Study Permit
St. Thomas University partners with BorderPass to provide immigration services for applicants and students. BorderPass is a visa management platform to streamline the immigration process for students throughout their stay in Canada.
Once admitted to St. Thomas University, accepted international applicants have access to BorderPass immigration services for free.
Step 1 – Complete the Study Permit Assessment
The first step is to complete an assessment of your probability of receiving a study permit from Immigration Canada. This includes a questionnaire for you to complete along with a request to submit documents you intend to use for your study permit application. Your information will be reviewed by Canadian immigration lawyers who will provide an indication of your probability of receiving a study permit from Immigration Canada. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of this free service prior to paying the non-refundable PAL deposit.
Access the Study Permit Assessment Questionnaire.
*A study permit is a document issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that allows someone to study in Canada for a specified period of time.
Learn more about the study permit.
Step 2 – Decide to Proceed with Study Permit Application
After you complete the questionnaire, St. Thomas University staff will then provide you with the feedback to move forward with the study permit application process. If you then decide you would like to proceed with applying for a study permit, you will then need to move forward with the steps below.
Step 3 – Pay the $2,500 PAL Non-Refundable Deposit
To proceed, you will need to pay the $2,500 CAD Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) non-refundable deposit to St. Thomas University. The PAL deposit will go towards your first-year, second semester, tuition fee and is not an additional cost. Paying this deposit will allow you to move forward and receive a provincial attestation letter.
Provincial Attestation Letters
As January 22, 2024, accepted applicants, who are not currently studying high school in Canada, for undergraduate programs at St. Thomas University must include a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) from the Province of New Brunswick in their study permit application. St. Thomas University will obtain the PAL for eligible students who pay the PAL deposit.
$2,000 of the PAL deposit will only be refunded in instances that a study permit application is denied. Please note: the preferred method of payment to ensure you receive your PAL in a timely manner is a credit card payment.
The link to pay this deposit will be shared by STU once you complete the study permit assessment questionnaire.
Step 4 – Receive your Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL)
Once the PAL deposit is received by St. Thomas University, STU staff will request the PAL from the Government of New Brunswick on behalf of the student. STU staff will relay the PAL to the student, so the study permit application can be submitted to IRCC. BorderPass immigration lawyers can assist with the study permit application at no additional cost to STU students.
Please note that the PALs issued by the Government of New Brunswick expire 8 weeks from the date they are issued. Students must submit their study permit application within this 8-week period; otherwise, the PAL expires, and it will not be reissued. For this reason, it is important that you have all your required documents and be ready to proceed with your study permit application before paying the $2,500 PAL deposit.
Step 5 – Complete the Study Permit Application
Our partnership with BorderPass can help make the process of applying for a study permit and visa easier.
With BorderPass, you will be provided with the following:
- Access to Canadian immigration lawyers for any questions you may have.
- Concierge services to ensure you have all the support you need.
- Guidance preparing and reviewing study permit and visa applications by Canadian immigration lawyers.
- Ongoing immigration support throughout your time as a student at STU.
To begin your study permit application with BorderPass support, go to the BorderPass registration page to access St. Thomas University’s unique portal.
IRCC study permit processing times can be found here: Processing Times. Given the processing times we strongly recommend accepted applicants apply for their study permits as soon as possible.