VOLUNTEER
On January 24, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced additional groups of students who are now required to have a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) when applying for a study permit. Some highlights of the expanded PAL requirement are:
- These changes will apply to study permit applications that are submitted on or after January 22, 2025. They will apply to both in-Canada study permit extensions and outside Canada study permit applications.
- Master’s and PhD students are required to have a valid PAL.
- Students are exempt from submitting a PAL if they are extending their study permits within Canada at the same designated learning institution and same level of study as their current study permit.
For more information about who will be exempt from a PAL, review IRCC’s website here.
If you need a PAL for your study permit application, please review our FAQ page here on how to obtain a PAL from SFU. We will continue to update our webpages and online resources to reflect the expanded PAL requirements. Thank you for your patience.
Off-campus volunteer work for which a person would not normally be paid, which is part time and incidental to the main reason you are in Canada (to study), generally does not require a work permit. Examples of this type of work might be volunteering for a food bank or acting as a mentor to a child.
If the off-campus volunteer work is an activity for which a Canadian citizen or permanent resident might normally be hired, or if it is considered "competitive" within the Canadian labour market, it will generally be considered employment and you will require a work permit (or you will need to meet the eligibility requirements to work using your study permit).
For more information, please review the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website. You may also contact an International Student Advisor, Immigration Specialist at International Services for Students if you have questions about work permit requirements for volunteer positions.
For volunteer opportunities, check out SFU Volunteer Services.