Dear VIU Applicants,
Since the announcement of the Canadian federal government concerning the changes to the study permit process, Vancouver Island University has been working with the British Columbia provincial government to make sure that we are prepared and ready to support our future VIU students.
On Friday March 1, the B.C. government announced their updates to how they would begin issuing provincial attestation letters (PAL), a document required for all study permit applications as of January 22, 2024.
VIU is now able to issue PALs for students who have been accepted and confirmed their offers of admission. There are no changes to the steps students must take when applying to VIU.
To better align with provincial expectations, the largest change here at VIU is that students who have been admitted will be required to pay a $10,000 CAD deposit to confirm their offer and to receive a PAL. Previously at VIU, this deposit was $2,500. Please be aware that this remains a deposit towards a student’s first semester of studies, and it is fully refundable should a student be denied their study permit. This deposit applies to ALL undergraduate students, and students in graduate certificate or diploma programs, who have been offered admission to VIU for Fall 24 or Spring 25.
Master’s degree students who have applied to VIU are exempt from the PAL and will continue to pay a $2,500 deposit.
VIU continues to accept new applications for programs starting in September 2024 and January 2025 and we look forward to supporting you through your journey to VIU.
For further questions, please reach out to study@viu.ca if you are a current applicant. If you have not applied yet, please reach out to worldviu@viu.ca.
Thank you for your interest in VIU,
Office of Future Students