Myth Buster – Canada Student Visa Refusal Ratio
Have you been told that Canada’s student visa refusal ratio will increase?
Is this myth Canada will refuse student vsia in 2024 confusing you? Do you have doubts about canada visa refusal ratio for 2024? Is it making you skeptical about your plans to study in Canada?
With this announcement, the assumption was that reducing the number of study permit issuance meant increased visa refusals. However, the announcement did not come just with a reduction in study permit issuance; there was also the announcement of the provincial cap. The provincial cap is the number of Letter of Acceptance (LOA) each Designated Learning Institute (DLI) in a particular province could issue for the study programs that under cap category. To keep a check on the cap, IRCC asked provinces to implement the process by March 31, 2024 to issue Provincial Attestation Letter .
What is Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL)?
The provincial attestation letter is a verification letter issued by the province to the institution, and the institution will provide this letter to the student. It is a mandatory document that must be submitted for student permit / visa application when applied from outside of Canada (certain exceptions apply). It will serve as proof that the applicant has been accounted for within the maximum cap set by the federal government. In other words, every province will track the number of Letter of Acceptance (LOA) that is being issued by the DLI in that province. DLI will not able to acquire Provincial Attestation Letter once they have reached their allocation limit. Meaning, DLI cannot admit any more number of the students than their allotted number.
let’s look at the British Columbia (BC) allocation as an example for more clarity:
In 2023, 97,000 undergraduate study permit applications were submitted, and 60,000 were approved.
In 2024, BC is allocated 83,000 undergraduate study permit applications, and based on the previous acceptance ratio, around 50,000 will be approved.
If we compare the number of approvals with the number of LOAs issued, the visa ratio is only a bit lower and does not significantly drop. So now, if someone says the ratio of Canada student visa refusals will increase, you know what to say!
However, due to the cap, the number of seats in each institution for each province will be reduced which will eventually result in reduced number of students being accepted at a DLI. Students will have to apply in advance to get an offer from the institution or program of their choice, and those with better academics will have higher chances of getting approved.
Additionally, the attestation letter will provide more security to the students as their seats in the program are assured after arriving in Canada. The institutions will not have to defer the student to the next intake, or the student will not have to look for another institution for the reason that DLI issued the LOAs to more students than they could accommodate. With PAL in place, province will make sure DLI do not issue more LOAs than they are permitted. Also, as a student, you will have better visa chances as you can apply for programs that match your academics, and your academic pathway will be better justified.
We hope your myth is busted, and now that you have more clarity on the Canada student visa approval ratio, you can make wise and informed decisions!
However, to reinstate, as an international student, you must apply to DLI 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!
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