Study permits

Application documents

Letter of acceptance

You will need to provide a letter of acceptance (LOA) from UVic as part of your study permit application.

If you are an undergraduate student:

• you will receive an admission letter and a letter of acceptance via email from UVic Undergraduate Admissions after you have been accepted to UVic
• these 2 letters need to be included in your study permit application as your letter of acceptance
• if you have been admitted to a credit program at the Division of Continuing Studies, contact admsadmin@uvic.ca to request a letter of acceptance for your study permit application

If you are a graduate student:

• you will receive an admission letter and a letter of acceptance via email from UVic Graduate Admissions and Records after you accept your offer
• these 2 letters need to be included in your study permit application as your letter of acceptance

PLEASE NOTE: After you submit your study permit application, IRCC will send your letter of acceptance to UVic for verification. Please do not alter the information in your UVic documents in any way, as UVic will not be able to verify their authenticity if the information does not match our records.

Provincial attestation letter (PAL)

Most study permit applicants require a provincial attestation letter (PAL) as part of their study permit application, unless exempt. For more information, including a full list of PAL exemptions, visit the IRCC website.

If you are an undergraduate student:

• you will receive your PAL via email from UVic Undergraduate Admissions after UVic has received your acceptance deposit
• if you have questions about the PAL process, email admsadmin@uvic.ca

If you are a graduate student:

• as of January 22, 2025 at 12:00 a.m. EST, master's and doctoral students must submit a provincial attestation letter (PAL) with their study permit applications
  • to request a PAL, contact UVic Graduate Admissions and Records (GARO) at garo@uvic.ca
• if you have been admitted to a graduate certificate or graduate diploma program, contact the International Centre for Students at icsinfo@uvic.ca for guidance on the appropriate immigration document for your studies in Canada
  • depending on the structure and delivery mode of your program, a study permit may or may not be required
  • if a study permit is required, an ICS immigration practitioner will help you request a PAL from UVic Graduate Admissions and Records
• if you have been admitted to UVic as a graduate visiting research student (GVRS), contact the International Centre for Students at icsinfo@uvic.ca for guidance on the appropriate immigration document for your visit
  • depending on the details of your visit, you may require a study permit or a work permit
  • if a study permit is required, the ICS Immigration Consultant will help you request a PAL from UVic Graduate Admissions and Records

If you have been admitted to a non-credit program in the Division of Continuing Studies and have questions about the PAL process, contact uvcsimmigration@uvic.ca.

All documents submitted to IRCC must be in English or French. If your documents are in another language, refer to Translation of supporting documents for applications.

Apply online

Study permit applications must be submitted online unless you are eligible to apply on paper.

Follow IRCC's instructions to apply online. 

Apply at a port of entry

Most students should travel to Canada only after they receive their study permit approval.

Visit the Justice Laws website to see if you qualify to apply for a study permit at a port of entry (POE) (e.g., your airport of arrival, sea or land border crossing into Canada).

• if you apply for a study permit at a POE, your application will be processed by a border services officer

Apply from within Canada

If you are already in Canada as a visitor or worker, connect with an ICS immigration practitioner to discuss your options to apply for a study permit.

If you are already in Canada with a valid study permit for another institution, you will need to get a new study permit to attend UVic by applying for a study permit extension.

After you apply

Monitor your IRCC account

It's important to monitor your IRCC secure account for updates after you submit your application.

• If you are required to give biometrics (fingerprints and a photo), you will receive a biometrics instruction letter after paying the biometrics fee and submitting your application. IRCC will only start processing your application after you submit your biometrics.
• If more information is needed to process your application, IRCC will send you a request via your secure account and will give you a deadline to respond.
  • if you need advice on responding to a request from IRCC, contact an ICS immigration practitioner as early as possible
• You will also receive a notification in your IRCC secure account when a decision is reached.

Wait for a decision

• Review IRCC’s processing times for estimated timelines.
  • these are historical estimates only, and are subject to change
  • read more about how IRCC calculates processing times
  • if your application has exceeded the processing time listed, you can contact IRCC to request an update on the status of your application
• It is not generally possible to speed up processing of an application. UVic is unable to intervene on your behalf to expedite processing.
• Do not travel to Canada until your study permit application is approved, as you cannot legally start your studies without a study permit, and may be denied entry
• If you applied from inside Canada, do not start your studies at UVic until your study permit application is approved, as you cannot legally start your studies without a UVic study permit
  • you may be able to start your studies if:
    • you are holding a high school/secondary school study permit and applied in Canada for an extension to attend UVic within the first 90 days after completing high school and before your high school study permit expired, or
    • you meet other specific criteria established by IRCC
• If you will not arrive in time for your intended start date at UVic, you may need to change your entry point or defer your admission to a later date.
  • undergraduate students: contact your admission officer
  • graduate students: contact your graduate secretary

Receiving a decision on your application

If your application from outside Canada is approved:

1. If you require a temporary resident visa (TRV) or electronic travel authorization (eTA) to enter Canada, a TRV or eTA will be issued to you upon approval of your study permit.
   • if you need a TRV, you will be instructed to submit your passport for visa issuance – please allow additional time to send and receive your passport before travelling
2. You will also receive a port of entry (POE) letter (also known as a study permit approval letter or letter of introduction). 
   • a POE letter is not a study permit, it is proof that your study permit application is approved
3. You must show your POE letter to a Canadian border services officer and ask for your study permit to be issued.
   • if you are already in Canada, you will need to leave the country to reach a POE
     • if you are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, you must travel to a country other than the United States to have your study permit issued upon your return to Canada

If you were eligible to apply from inside Canada (for example, you applied to extend your study permit to change schools to UVic) and your application is approved:

1. Your study permit will be mailed to the Canadian mailing address you indicated on your application.
   • if you need a new electronic travel authorization (eTA), a new eTA will be issued automatically when your application is approved
   • if you require a temporary resident visa (TRV) to enter Canada, you must apply for a new TRV separately after your application is approved

If your application is refused:

1. You will receive a letter outlining the reasons for refusal.
   • as of July 29, 2025, officer decision notes will be included in the refusal letter
2. Your options will depend on the circumstances and reasons why your application was refused.
   • contact an ICS immigration practitioner at icsinfo@uvic.ca if you need advice on next steps after your study permit refusal
   • alternatively, you may consider hiring an authorized representative (such as a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant or Immigration Lawyer) outside UVic for assistance

Maintain your documents

You are required to maintain your documents and comply with your study permit conditions, which include actively pursuing studies in Canada and making reasonable progress toward completing your program. Learn more about:

• study permit conditions
• how and when to extend your study permit
• how to update or replace your study permit