Saskatchewan Receives Increase in Study Permit Allocation, Exceeding 15,000 Permits

Saskatchewan has received a significant boost in its study permit allocation, with the federal government granting the province over 15,000 applications. Notably, Saskatchewan is among the first provinces to introduce an automated system for processing provincial attestation letters.

Increased Allocation Reflects Provincial Growth and Opportunity

Effective April 1, the province's 2024 allocation now stands at 15,054 permits for undergraduate or college-level studies, marking an increase from the original 12,000 allocation set by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in February. This adjustment considers the province's historical acceptance rate and could potentially result in a total of 7,200 study permits being issued throughout the year. Speaking about the allocation Advanced Education Minister Gordon Wyant said

“In Saskatchewan we have been responsibly building our international student program and are committed to providing the supports international students need to succeed at our post-secondary institutions,”

He further added, "We appreciate IRCC increasing its allocation for Saskatchewan, as international students play a key role in maintaining economic growth and are a critical component to helping meet our labour market needs."

PAL Requirement and Saskatchewan's Swift Response

IRCC now requires most new post-secondary international students at the college or undergraduate level to include a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) along with their acceptance letter from a post-secondary institution when applying for an international study permit. Saskatchewan has swiftly implemented an automated system to streamline study permit applications for 2024, making it one of the pioneering provinces in this regard.

The Ministry of Advanced Education has already processed over 1,200 PALs from 11 different post-secondary institutions. This achievement was made possible by leveraging MyCreds, a national platform for official academic documents that collaborates with provincial education and post-secondary sectors.

Continued Collaboration for Program Enhancement

Moving forward, the ministry will continue collaborating closely with sector partners to enact changes in the international study program. Currently, it has temporarily halted the acceptance of new applications for designation in the Saskatchewan International Student Program.

Future Opportunities for Post-Secondary Institutions

However, post-secondary institutions interested in hosting international students for programs longer than six months will have the opportunity to apply for designation once again starting in January 2026.

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- Rajneesh Kumar