An international student’s Letter of Acceptance must comprise specific details, and Canada’s DLIs must adhere to the updated guidelines of the IRCC. When an international student includes all relevant information recommended by the immigration department, they tend to authenticate their LOA. In addition, foreign nationals must follow the Provincial Attestation Letter and an LOA requirement, as they are vital for the study permit application process. This is also because LOAs enable the immigration department to determine acceptance to a DLI program or course of study.
There are various phases in which the Canadian international student system undergoes tremendous pressure. However, a Letter of Acceptance is one of the most valuable methods through which IRCC retains the program’s integrity.
Recommendations of IRCC for DLIs to include specific details in the LOAs
According to IRCC’s latest reports, the department suggests the Designated Learning Institutes follow specific guidelines. This indicates that these DLIs must include 17 types of details in the Letter of Acceptance they grant to international students.
- The student’s full name, DOB, and mailing address.
- The institution’s name and official contact.
- The institution’s DLI number.
- Essential details of the institution, such as website, phone number, fax, and email ID.
- The school or institution type, such as public or private.
- The course completion date or the estimated duration.
- The date of study on which the chosen course might start.
- The last registration date for a student to begin their selected course.
- The academic study year that the student might enter.
- Whether the course of the study program is part-time or full-time.
- The tuition fee.
- Scholarships and different financial sources.
- The expiry date of the LOA indicates the exact date until it will remain valid.
- Any requirements concerning acceptance or registration, such as academic conditions, completion of a former degree, proof of language competence, etc.
- Evident identification of the educational institute or licensing information for private establishments (where relevant, typically verified via its official letterhead).
- Adhering to the Quebec Acceptance Certificate for pursuing studies in Quebec.
Important note: The above suggestions by IRCC to Canada’s DLIs are essential. However, excluding certain points doesn’t imply that your LOA is not authentic or genuine.
International student’s Letter of Acceptance and its new verification process
IRCC launched a new verification process for a Letter of Acceptance in order to protect international students from bad actors. This process began on December 1 last year.
After the execution of this new policy, Canada’s DLIs need to follow a mandate to provide a manual confirmation for each LOA they obtain with IRCC.
Based on IRCC’s digital portal, the immigration department has up to ten calendar days to authenticate the LOA submitted by international students studying outside Canada.
Each DLI will have a designated representative, and only they will be able to use the portal.
The latest updates within the Canadian international student system integrity
The immigration department launched a new policy demanding a majority of new post-secondary international students (at the undergraduate or college level) to submit a PAL through their province or territory. They must attach the PAL with their study permit application as of January 22.
In addition, IRCC will return a study permit application without a PAL. However, this might not be the case in exceptional cases where this requirement is waived. A PAL will demonstrate that a student has been designated within a provincial or territorial distribution within the national cap.
According to IRCC, Canadian provinces or territories must develop a concrete system for granting PALs to international students by March 31 this year.
So far, British Columbia remains the only province that has revealed information concerning the PAL process.
Canada has launched the following steps to improve the integrity of the international student program:
- A cap on the influx of international students via the study permit applications for the upcoming two years.
- A rise in the cost of living for international students.
- Establishment of a fresh Trusted Institutions Framework.
- Updates related to the eligibility requirements of the Post-Graduation Work Permit. This includes letting particular international students become ineligible but also allowing Master’s graduates to be eligible for a permit of three years.
- Made specific changes to the eligibility requirements concerning the Open Work Permit.
Looking for more information on the Study Permit application process? Clarify your doubts with our Make Home Canada expert guides through their years of knowledge in this field. Email us your queries at [email protected].
