Studying in Canada: PAL, provincial caps and the post-graduation work permit

Applications differ by province and school

In Canada, each university sets its own admission requirements. Some provinces, such as Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, have a shared application portal. In Ontario this portal is OUAC, and the form used for the University of Toronto is OUAC 105.

For Fall 2027, the bachelor's application deadline at the University of Toronto, UBC and McGill is 15 January 2027. To be included in the first rounds of review, Toronto advises you to apply by 7 November 2026.

Quebec follows a separate route, and programs can be in English or French. A student admitted to a school in Quebec first gets a CAQ from the province's immigration ministry, MIFI, and then applies for the federal study permit. A valid CAQ also replaces the provincial attestation letter.

Cap and provincial attestation letter (PAL/TAL)

Canada limits the number of new international students. The target for 2026 is 155,000 new students. This cap is shared among the provinces, and most study permit applications need a provincial attestation letter (PAL/TAL).

• Students admitted to master's and doctoral programs at public institutions are exempt from this letter in 2026.
• The exemption does not apply if programs at the same level are at private institutions.
• Exchange students do not need a letter.

IRCC's PAL/TAL rules are written for 2026. After admission, we suggest you contact your school about the letter and look at this page again when the 2027 rules are announced.

SDS no longer exists

Older guides say Türkiye is covered by the fast-track program Student Direct Stream (SDS). According to IRCC, SDS ended on 8 November 2024. Türkiye was not on the program's country list anyway. All applications made after this date are processed as regular study permit applications.

The funds to show have also been updated. For applications after 1 September 2026, a single student who will study outside Quebec shows living costs of at least CAD 23,448. The first year's tuition fee and travel costs are added to this separately.

Working during and after your studies

While classes are on, you can work off campus at most 24 hours a week. This limit went up from 20 to 24 hours on 15 November 2024. There is no hour limit during scheduled school breaks such as the summer and winter holidays.

A graduating student can get a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) once in their life. According to UBC's summary, the basic rules are these:

• The program must last at least 8 months. For programs between 8 months and 2 years, the permit is as long as the program. For programs of 2 years or more, it is 3 years.
• Master's programs that last at least 8 months also get a 3-year permit.
• Since 1 November 2024, a language test result is required. For those who complete a bachelor's, master's or doctorate at a university, the threshold is CLB 7 in English, and there is no field of study requirement.
• The test result must not be older than 2 years when the PGWP application is made.

For diploma and certificate programs, an extra field of study requirement applies. These rules change often, so we suggest you check the IRCC page before applying. For details, see our Canada page.