Accepting your Offer of Admission
Once you have received an offer of admission, you will have 21 days to accept your offer for most programs. You can complete this step by logging into Carleton Central.
Note: If your offer includes an offer of funding that you wish to accept, you are required to accept the funding as an additional step to accepting the Offer of Admission. Should you require additional time, please contact the department to which you have been admitted.
Deposit
After accepting your offer of admission, the next step will be to pay the C$1,500 tuition deposit. The tuition deposit secures your place in the program, and is also required to receive a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). You will need to attach a PAL to your study permit application.
To pay the deposit follow these steps:
- Login to Carleton Central
- Under Student Records – Graduate Admissions, click International Tuition Payment
- You will be redirected to the International Currency Payments page
- Review the details on this page, and make payment through your preferred payment type.
Please note: The deposit is a pre-payment of a portion of tuition. It is not refundable unless there is a study permit refusal. In this case, Carleton requires proof of the study permit refusal, in advance of the term indicated in the offer.
Once you have accepted your offer and paid the deposit, you will be able to receive a provincial attestation letter, an important document that you will need to attach to your study permit application.
Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL)
A provincial attestation letter (PAL) is an official document provided by a Canadian province or territory that confirms an international student’s acceptance into a post-secondary institution. You will need to attach a PAL to your study permit application.
How to receive a PAL from Carleton?
- All you need to do is to accept your offer and pay the deposit. Once these conditions are met, Carleton will initiate the PAL process automatically. Within approximately a week after the deposit payment has been received, students will be able to access PALs in Carleton Central, along with their offer of admission. Please note that notifications are not sent when the PAL is added to your account, so check Carleton Central a week after the deposit payment has been received by Carleton.
Attestation letters cannot be reissued, so you must ensure your personal information (legal name, full mailing address, etc.) is correct in Carleton Central before accepting your offer of admission. It is important that this information is consistent on your passport, offer of admission, PAL and study permit application.
Study Permit
If you are not a permanent resident or Canadian citizen, you will need a study permit to study in Canada. The official list of documents required for your study permit application can be found on the Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website. Please consult the IRCC website or your nearest Canadian consulate for complete regulations and application procedures at least six to eight months before you intend to begin your studies. Even before you receive your offer and PAL, you can start preparing the other documents you’ll need for the study permit application.
The documents that Carleton University provides in support of your study permit application are:
- the offer of admission, specifically the page titled “Student Information for a Study Permit”
- the provincial attestation letter (PAL)
If you have questions about study permits, please contact our licensed in-house immigration advisors for free advice: immigration.advising@carleton.ca.
Verification Process by IRCC
Once you have all the required documents, and submit a study permit application, IRCC sends the universities the offers to verify. Carleton University is receiving these requests and verifying offers twice per week, well within the 10-day timeframe. Once we verify the offers of admission, IRCC proceeds with the study permit assessment. No action is required from you. You do not need to request a verification.
Have Questions?
Email: international@carleton.ca
Connect with Carleton University’s International Student Services Office.
