Updated International Application Process

What We Currently Know:

As of November 1, 2024 Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)  has implemented changes to Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP):

• International applicants who apply for a new study permit OR an extension on their existing study permit before November 1, 2024, will remain eligible for a PGWP, regardless of field of study.
• A Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 for university graduates and CLB 5 for college graduates will be required for anyone applying for a PGWP on or after November 1, 2024.
• Graduates from programs at public colleges will remain eligible for a PGWP of up to three years if they graduate from a field of study linked to occupations in long-term shortage. Please see the NBCC CIP list here.

Important: Fall 2025 Intake Updates

NBCC will proceed with making offers of admission for our Fall 2025 intake in the coming weeks. With this in mind, we strongly encourage you to pay the first installment ($1500) of your confirmation deposit and apply for your study permit before November 1, 2024. Applicants who apply for a study permit before November 1, 2024 will remain eligible for the PGWP regardless of field of study.

As an additional precaution, please be assured that your $1500 payment will be refunded if your program of choice is deemed ineligible for a PGWP. You may also have an opportunity to transfer to an eligible program with available seats. Note: These options apply only to Fall 2025 applicants who submitted an application to NBCC before November 19, 2024.

These changes to our international tuition and fee payment schedule follow recently announced Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) requirements regarding study permit applications. They are necessary for NBCC to maintain accurate enrolment information for program planning and scheduling purposes and will ensure that waitlisted applicants are notified as early as possible of potential seat openings.

Confirmation Deposit Payment Schedules

^* These amounts are subject to change

WINTER 2025

SPRING 2025

** There will be NO EXCEPTIONS OR EXTENSIONS. If these two payments are not received by the above-mentioned dates, your application will be withdrawn, and you will need to re-apply to NBCC for a future intake.

For details on how to make payments to your student account visit our Payment Options page.

For full details on payments, including which payments to NBCC are non-refundable and which may be eligible for a refund, refer to the information provided in the Payment Description column of the “Deposit, Tuition and Fee Payment Schedules” section of this webpage.

Applicants withdrawn due to the following reason, “Failure to pay first term tuition and fees by the deadline” are not eligible for a refund of the non-refundable payment #1 ($1,500 CAD), as identified in the fee tables. Applicants may be eligible for a refund of any payments made exceeding payment #1.

Please visit our Refunds webpage for information on requesting a refund.

As part of the announced cap implementation, as of 8:30 am EST on January 22, 2024, most study permit applications will require a provincial attestation letter (PAL) from the province where they plan to study. A provincial attestation letter (PAL) is a requirement for all NBCC applicants submitting a study permit application after 8:30 am EST January 22, 2024.

If your study permit application was submitted to IRCC after 8:30 am EST on January 22, 2024, or you have not yet submitted your application, you DO require a provincial attestation letter (PAL). Any study permit application submitted to IRCC after this date without the required letter of attestation will be returned.

NBCC is working closely with the Province of New Brunswick to understand the provincial process to receive a provincial attestation letter (PAL). We have included the information that is currently available below and will continue to update this page as we receive more details. Continue to check this website regularly.

Requirements for a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL)

In accordance with newly-developed policies communicated by the Province of New Brunswick to all New Brunswick post-secondary institutions, final authority to grant a PAL resides with the Province of New Brunswick. A PAL will be approved and granted by the Province, then distributed to applicants through NBCC.

Applicants who do not possess a valid study permit approval or did not submit their application to IRCC before 8:30 am EST on January 22, 2024, will require a PAL.

In order to be eligible for a PAL, an NBCC applicant must:

1. Have paid full confirmation deposit payment #1 (see schedule of payments above).
   
2. Provide your Passport and Consent to NBCC.
   
   The Province of New Brunswick has identified passport as the unique personal identifier required to confirm your identity and verify if you are eligible to receive a provincial attestation letter (PAL). NBCC will be collecting this information and including it in your application for a PAL. 
   
   For detailed instructions, see  How to upload a copy of your passport, and sign your consent (pdf).
   
   NOTE: If you have previously sent us a copy of your passport for any reason, you are required to re-submit it via the new process to ensure we have your consent on record. 
   

The deadline to meet both requirements, and be eligible for a PAL, is 14 days after receipt of the Conditional Letter of Acceptance (LOA). Please note this is the same deadline for payment of Confirmation Deposit #1.

Important: It is critical to note that an applicant will only be eligible for one PAL from the Province of New Brunswick. Confirmation fees are non-refundable, NBCC will not reimburse fees based on an applicant receiving a PAL from another institution.

Once an applicant is approved for, and receives, a PAL, they will automatically be withdrawn from any other active program choices. This means that if you receive a PAL for your second program choice indicated on your application, you will be automatically withdrawn from your first program of choice.

There are three parties involved in the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) Process:

1. Applicant: NBCC applicant who holds a letter of acceptance to NBCC
2. NBCC: New Brunswick Community College
3. GNB: Government, or Province, of New Brunswick (issuer of PAL)

STEP 1: Applicants must meet the 2 PAL requirements identified above within 14 days after receipt of Letter of Acceptance (LOA):

• Payment of $1500 confirmation deposit
• Upload of Passport and Consent in Student Self Service

STEP 2: Confirm your current address in Student Self-Service

• You can update your address within your Student Self-Service account by choosing Addresses from the dropdown menu in the Personal Information section.  
• It is critical to ensure your address in Student Self-Service matches the address you will use to apply for your study permit. NBCC will be sharing information with the Province of New Brunswick, in addition to your passport number, to confirm your identity and verify eligibility for a PAL. 
• The address included on your PAL must match the address you will submit in your study permit application to IRCC.

STEP 3: NBCC Admissions will evaluate applicants after 14 days has passed since issue of Letter of Acceptance (LOA) deadline to confirm PAL requirements have been met.

• NBCC will submit required information to the Province of New Brunswick for all applicants who meet the PAL criteria. This includes passport, address, date of birth, program name, program start date, program end date, and campus location.
• Applicants who have not met the requirements will be withdrawn from their program, their seat will be cancelled. NBCC will be unable to accommodate any extensions.
• NBCC processing can take up to 5 business days to prepare PAL submission for GNB.

STEP 4: GNB will evaluate all PAL applications submitted by NBCC to determine if individuals are eligible for a provincial attestation letter (PAL).

• GNB will use your passport number to verify you have not received a PAL from another institution.
• It is critical to note that an applicant will only be eligible for one PAL from the Province of New Brunswick. Confirmation deposits are non-refundable, NBCC will not reimburse fees based on an applicant receiving a PAL from another institution.

STEP 5: GNB will communicate PAL decisions to NBCC.

• GNB will send the PAL letter to NBCC for applicants who are eligible.
• GNB will indicate to NBCC if applicants are not eligible for a PAL letter.
• GNB decisions are made available to NBCC within 1 business day of submission.

STEP 6: NBCC will communicate PAL decision to applicants:

• If applicants are not eligible for a PAL they will be withdrawn from their program, and their seat will be cancelled.
• If applicants are eligible, they will receive an email from NBCC directing them to Student Self Service, where they will be able to download their PAL.

STEP 7: PALs have an expiration date!

Provincial attestation letters are valid from the date issued until January 21 of the following year, unless the PAL is issued between January 1 - 21. This means that:

• PALs issued between January 22, 2024 and December 31, 2024 are valid until January 21, 2025.
• PALs issued between January 1-21, 2025 are also valid until January 21, 2025.
• PALs issued beginning on January 22, 2025 until January 21, 2026, will be valid until January 21, 2026.

STEP 8: Be ready to apply for your study permit.

• NBCC has many resources available for study permit applications and webinars available through the month of March. Register for our Upcoming Live Immigration Webinars below and review our resources at www.nbcc.ca/immigration. 

STEP 9: Keep us up to date on your study permit application status.

You must keep us updated on the progress of your study permit application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC):

• Submit proof that you have applied for your study permit by sending a copy of the Acknowledgement of Receipt letter from IRCC immediately after submission by emailing international@nbcc.ca. 
• When you receive a final decision on your study permit, update us using the Study Permit Approval Upload webpage. Review the deadlines associated with study permit approvals. 

Once an applicant is approved for, and receives a PAL, they will automatically be withdrawn from any other active program choices. This means that if you receive a PAL for your second program choice indicated on your application, you will be automatically withdrawn from your first program of choice.

The following scenarios are not impacted by these newly imposed regulations and do not require a provincial attestation letter (PAL):

• Study permit applications submitted to IRCC before 8:30 am EST on January 22, 2024, or
• Study permit extensions submitted after January 22, 2024, for applicants already in Canada with a valid study permit.

Please ensure NBCC has the most up-to-date information regarding your study permit application. If you have not yet notified NBCC of any developments in our study permit application (submitting an application or receiving a final decision) please do so by emailing international@nbcc.ca with the following important information:

• Full Name
• Student ID number
• Submission or decision letter from IRCC attached

All tuition and confirmation deposit deadlines continue to apply to you. Be sure to review the updated information on this page related to non-refundable confirmation deposits and tuition payments.

For details on final submission of conditional document deadlines, please visit Admissions - Document Deadlines.

NBCC knows that the immigration process can be overwhelming. We have dedicated staff members to help guide you through the process and to help you build a strong study permit application! We have scheduled a series of immigration webinars over the month of March so that you are prepared to submit your study permit application when the time comes. All of these webinars will be recorded, and the recording links will be available for review on this webpage.

UPCOMING WEBINARS

RECORDED WEBINARS

Visa Office Specific Document Checklists

Find the visa office that serves your country here: Visa offices outside Canada - Canada.ca

Review your Visa Office Instructions here: Application to study in Canada – Study permits

If your country of residence is not listed in this table, it may mean there are no specific Visa Office Instructions for your country of residence. Review the Visa Office Specific Requirements to confirm.

Review a recorded video about the General Document Checklist (IMM 5483) that applies to all study permit applications.