Acceptance Letter

When a foreign national applies for a Canadian study permit, or a Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ), they must provide a valid acceptance letter proving that they have been accepted to enrol at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada. Without providing an acceptance letter, a study permit application will be refused. If the applicant is submitting their application online, they must include a scanned copy of the acceptance letter. If, on the other hand, they are submitting a paper-based application, they must include an original copy of the acceptance letter for the immigration officer.

The Designated Learning Institution (DLI) should be familiar with issuing acceptance letters for international students, however the applicant should verify that all necessary information has been included. When submitting a letter of acceptance, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) requires detailed information about the applicant, the institution that issued the letter of acceptance, and the program the applicant has been accepted into.

Requirements for Acceptance Letters:

• 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 post-secondary community college or a post-secondary technical college);
• The field or program of study, year and level 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 Certificat d’acceptation du Quebec (CAQ), and;
• Where applicable, licensing information for private institutions normally confirmed through letterhead.

Conditional Letter of Acceptance

If a foreign national needs to complete prerequisite courses in order to be admitted into a specific program, an institution may issue a conditional letter of acceptance, granting the foreign national acceptance to the program provided that they first complete the prerequisites. For example, a foreign national may be accepted to a Bachelor’s Degree program provided that they first complete an English as a second language (ESL) course. When completion of the prerequisite is a condition for acceptance into the program, the immigration officer will issue a study permit for the length of the prerequisite course only.

Upon completion of the prerequisite, the foreign national must apply to extend their study permit for the new course.