International Services

Spousal Open Work Permit for International Students

IRCC has updated the eligibility requirements for spousal open work permits for international students. The updates can be found on the IRCC webpage here.

Starting on March 19, 2024, only spouses/partners of international students enrolled in a master’s or doctorate degree program and a limited number of professional degree programs will be eligible for a spousal open work permit.

Lethbridge College currently only offers undergraduate programs which are not included in the new eligibility requirements and therefore, spouses of international students at Lethbridge College will be affected by this update.

Prospective students:

Starting March 19, 2024, spouses of international students at Lethbridge College will not be eligible for a spousal open work permit.

Spouses and partners may be eligible for other work permit programs. For more information, visit the IRCC webpage here.

Incoming and current students:

Spouses/partners who submitted an open work permit application BEFORE March 19, 2024:

If your spouse/partner submitted an application for a spousal open work permit BEFORE March 19, 2024, they may be still be eligible for an open work permit as long as you, as an international student meet the following 3 requirements:

• You have a valid study permit
• You are eligible for the PGWP program
• You are a full-time student at Lethbridge College

Spouses/partners who submitted an open work permit application ON OR AFTER March 19, 2024:

If your spouse/partner submitted an application ON OR AFTER March 19, 2024, they will NO LONGER BE ELIGIBLE for a spousal open work permit.

Spouses and partners may be eligible for other work permit programs. For more information, visit the IRCC webpage here.

Spouses/partners who require an extension on their current open work permit:

If your spouse/partner has a valid open work permit and needs to submit an application for extension, they may be eligible for an extension as long as you, as an international student, meet the following 3 requirements:

• You have a valid study permit
• You are eligible for the PGWP program
• You are a full-time student at Lethbridge College

Provincial Attestation Letters (PAL) process

Starting Jan. 22, 2024, new study permit applicants will be required to provide an attestation letter from the province or territory they are planning to study in as part of their application. For information on attestation letters and who requires a letter, visit the IRCC webpage here.

The Government of Alberta has finalized the process for issuing attestation letters. For information on the process for students planning on studying in Alberta, visit the Government of Alberta webpage here (see Study permit section).

NOTE: International students who already have a valid study permit or who are applying for a study permit extension do not require a PAL.

Incoming students – how to receive a PAL

For students who have NOT confirmed their offer of admission:

If you have submitted an application and receive an offer of admission from Lethbridge College, you will need to take the following steps:

1. You must check your offer letter to ensure that your personal information (first and last name, home address, etc.) matches the information that is on your passport or travel document
   • If this information needs to be updated, contact [email protected].
2. Accept your offer by following the instructions in your offer letter.
3. Pay your tuition deposit.

Once Lethbridge College receives both your confirmation of your offer of admission and your tuition deposit payment, Lethbridge College will request a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) on your behalf from the province of Alberta. We will complete this process internally. You do not need to send proof of confirmation or proof of payment to the college.

When the PAL is available, Lethbridge College will issue your PAL and Letter of Acceptance (LOA) to your Lethbridge College email.

For students who have confirmed their offer of admission and have paid the tuition deposit:

Lethbridge College will request a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) on your behalf from the province of Alberta and will issue your PAL and reissue your LOA to your Lethbridge College email.

Study Permit application – LOA and PAL

You will need to your LOA and PAL to apply online for a study permit through the IRCC portal.  We recommend you apply for your study permit as soon as you receive these documents from us.

Once you have received study permit approval, you must upload the your documents (your Port of Entry Letter of Introduction or photo of your stamped passport) to Self-Service before the required deadline:

If you have questions about your study permit application or require support, contact International Services at [email protected].

Study permit extension – New application form

Starting Jan. 30, 2024, a new version of the study permit extension application form will be available.

Current students:

To apply for a study permit extension starting Jan. 30, you should apply through your IRCC secure account, create a document checklist and use the application form that is included in that list.

Attestation letters for new study permit applications

Starting Jan. 22, 2024, new study permit applicants will be required to provide an attestation letter from the province or territory they are planning to study in as part of their application. 

The process to request an attestation letter from the Government of Alberta is NOT yet available. Provinces and territories will have until March 31, 2024 to have a process in place. Information and updates on attestation letters can be found on the IRCC website here.

Prospective students:

Once you have applied to a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) such as Lethbridge College and you have received a Letter of Acceptance (LOA), you will need to request an attestation letter from the province or territory that you are planning to study in as part of your new study permit application.

Incoming students:

If you submitted a new study permit application BEFORE Jan. 22, your application will be processed by IRCC. Once you receive approval for your study permit, you will need to submit proof of your approval to Self-Service by the following deadline:

If you have NOT yet submitted your study permit application, you need to wait until the process to request an attestation letter from the province of Alberta becomes available.

Refer to the communication sent by International Admissions to your Lethbridge College email on Jan. 26, 2024, for more information regarding this update.

Current students:

This new policy DOES NOT apply to study permit extension applications.

Curriculum Licensing Arrangements - PGWP eligibility

Lethbridge College does NOT have curriculum licensing arrangements with private colleges.

International students who will be studying at Lethbridge College will NOT be affected by this update. International students who are studying in an academic program that leads to a credential such as a certificate, diploma or degree will be eligible for the PGWP program as long as they meet all other eligibility requirements.

NOTE: International students in Open Studies will NOT be eligible for the PGWP program as it does not lead to credential such as a certificate, diploma or degree.

Spousal Open Work Permits

In the upcoming weeks, IRCC will no longer be issuing open work permits to spouses of international students in undergraduate programs, including college programs. ​​​​​​Please continue to check this link for updates on when this policy change will occur.

Temporary policy extension - off-campus work hours

IRCC has extended the temporary policy to allow eligible international students to work more than 20 hours per week during classes. The policy has been extended to April 30, 2024.

To be eligible, by Dec. 7, 2023, international students must have ONE of the following:

• a valid study permit
• submitted a new study permit application
• submitted a study permit extension application

International students must also meet the following:

• have the condition on their study permit to work off-campus
• be a full-time student for the Winter 2024 semester (enrolled in AT LEAST nine credits)
• have a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN)

Prospective students:

This temporary policy does not apply to prospective students.

Incoming students:

This temporary policy does not apply to incoming students as it will expire before their program start (Spring 2024, Fall 2024).

Current students:

Students MUST meet the eligibility requirements listed above to be eligible for this temporary policy.

If you submitted a study permit extension AFTER Dec. 7, 2023, you will not be eligible for this temporary policy once the study permit you are applying to extends expires. Once your current study permit expires, you will only be able to work 20 hours per week during classes.

For example:

Current study permit expiry date: March 15, 2024

Study permit extension application submitted on: Dec. 8, 2023

You can only work a maximum of 20 hours a week from March 16 to April 30, 2024.

New study permit applications - increase to cost of living requirement

Starting Jan. 1, 2024, the proof of financial support amount for a new study permit application has increased to $20,635 CAD (previously it had been $10,000 CAD).

Prospective students:

You will need to show this new amount for your proof of financial support when you apply for a new study permit.

Incoming students:

If you submitted a new study permit application on or before Dec. 31, 2023, your proof of financial support amount is $10,000 CAD.

If you submitted or plan to submit a new study permit application on or after Jan. 1, 2024, you will need to show proof of the new amount ($20,635 CAD) for your proof of financial support.

Online learning and post-graduation work permit (PGWP) length

The policy to allow international students to study online if it is less than 50 per cent of their program without affecting the length of a future post-graduation work permit (PGWP) has been extended until Sept. 1, 2024.

NOTE: Lethbridge College has returned to on-campus delivery and all international students are expected to be enrolled in on-campus courses