If you're not a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada, you must have a valid study permit to study in Canada at the University of Waterloo unless you meet one of the exemptions listed on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website.
From January 2025 to December 31, 2025, all graduate students who applied for a study permit were required to obtain a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). Effective January 1, 2026, master’s and doctoral (PhD) students no longer need a PAL. For all other graduate students (i.e. Graduate Diplomas), our admissions team will work directly with you to confirm requirements.
Once you’ve accepted your offer of admission, applying early for your study permit is essential to support a smooth start to your graduate studies journey at the University of Waterloo. To support the study permit application process, review the study permit details on the University of Waterloo’s International Experience Centre website.
The International Experience Centre has immigration consultants to answer your specific questions, based on your individual needs. We encourage you to connect with them directly by submitting an online inquiry (available to students who have accepted their offer).
We will also be offering study permit webinars, beginning in early 2026 – direct communication will be shared with students who have accepted their offer of admission.