Effective January 22, 2025, following the IRCC's September 2024 announcement (Strengthening temporary residence programs for sustainable volumes), the Government of Canada requires a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) from the province where you plan to study as part of the study permit process.
The PAL will be issued by the Province of Ontario (Ministry of Colleges and Universities) for international graduate students planning to study at the University of Waterloo in the province of Ontario. A PAL is required to apply for your study permit.
A study permit issued is tied to a specific institution and program of study; you are encouraged only to accept your offer of admission to the institution where you intend to study.
Who needs a PAL?
Once you have received and accepted an offer of admission into a master’s, PhD or Graduate Diploma (GDip) program at the University of Waterloo, you may need a PAL to apply for your study permit. Below are the different criteria, depending on your location—within and outside Canada.
Note the details below for the master’s coursework and Graduate Diploma (GDip) programs deposit.
You are inside Canada and:
- You are a current student (undergraduate or graduate) at a Canadian Designated Learning Institution (DLI) who has accepted an offer of admission into a master’s, PhD or GDip program at the University of Waterloo.
- You are a current undergraduate student at the University of Waterloo who has accepted an offer of admission into a graduate program (master’s, PhD, GDip) at the University of Waterloo, and you need to extend your study permit.
- You are a graduate student who has accepted an offer of admission into an English language pathway program ahead of your graduate program at the University of Waterloo.
- You are transferring into a graduate program (master’s or PhD) at the University of Waterloo from another Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada (note details below for master’s coursework deposit).
You are outside Canada and:
- You have accepted an offer into a graduate program (master’s or PhD) at the University of Waterloo (note details below for master’s coursework deposit) and require a study permit to study in Canada.
Who does not need a PAL?
You may be excluded from the PAL requirement if:
- You are a current University of Waterloo graduate student who accepts an offer of admission into a graduate program (master’s or PhD). An extension to an existing study permit can be obtained without needing a new PAL – speak to a University of Waterloo immigration consultant in the International Experience Centre.
- You fall into one of the exceptions indicated on the Government of Canada’s Study permit: Get the right documents exceptions website.
- You are a graduate students participating in the International Visiting Graduate Students (IVGS) program – read more details on the IVGS webpage.
- You are a graduate student participating in an exchange program – read more details on the International Experience graduate exchange eligibility webpage.
How to access a PAL from the University of Waterloo
A questionnaire is available to determine your need for a PAL.
Steps to access the questionnaire (note that this is not available on mobile):
- Log in to Quest.
- Accept your offer of admission (a PAL can only be issued to students who have accepted an offer of admission).
- Select the “Personal Information” tile.
- Scroll down to “Provincial Attestation Letter” on the left navigation menu to access the PAL questionnaire.
- Within the PAL questionnaire, select the term for which you require the PAL (the term you are admitted into).
- Once you have selected your term, respond to the questions within the questionnaire.
- Based on your responses, the questionnaire will indicate if you require a PAL.
- Depending on what is indicated (yes or no), take action as per below.
For students entering a coursework-based master’s program or graduate diploma (GDip), a $1,000 deposit may be required before a PAL is issued – check the list of programs that require a deposit.
PAL questionnaire responses:
If the questionnaire says you DO NOT require a PAL:
You do not need to apply for a PAL and can apply directly for your study permit.
Review the study permit details on the University of Waterloo’s International Experience Centre website.
If the questionnaire says you DO require a PAL:
- Pay your tuition deposit, if required (check the list of programs that require a deposit). The tuition deposit must be paid in order for your PAL to be issued.
- Learn how to pay your tuition deposit from a bank outside Canada
- We highly recommend paying the tuition deposit using our approved international payment options via credit card because that is processed the most quickly and may appear in your Quest account sooner.
- Learn how to pay your tuition deposit from a bank inside Canada
- Learn how to pay your tuition deposit from a bank outside Canada
- Directly in Quest, submit your request for a PAL by clicking the "Submit” button at the bottom of the questionnaire.
- The University of Waterloo will request, on your behalf, a PAL from the Province of Ontario (Ministry of Colleges and Universities).
- Upon receipt of the PAL, the University will upload it to your Quest account; check back within 2 to 4 business days (this process may take longer if a deposit is required).
- Download your PAL from Quest, using the PAL download menu item (located on the left navigation menu).
- Apply for your study permit.* Review the study permit details on the University of Waterloo’s International Experience Centre website.
* The Canadian government will return your study permit application if it doesn’t have a PAL. This will delay the processing of your application and potentially delay your arrival in Canada. The application process can take several months so you should apply as early as possible. Deferrals for study permit delays will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Co-op program details
If you received an offer of admission to a co-op program, apply for a co-op work permit in your study permit application using your Letter of Acceptance from Waterloo. Highlight all components of the Letter of Acceptance that pertain to your co-op program.
You need a co-op work permit for all co-op work terms or degree-required internships. You must have your co-op work permit before starting your first co-op term.
Financial requirements
Review the Government of Canada website for details about the financial requirements for study permit applicants, including updated cost-of-living requirements.
Deposit for master's coursework or Graduate Diploma (GDip) programs
The University of Waterloo requires a non-refundable $1,000 deposit to be eligible to receive a PAL as a coursework master’s or GDip applicant with an offer. See below for the list of programs that require a deposit.
- Learn how to pay your tuition deposit.
- We highly recommend paying the tuition deposit using our approved international payment options via credit card because that is processed the most quickly and may appear in your Quest account sooner.
This deposit will be applied to your tuition balance and is not an additional fee. Your deposit will not be refunded if you choose not to come to the University of Waterloo for your graduate studies after paying your deposit, or if you do not meet the conditions of your offer.
Circumstances where your deposit may be refunded:
- The University of Waterloo revokes your offer of admission, or your request for a PAL is declined.
- The IRCC does not approve your study permit application (documentation must be provided). Please note that there may be support available from the University of Waterloo International Experience team for re-application if IRCC does not approve your initial study permit application.
List of master's coursework and GDip programs that require a deposit
Please note that for any programs that have a research study option listed as well, the deposit only applies to the coursework study option.
Faculty of Arts
- English (Experimental Digital Media) - Master of Arts (MA)
- English (Experimental Digital Media) (Co-op) - Master of Arts (MA)
- English (Literary Studies) - Master of Arts (MA)
- English (Literary Studies) (Co-op) - Master of Arts (MA)
- English (Rhetoric and Communication Design) - Master of Arts (MA)
- English (Rhetoric and Communication Design) (Co-op) - Master of Arts (MA)
- Economics (Co-op) - Master of Arts (MA)
- French Studies - Master of Arts (MA)
- German - Master of Arts (MA)
- History - Master of Arts (MA)
- Philosophy - Master of Arts (MA)
- Peace and Conflict Studies - Master of Peace and Conflict Studies (MPACS)
- Psychology (Developmental and Communication Science) - Master of Applied Science (MASc)
- Public Service - Master of Public Service (MPS)
- Public Service (Co-op) - Master of Public Service (MPS)
- Social and Legal Studies - Master of Arts (MA)
- Social and Legal Studies (Co-op) - Master of Arts (MA)
- Taxation - Master of Taxation (MTax)
- Taxation (Co-op) - Master of Taxation (MTax)
- Theological Studies - Master of Theological Studies (MTS)
Faculty of Engineering
- Business and Entrepreneurship - Graduate Diploma (GDip)
- Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology - Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET)
- Chemical Engineering - Master of Engineering (MEng)
- Chemical Engineering (Co-op) - Master of Engineering (MEng)
- Civil Engineering - Master of Engineering (MEng)
- Civil Engineering (Co-op) - Master of Engineering (MEng)
- Civil Engineering (Nuclear Engineering) - Master of Engineering (MEng)
- Data Analytics - Graduate Diploma (GDip)
- Electrical and Computer Engineering - Master of Engineering (MEng)
- Electrical and Computer Engineering (Co-op) - Master of Engineering (MEng)
- Management Sciences - Master of Management Sciences (MMSc)
- Management Sciences (Co-op) - Master of Management Sciences (MMSc)
- Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering - Master of Engineering (MEng)
- Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering (Co-op) - Master of Engineering (MEng)
- Systems Design Engineering - Master of Engineering (MEng)
Faculty of Health
Faculty of Math
- Computational Mathematics - Master of Math (MMath)
- Computational Mathematics (Co-op) - Master of Math (MMath)
- Data Science and Artificial Intelligence - Master of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (MDSAI)
- Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (Co-op) - Master of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (MDSAI)
Faculty of Science
This webpage will continue to be updated with any additional information available.
Last updated: February 26, 2025