applications and issue more LOAs along with the PLA.
To strengthen the quality of education for international students, British Columbia has announced new measures that provide higher standards and greater accountability for educational institutions that enroll international students to provide better protection for international students. Read our blog to know about five major key announcements made by British Columbia to strengthen education standards.
Based on the cap distribution, the allotment for B.C. permits 83,000 applications for undergraduate study permits. In comparison to 2023, 97,000 undergraduate program study permit applications were submitted. The federal government anticipates that in 2024, about 50,000 study permit applications will be approved based on past acceptance rates. In contrast, over 60,000 study permits were approved in British Columbia in 2023.
The province has further distributed the Provincial Attestation Letters among its institutions. Public post-secondary institutions will receive 53% of the provincial attestation letters, while private institutions will receive 47%. These numbers are based on the federal allotment of the attestation letters, not the study permit approvals.
Myth Buster—As we all know, numbers do not lie. With this, one thing is clearer: the cap and attestation letter will not bring down the study permit approval ratio, as the number of LOAs issued is controlled; therefore, the visa approval ratio will remain almost the same.
However, seats will be limited, and programs will fill up in advance. As an international student, you will have to apply to Canadian public institutions in advance to secure your seat in the program of your choice. So, contact us today to start your study plan to study in British Columbia, Canada!
Know more about International Education in British Columbia.
British Columbia has approximately 545,000 post-secondary students, including domestic and international students in public and private institutions. Every year, British Columbia welcomes students from over 150 countries to experience a world-class education and life.
International students provide opportunities for B.C. students to have more global education experiences at home and bring social and cultural benefits to communities, schools, and institutions throughout the province.
At the same time, schools and institutions in the province are committed to supporting the outward mobility of British Columbia students through study and work abroad opportunities. These activities provide students with valuable intercultural learning.
Reference: Gov.BC.Ca
