The Letter of Acceptance (LOA), also known as an “offer letter” or “acceptance letter”, is a compulsory document needed by students to get a study permit for Canada. This document is required by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) when a student applies for the study permit.
Important information to have before getting started
Depending on the program the student wants to study, every Canadian university may have a different set of requirements and essential documents. To get your acceptance letter, first, you must apply to a Designated Learning Institution (DLI).
Alongside meeting generic admission requirements, you may also need to submit a personal profile or certain subject-specific prerequisites.
Required elements in the Letter of Acceptance
After you receive your letter of acceptance, it should incorporate the following elements to process your study permit application.
- Your full name and date of birth.
- Your mailing address where you would like to receive the document.
- Your DLI number.
- Name of the institution you want to study in.
- Contact information of the institution’s official person.
- Type of the institution, i.e., public, private, post-graduate, or any other.
- If the DLI you’re applying to is private, you need to mention its licensing information as well. This information is usually located on the institution’s letterhead.
- DLI number of the institution.
- The program, year, and level of study you have been accepted in.
- Date when the study program will start.
- The estimated date of completion of your study program, or the estimated duration your program might take to complete.
- The last date to apply for a program using the issued acceptance letter.
- An estimate of the tuition fee you would have to pay in the first year; plus any financial aid you might receive during the program.
- Information about whether the program is part-time or full-time.
- If a work placement or internship is applicable, include all the details.
- Expiry date.
- Information about prerequisites, i.e., proof of language proficiency, previous qualifications, and others.
- The requirement of CAQ (Quebec Acceptance Certificate) if the DLI is located in Quebec.
Exceptional cases where you won’t need a Letter of Acceptance (LOA)
If any of your family members received a written work or study permit before entering Canada, you don’t need a letter of acceptance to get your study permit. Furthermore, if your study program is less than 6 months, you won’t need a study permit. As a result, you won’t need the acceptance letter either.
Joint study programs offered by multiple institutions
If the program you’re pursuing involves more than one institution, the letter of acceptance should mention all the relevant information. Both the institutions must be DLIs before they can issue the letter.
The institution that will issue your degree must be the one to grant the acceptance letter. If the degree is issued by more than one DLIs, the letter should be granted by the institutions where you would start your academic activities from.
Renewing your Study Permit
Usually, you don’t need a new letter of acceptance to renew your study permit. However, the immigration officer has the right to request a new letter of acceptance if he/she has any doubts.
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