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You don’t need a PAL when applying for a study permit if any of the following applies to you.

• You are applying for a study permit extension at the same designated learning institution (DLI) and the same level of study as your current study permit.
• You are an exchange student studying under an exchange arrangement between your home institution and a designated learning institution (DLI) in Canada, and you don’t pay tuition fees to the DLI.
• You are participating in the
  Students applying for a study permit to attend a primary or secondary school.
• You have received a scholarship from Global Affairs Canada.
• You are under an unenforceable removal order.
• You have a valid for at least six months
• You are a
• You are exempt from certain study permit requirements as part of a migration response to a crisis
• You are exempt from certain study permit requirements that pertain to Indigenous persons and their family members exempted from temporary residence requirements.

Undergraduate students: After you accept your offer, your PAL will be issued to you within 10 business days. You will get notified to download your PAL via the email address you used on your admission application.

Graduate Students: You will receive your PAL depending on when you were originally offered admission from the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS).

The PAL will be issued to you automatically within 10 business days, If you get the original offer after January 22, 2025.

You need to request a PAL if you are applying for your study permit after January 22, 2025, and one of the following applies to you:

• You received the original offer before January 22, 2025
• You deferred to a later start date and received an updated offer of admission

You must request a PAL by submitting a ticket via the with the subject “Graduate Student PAL Request”. The PAL will be issued within 10 business days from the date your request was made.

The university will send an email to your º£½ÇÉçÇø email address (ending in @ualberta.ca) to let you know that your PAL is available for download.

Your PAL will be sent via MyCreds account. You will receive an email from MyCreds (noreply@mycreds.ca). Follow the instructions to download your PAL. Be sure to check your inbox regularly and the Spam/Junk folder just in case. For details, please visit the MyCreds page.

The Government of Alberta only enters a student’s first name and last name on the PAL, and it is ok if your middle name is not on your PAL. If your first name, last name, and date of birth (as listed on your passport) are correct, you can submit your PAL with your study permit application.

If your first name, last name, or date of birth is incorrect or does not match your passport, contact the Student Service Centre to request an updated PAL. When submitting an inquiry via the Student Service Portal, enter “PAL amendment” in the subject line and include a clear description of the issue and a copy of your passport.

The address in the PAL may differ from the residential and/or mailing address in your study permit application. It can also be different from the address noted in your º£½ÇÉçÇø offer of admission letter.

Having a different address on your PAL will not cause issues with your study permit processing. Thus, a new PAL is not needed if you have changed addresses.

You can apply at the POE only if you are a citizen or permanent resident of the USA, Greenland, or St. Pierre and Miquelon.

If you are not , you must present a valid PAL at the time you apply for a study permit at the Port of Entry.

Even if you are eligible to apply for a study permit at the Port of Entry, we recommend students apply for a study permit online and enter Canada after receiving study permit approval to avoid any problems and long delays at the Port of Entry.

Learn more about entering Canada

Hybrid online/in-person diploma and certificate programs require a PAL if the total program duration of the online and in-person components is more than 6 months.

If your program of study is longer than 6 months and has any in-person component, a PAL and study permit are needed.

No. The PAL requirement does not apply to study permit extension applications at the same designated learning institution (UofA) and the same level of study as the current study permit.

In this case, you should include a that you are exempt from the PAL requirement with your application. Log in with your @ualberta email address to access the letter.

Yes, a PAL is required when applying for a new study permit outside Canada even if you are a continuing student. To request a PAL, contact an International Student Specialist via the explaining your situation along with a copy of your most recent study permit.

In the subject line enter “PAL request”. Use your º£½ÇÉçÇø (@ualberta.ca) email address in the contact form.

Yes, visiting students applying for a study permit need a PAL.

Visiting students are admitted to the DLI in Canada to complete coursework for a short period. The credit will be transferred back to the student's home institution for degree completion. This is not an exchange program, as visiting students will be responsible for payment of tuition fees directly to the º£½ÇÉçÇø.

No, exchange students do not need a PAL.

• If you are attending a study program that is less than 6 months in length, you may apply to enter Canada as a visitor.
• If you are attending a study program that is longer than 6 months in length, you must apply for a study permit.

Exchange students study under an exchange arrangement between their home institution and a designated learning institution (DLI) in Canada, and don’t pay tuition fees to the DLI.