Immigration Updates
Page updated: February 28, 2024
On January 22, the Government of Canada made an important announcement regarding changes to the study permit application process for new international students. Effective immediately, most new international students (see list of exemptions below) applying for a study permit will require a Letter of Attestation from the province or territory where their institution is located. The federal government has set a March 31, 2024, timeline for provinces to finalize the process of issuing Letters of Attestation to international students.
Universities, colleges, and other designated learning institutions (DLIs) in Nova Scotia are actively working with the provincial government to determine the new Letter of Attestation process. Students are advised to not submit their study permit application until this process is determined. Further updates will be posted here and communicated directly to new students by Dalhousie’s Admissions Office.
Please note this recent announcement does not impact the following groups:
- An international student who submitted a complete study permit application on or before January 21, 2024.
- Current international students with a valid study permit
- A minor child applying to study in a primary or secondary school (kindergarten to grade 12)
- A student applying for a Masters, PhD or other post-graduate program
- A student applying to extend their study permit
You can obtain additional information on this matter at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada.html.
For undergraduate admissions questions, please don’t hesitate to contact international.admissions@dal.ca. For all other questions, please contact international.centre@dal.ca.
Frequently asked questions
Please review the answers to these questions for informational students regarding the current study permit application process and updates.