Who needs a Provincial Attestation Letter?

Effective Monday, May 19, 2025, completion of the McMaster PAL Tool is no longer a requirement for obtaining a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). The tool remains available for international students who wish to use it to determine if an attestation letter is needed.

Complete McMaster PAL Tool

As of January 22, 2024, most new post-secondary international students at the college or university level must provide a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) from a province or territory with their study permit application. 

  • Undergraduate students
  • Graduate students
  • Graduate diploma and certificate students
  • Visiting students studying at McMaster for six months or longer
  • McMaster Continuing Education students

For more information, please visit the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) web page.

In some cases, students may not require a Provincial Attestation Letter. To learn more about these exceptions, please consult the IRCC web page.

Students should submit their study permit application as soon as they have their Letter of Acceptance (LOA) and Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL), if one is required.

 

Congratulations again on receiving an offer of admission to McMaster University! We can’t wait to see you this Fall.

We’re here to guide you through the next steps you need to take to confirm your spot at McMaster.

  1. Accept your McMaster offer on the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre(OUAC) website.
  2. Pay the admissions deposit ($2,000 CAD) and download your Provincial Attestation Letter (if applicable) from your Mosaic Student Centre account. 
    • Not sure if you need a Provincial Attestation Letter? Complete the McMaster PAL Tool to determine if you need a Provincial Attestation Letter.
  3. Upon receiving your Provincial Attestation Letter from McMaster, you can then proceed to apply for your study permit through the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website. Be sure to check the IRCC website to verify the required documents for your study permit application.

For all other questions, please reach out to international@mcmaster.ca

If your study permit was not accepted for processing, you can submit a new study permit application with the same PAL (if it is still valid). For more information, please visit the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) web page.

If your application was accepted for processing but it was refused, you must get a new PAL before you reapply. For more information, please visit the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) web page.

For all other questions, please reach out to international@mcmaster.ca

Yes, applicants to graduate programs are not exempt from these new changes. You will need to use the McMaster PAL tool to determine if you are eligible to obtain a Provincial Attestation Letter.

If your activity as a visiting graduate student is to study (e.g. taking courses) for 6 months or longer, you will likely need a Provincial Attestation Letter.

If your activity as a visiting student is to research (e.g. participating in a research internship), you will need to consult McMaster’s Immigration Advising team at immigration@mcmaster.ca to determine your immigration needs.

In your email to the Immigration Advising Team, please provide the following information:

  • Dates of your visit
  • Your country of citizenship
  • Your intended activity (e.g., research or taking courses)
  • If you are conducting research, how your visit is funded (e.g., the name of your scholarship)

As of January 22, 2025, exchange students are exempt and do not require an attestation letter.