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Most study permit applications will require a provincial attestation letter (PAL) from the province where they plan to study.  If you are a Refugee Claimant or have Refugee Protection Status, please see: Refugee Applicants

Requirements for a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL)

Final authority to grant a PAL resides with the Province of New Brunswick. A PAL will be approved and granted by the province, then distributed to applicants through NBCC. Note: Processing times for the issuance of a provincial attestation letter (PAL) once requested by ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøare 5-10 business days. 

To be eligible for a PAL, an ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøapplicant must:

1. Have paid the Confirmation Deposit #1 ($1500).  It is important to note that this confirmation deposit is non-refundable and is due within 14 calendar days. Your seat is not reserved until this fee is paid.
   
2. Attend a live Study Permit Assistance Webinar and complete a Study Permit Checklist. The link to register for this webinar and details of the Study Permit Checklist will be shared with all applicants via email after they receive your Offer Letter (Letter of Acceptance – LOA).

The deadline to meet both requirements, and be eligible for a PAL, is 14 days after receipt of the Offer Letter (Letter of Acceptance - LOA).  This is the same deadline for payment of Confirmation Deposit #1.

Important: It is critical to note that an applicant will only be eligible for one active PAL from the Province of New Brunswick. 

Once an applicant receives a PAL, they will automatically be withdrawn from any other active program choices. This means that if you receive a PAL for your second program choice indicated on your application, you will be automatically withdrawn from your first program of choice.

There are three parties involved in the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) Process:

1. Applicant: ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøapplicant who holds an Offer Letter (Letter of Acceptance – LOA) from NBCC
2. NBCC: New Brunswick Community College
3. GNB: Government, or Province, of New Brunswick (issuer of PAL)

Note: Processing times for the issuance of a provincial attestation letter (PAL) once requested by ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøare 5-10 business days.

STEP 1: Applicants must meet the following PAL requirements after receipt of Offer Letter (Letter of Acceptance - LOA):

• Payment of Confirmation Deposit # 1 ($1500) within 14 days of receipt of Offer Letter.
• Attend a live Study Permit Assistance Webinar and complete a Study Permit Checklist. The link to register for this webinar and details of the Study Permit Checklist will be shared with all applicants via email after they receive your Offer Letter (Letter of Acceptance – LOA). 

STEP 2: Confirm your current address in the Personal Details section of your ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøApplication Portal

• Notify Admissions of any corrections required to your address by using the "Send Message" button in your ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøApplication Portal.
• It is critical to ensure your address in your ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøApplication Portal matches the address you will use to apply for your study permit. ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøwill be sharing information with the Province of New Brunswick as well as your passport number to confirm your identity and verify eligibility for a PAL. 
• The address included on your PAL must match the address you will submit in your study permit application to IRCC.

STEP 3: ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøwill evaluate all Study Permit Checklist submissions for completeness and to confirm PAL requirements have been met.

• ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøwill submit required information to the Province of New Brunswick for all applicants who meet the PAL criteria. This includes passport, address, date of birth, program name, program start date, program end date, and campus location.
• Applicants who have not met the requirements will have their offer of admissions withdrawn. ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøunable to accommodate any extensions.
• ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøprocessing can take up to five (5) business days to prepare PAL submission for GNB.

STEP 4: GNB will evaluate all PAL applications submitted by ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøto determine if individuals are eligible for a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL).

• GNB will use your passport number to verify you have not received a PAL from another institution.
• It is critical to note that an applicant will only be eligible for one active PAL from the Province of New Brunswick. It is important to note that Confirmation Deposit # 1 is non-refundable and ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøwill not issue a refund based on an applicant receiving a PAL from another institution.

STEP 5: GNB will communicate PAL decisions to NBCC.

• GNB will send the PAL letter to ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøfor applicants who are eligible.
• GNB will indicate to ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøif applicants are not eligible for a PAL letter.
• GNB decisions are made available to ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøwithin 1 business day of submission.

STEP 6: ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøwill communicate PAL decision to applicants:

• If applicants are not eligible for a PAL their offer of admissions will be withdrawn. 
• If applicants are eligible, they will receive an email notification from ºÚÁϳԹÏÍødirecting them to their ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøApplication Portal where they will be able to download their PAL. 
• It is important to note that Provincial Attestation Letters are valid from the date they are issued until December 31st of the same year (PALs issued in 2026 will be valid until December 31st, 2026; PALs issued in 2025 expired on December 31st , 2025).

STEP 7: Submit your study permit application.

Once you have received your provincial attestation letter (PAL), ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøexpects that you will submit your study permit application within two (2) weeks.

STEP 8: Keep us up to date on your study permit application status.

You must keep us updated on the progress of your study permit application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC):

• Submit proof that you have applied for your study permit by uploading your study permit confirmation of submission directly through your by clicking the "Upload Documents” button.
• When you receive a final decision on your study permit, update us by uploading the final decision letter through your by clicking the “Add Study Permit” button on the main page. Review the deadlines associated with study permit approvals. 

Once an applicant receives a PAL, they will automatically be withdrawn from any other active program choices. This means that if you receive a PAL for your second program choice indicated on your application, you will be automatically withdrawn from your first program of choice.

If you have received a study permit refusal and you intend to re-apply for a study permit, you require a new Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). You must notify us of your refusal to begin the process to request a second PAL:

• Update your  with a copy of your IRCC refusal letter.
• Indicate your request for a second PAL using the Messages button in your portal.

After ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøreceives your request for a new PAL, it will be reviewed, and we will communicate with you directly regarding next steps. The issuance of a second PAL will be determined based on eligibility criteria, including, but not limited to:

• The timing of the request in relation to ºÚÁϳԹÏÍødeadlines.
• Compliance with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) requirements.
• Previous PAL issuance history.

Under exceptional circumstances an applicant may be eligible for an additional PAL, up to a maximum of two (2) PALs per individual student.

This policy is designed to balance student support with institutional accountability and responsible management of the college’s provincial attestation letter (PAL) allocation. We encourage students to carefully review their study permit application before submission to maximize their chances of approval.

Please note that ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøhas important deadlines associated with study permit approvals that you must meet in order to join your intended intake. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) study permit processing times vary by country of application and you can review the expected timelines for your study permit application . 

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøhas resources related to strengthening your study permit re-application at www.nbcc.ca/immigration and www.nbcc.ca/visit-us/archive (in the International Student Immigration Information Sessions section).

Effective November 8, 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) requires that students changing designated learning institutions (DLIs) within Canada  to apply for and receive a new study permit before starting their studies. For more information, please review the following information:

• Transferring to ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøand Changing Your DLI Number (pdf)

For students transferring between designated learning institutions (DLIs) in Canada and submitting a study permit application, a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) is required. To receive a PAL, be sure to review all the information on this webpage regarding how the PAL process works and what steps are necessary to secure a PAL.

If you are transferring from another Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in New Brunswick you will require a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) to study at NBCC. You will need to identify that you are transferring inside New Brunswick when requesting your PAL so that the Province of New Brunswick can identify that you have already received a New Brunswick PAL.

If you are transferring from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) outside New Brunswick you will require a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) to study at NBCC. Complete all steps outlined on this page for requesting a PAL.

If you are an international student that attended a  Canadian high school (secondary school) to NBCC You will require a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) for your study permit application to study at NBCC. High school students moving to the post-secondary level are able to begin their studies at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøeven if they have not received a final decision on their study permit application (see: )

STUDY PERMIT EXTENSIONS:

If you are currently enrolled at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøand you are extending your study permit (to continue in the same program or to begin a new program), you do NOT require a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL).

• On the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) study permit extension application eligibility questions, indicate that you meet an exemption for the PAL requirement. You will need to include a letter in your study permit extension application that indicates that you are exempt from requiring a PAL because you are applying for a study permit extension at the same DLI and level of study as your current study per(see: , section Who doesn’t need a PAL/TAL).

Template Available: Use this template letter to include in your study permit extension application to provide proof of PAL exemption. Note: you must edit the template letter with your personal information.

RE-ENTRY INTO YOUR PROGRAM:

If you have recently received re-entry into your program of study at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøthrough the Enrolment Change Application process and will be applying for a new study permit, you will require a PAL for this application. Follow the steps outlined below to request your PAL.

Final authority to grant a PAL resides with the Province of New Brunswick. A PAL will be approved and granted by the Province, then distributed to students through NBCC. It is important to begin the process to request a PAL as early as possible. ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøcannot expedite PAL requests.

To be eligible for a PAL for a re-entry application, a current ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøstudent must complete the following steps in the specified order:

STEP 1: Provide your Passport and Consent to NBCC.

The Province of New Brunswick has identified passport as the unique personal identifier required to confirm your identity and verify if you are eligible to receive a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøwill be collecting this information and including it in your application for a PAL.

For detailed instructions, see How to upload a copy of your passport, and sign your consent (pdf).

NOTE: If you have previously sent us a copy of your passport for any reason, you are required to re-submit it via the new process to ensure we have your consent on record.

STEP 2: Confirm your current address in

• You can update your address within your Student Self-Service account by choosing Addresses from the dropdown menu in the Personal Information section.
• It is critical to ensure your address in matches the address you will use to apply for your study permit. ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøwill be sharing information with the Province of New Brunswick, in addition to your passport number, to confirm your identity and verify eligibility for a PAL.
• The address included on your PAL must match the address you will submit in your study permit application to IRCC.

STEP 3: Complete and submit the webform linked below to indicate that you require a PAL.

• Click here to submit the webform.
• This webform must be complete in all fields to be considered for a PAL.
• ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøprocessing can take up to five (5) business days to prepare PAL submission for Province of New Brunswick.
• Province of New Brunswick decisions are made available to ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøwithin one (1) business day of submission.