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The information below is a brief overview of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)’s policy announcements since Jan 22, 2024, and is current at the time of publication. A temporary measure is in place to stabilize the number of new study permits issued for 2 years. As policies will continue to be clarified in the coming weeks, we will update this page when more information becomes available.
- As of Jan 22, 2024, study permit applications from outside Canada require a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). Some students are exempt from the PAL, such as master’s degree and doctoral degree students. UBC students can now get a PAL and apply for a study permit.
- If you are a current student, your study permit validity and study permit extension application from inside Canada will not be impacted by these changes. Plan ahead if your documents expire soon and you have travel plans. You will need a PAL if you apply for a study permit from outside Canada. More information about how you can access a PAL will be available soon.
- PGWP eligibility for UBC students will not be affected by the policy change.
- As of March 19, 2024, only spouses of students in master’s degree, doctoral degree or professional degree programs are eligible for a spousal open work permit while pursuing studies. Extensions for current spousal work permits are not impacted so long as you remain eligible.
- As of Feb 15, 2024, graduates of master’s degree programs which are 8 months or longer can apply for a 3-year PGWP if they meet eligibility for PGWP. (Graduate certificates and diplomas are not master’s degrees and thus do not qualify for this).
Review the Jan 21, 2024 backgrounder, Jan 22, 2024 news release and Feb 5, 2024 notice for more details.
Last updated Mar 21, 2024 at 4:15 pm PT
