New Student Immigration Information
As an international student, there are number of documents you need to study in Canada.
Important: throughout your time in Canada, you are responsible for maintaining your immigration status and complying with Canadian immigration regulations.
More information and how to apply for the documentation you need to study in Canada
Study Permit
If your program of study in Canada is longer than six months, you require a Study Permit. In most cases, you will also require a Provincial Letter of Attestation (PAL). You must apply for both before arriving in Canada.
Refer to the Provincial Letter of Attestation section below for more details about who needs a PAL and how to request one.
When you apply for a Study Permit, you will automatically be assessed for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) at the same time. If you require a TRV or an eTA to enter Canada, you will receive your TRV or eTA at the same time your Study Permit application is approved. No separate application is required.
Refer to the TRV and eTA sections below for more information.
If your academic program includes a mandatory or optional work term, internship, practicum, or placement, you will also need a Co-op/Internship Work Permit (which can be requested as part of your original study permit application). Refer to the Co-op/Internship Work Permit section below for more information.
If your period of study at Dalhousie is less than six months (e.g. one semester exchange student), you do not need a Study Permit. However, depending on your citizenship, you may need a TRV or an eTA to enter Canada.
If you plan to extend your studies beyond 6 months, you will need to apply for a Study Permit before you can continue studying.
International Students at Canadian High Schools
Beginning on January 1, 2025, international students who are attending a Canadian high school on a “secondary school” study permit will require a new study permit and PAL to attend a Canadian college or university.
Citizens & Permanent Residents of the USA, Greenland, & Saint-Pierre et Miquelon
If you are a United States citizen, a US permanent resident, or a resident of Greenland or Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, you also have the option of applying for a Study Permit directly at a Canadian port of entry. If you choose this option, you are still required to secure a PAL in advance of reaching the port of entry. PALs have a validity period, so make sure that your PAL is still valid the date that you enter Canada. For more details on this, contact international.admissions@dal.ca prior to travel.
Exchange Students & Visiting International Students
If you’re coming to Dal as an Exchange Student or a Visiting International Student, AND if your period of study is less than 6 months, you do not need a Study Permit. However, depending on your citizenship, you may need a TRV or an eTA to enter Canada. Refer to the TRV and eTA sections below for more information.
If your period of study at Dal is longer than 6 months, you will need a Study Permit but you no longer need a Provincial Letter of Attestation (PAL). Beginning January 22, 2025, full-year exchange students are exempt from the PAL requirement. Refer to the PAL section below for more details.
Transfer Students
International students who transfer to Dalhousie from a different Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada, including Dalhousie’s English language studies partners and programs, require a new study permit. To obtain a new study permit, transfer students must apply to extend their current study permit.
Winter 2025 Transfer Students
Students who have been accepted by Dalhousie for the Winter 2025 semester may begin their studies at Dalhousie before they receive a new study permit IF the following are ALL true: 1) they’ve already applied to extend their current study permit, 2) their current study permit remains valid, AND 3) their current study permit does not list the name of their previous DLI. In the case of #3, if the study permit lists the name of the previous DLI, the student cannot start their studies at Dalhousie until they receive a new study permit.
These conditions apply to transfer students who are starting their studies at Dalhousie during the Winter 2025 semester ONLY. Different conditions may apply to international students who transfer to Dalhousie from another Canadian DLI for the start of the Summer 2025 or Fall 2025 semesters. This section will be updated if/when the Canadian government announces any new conditions.
English Language Program Transfer Students
International students who successfully complete an approved English language preparatory program as a requirement for full, unconditional admission to Dalhousie may begin their studies at Dalhousie (Winter 2025) before they receive a new study permit. Students in this group include:
- students who were registered in Dalhousie’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Program; and,
- students who were registered in another English Language preparatory program that is approved by Dalhousie. For a list of approved programs, please visit the English Language Requirements page on the Admissions Office website.
For more information, visit the Changing Your School or Program page on the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada website.
Entry Requirements
Separate from a Study Permit, international travellers to Canada may also require an entry visa. An entry visa is a travel document that allows you to enter (and re-enter) Canada whereas a Study Permit allows you to remain in Canada. There are two types of entry visas, a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) and an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). Depending on your citizenship, you may require one or the other (or none at all). Visit the following IRCC website to determine if you require an entry visa and, if so, which entry visa.
Please note: if you are applying for a study permit for the first time, you do not need to submit a separate visa (TRV/eTA) application. If your study permit application is successful, you will automatically be issued a visa (TRV/eTA) at the same time.
Students bringing family members need to ensure their family members have all the required immigration documents to enter Canada.
Temporary Resident Visa
Citizens and permanent residents of designated countries will require a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) to enter Canada. The TRV is placed in your passport and has limited validity. Be sure to check your TRV expiry date before planning travel outside of Canada. To renew your TRV from inside Canada, visit the Temporary Resident Visa page on the International Centre website.
Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
Travellers who do not require a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) to enter Canada, may require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)instead. To view the list of countries whose citizens require an eTA, please visit Canada.ca/eTA. An eTA is electronically linked to your passport. It is valid for up to five years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. If you get a new passport, you will need to get a new eTA.
You can verify the status and expiration of your eTA by using the Check eTA status tool. To do this, you will need the eTA number noted on the email confirmation and details from the passport you used to apply for your eTA.
Co-op/Internship Work Permit
Programs with Required Co-ops & Work Terms
If you’ve been accepted directly into a program with a mandatory work-integrated learning component (e.g. B. Commerce, Corporate Residency MBA), you should indicate this during your initial study permit application. You will then be directed to upload (for a second time) a copy of your admission letter as proof of the mandatory work-integrated learning. Once reviewed and approved as part of the application process, you will receive your study permit and co-op work permit at the same time.
If you miss this step during the application process, you can apply for a co-op work permit after you arrive in Canada. To avoid delays with the start of your co-op/internship, you should apply for a co-op work permit during your first semester of studies at Dalhousie.
Optional Co-ops, Work Terms, & Internships
Dal offers a variety of optional co-op, work term, and internship opportunities. Eligible students apply after their programs begin. If your optional co-op/work term/internship application is approved, the next step is to apply for a co-op work permit. For more information about Dal’s co-op programs, eligibility, and when/how to apply, visit the Work-Integrated Learning & Co-operative Education page.
Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL)
In 2024, the Government of Canada implemented changes that affect the study permit application process for certain groups of international students. Students who are affected by this change are required to submit a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) with their study permit application. In some cases, students who are already in Canada will have to submit a PAL with their study permit extension application.
For more information about the PAL process in Nova Scotia, please visit the following Government of Nova Scotia website. For questions about your Dalhousie application and the application process in general (including PALs), please contact the Admissions Office at international.admissions@dal.ca.
How long is a PAL valid for?
Your PAL needs to be valid when you apply for a new study permit or a study permit extension. In Nova Scotia, PALs are valid for 12 weeks from the date of issue. Students who are eligible to apply for a study permit at the border or their first Canadian port of entry (e.g. United States citizens, United States permanent residents, and residents of Greenland or Saint-Pierre et Miquelon) should apply for their PAL less than 12 weeks before they plan to enter Canada. Processing times for PALs vary depending on the time of the year, but most are processed within 5 business days.
International students in the following groups REQUIRE a PAL:
- Students applying to a Dalhousie program that’s longer than 6 months in duration, regardless of the credential (e.g. certificate, diploma, undergraduate degree, Master’s degree, or Doctoral degree).
- Current study permit holders who move from a Canadian high school to a Canadian college or university (new study permit application required). Visit the Study Permit/International Students at Canadian High Schools section above for more details.
- Current study permit holders who move from one Designated Learning Institution (DLI) to another DLI. Students in this category must wait to receive a new study permit before beginning their studies at the new DLI. Refer to the Study Permit Extension page for more details. For additional details, visit the Study Permit/Transfer Students section (above).
- Current study permit holders who are moving from one level of study (e.g. undergraduate) to another level of study (e.g. graduate) at the same DLI (e.g. from Dalhousie to Dalhousie). Students in this category must apply for a new study permit (refer to the Study Permit Extension page for more details). Students in this category are permitted to continue studying in their new program IF they apply to extend their study permit before their current study permit expires.
- Students who apply to restore their student status from within Canada.
For more information about changing your school or program, visit the following Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada website.
Not all international students require a PAL. Students in the following groups do NOT require a PAL:
- Students who apply to extend their study permit because they need more time to complete their current academic program. Students in this category must apply to extend their current study permit. Refer to the Study Permit Extension page for more details.
- Current study permit holders who are changing programs at the same degree level (e.g. Bachelor of Arts to Bachelor of Science) at the same DLI (e.g. Dalhousie). Apply to extend your study permit as normal before your current study permit expires. Refer to the Study Permit Extension page for more details. NOTE: Students who are changing degree levels (e.g. undergraduate to graduate) require a PAL (refer to previous section).
- Exchange students – exchange students who are coming to Dalhousie for one semester do not require a study permit and do not require a PAL. Exchange students who are coming to Dalhousie for two semesters do require a study permit, but do not require a PAL.
- Students applying to a qualifying program that is shorter than 6 months.
For more information about which groups require a PAL and which groups are exempt, visit IRCC’s Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) page.
Proof of PAL Exemption
As part of the study permit and study permit extension application process, IRCC is now asking applicants to confirm if they are exempt from the PAL requirement. To do this, students should include a letter explaining why they are exempt. For help in writing and formatting a letter, refer to the template found in the Helpful Guide section on the Study Permit Extension page.
NOTE: if you are applying for a study permit for the first time and qualify for a PAL exemption, you can modify the same letter to make your request. Full-year exchange students will receive a sample exemption letter from Dalhousie’s Study Abroad Advisor as part of your welcome package/email.