The importance of a letter of acceptance or LOA in a Study Permit Application to Canada

I received several inquiries regarding letters of acceptance. A letter of acceptance is an important document when applying for a study permit to Canada. To be eligible for a study permit, a potential student must provide a letter of acceptance from the educational institution where the applicant plans to study. The school must be a Designated Learning Institution. The letter of acceptance MUST INCLUDE the following information below:

• full name, date of birth and mailing address of the student;

• name of the institution and official contact;

• DLI number;

• telephone, fax, website and email information for the institution;

• type of school or institution (e.g., private or public and, in cases where the institution is publicly funded but not a university, indication as to whether the institution is a post-secondary college, a postsecondary community college or a post-secondary technical college);

• the field or program of study, level and year of study into which the student was accepted;

• the estimated duration or date of completion of the course;

• date on which the selected course of study begins;

• the last date on which a student may register for a selected course;

• the academic year of study that the student will be entering;

• whether the course or program of study is full-time or part-time;

• the tuition fee;

• scholarships and other financial aid (if applicable);

• an expiry date indicating the date until which the letter of acceptance is valid;

• any conditions related to the acceptance or registration, such as academic prerequisites, completion of a previous degree, proof of language competence, etc.;

• clear identification of the educational institution, normally confirmed through its letterhead;

• for study in Quebec, the requirement of a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ); and

• where applicable, licensing information for private institutions normally confirmed through letterhead.

As per R219(2) a letter of acceptance isn’t required if, the application for a work or study permit of the family member of a foreign national is approved in writing, before the foreign national enters Canada. This exemption does not guarantee the approval of a study permit application.

Conditional letters of acceptance

When a successful completion of a prerequisite course of program is required before admission into a program of study, the DLI may issue a conditional letter of acceptance to a foreign national. This letter should be submitted when the applicant applies to enter Canada as a temporary resident.

When the completion of a prerequisite program, such as English as a second language (ESL0 or French as a second language (FSL), is a condition for enrolment in a subsequent program, officers issue a study permit for the length of the prerequisite program plus 1 year.

Students who successfully complete their prerequisite program will then need to apply for a new study permit and demonstrate they have completed the admission requirements.

Thus, potential students must check and review the letter of acceptance from the Designated