APPLY FOR A TEMPORARY RESIDENT VISA
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced changes to the International Student Program starting January 1, 2026, including new rules for Provincial Attestation Letters (PALs).
Graduate students (Master’s or PhD) at public institutions will be exempt from the PAL requirement starting January 1, 2026. In addition, PhD students and their accompanying family members may also qualify for expedited processing, if they apply within the same application. Please note that applications may still be subject to background checks, which could affect processing times.
For full details on PAL requirements and other updates, please review our 2026 PAL Requirement News Post.
Planning a trip outside Canada and the continental US? You may need a valid temporary resident visa (TRV) or electronic travel authorization (eTA) in addition to your valid study permit to travel back to Canada, unless exempted. You can visit the IRCC website to see if you will require a TRV or an eTA to travel to Canada.
If you do need a TRV and are planning a trip outside Canada, you should apply for a new TRV from within Canada before you leave. Processing times may be very lengthy at peak holiday times such as summer and Christmas, so allow yourself plenty of time.
Alternatively, you may submit an application for a new TRV to be processed from outside Canada while you are away. Immigration officials reserve the right to interview applicants if necessary. You should also keep in mind that if you are submitting your application outside Canada, there may be additional application requirements (e.g. biometrics). For more information, we recommend reviewing the country-specific visa office instructions for the responsible office where you will be applying on the IRCC website.
To review the current, estimated processing times for TRV applications in Canada and outside of Canada, visit the IRCC website.
Please note: Most travellers entering Canada need either an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or a TRV. Please visit the IRCC website for more information.
Temporary resident visa (TRV) instruction guides:
Please note these instruction guides are for in-Canada TRV applications
Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
For information about how to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization, visit the IRCC website.