FINALLY: Ottawa slashes red tape for joint program students in bombshell visa shake-up

Ottawa has finally caved to months of pressure from desperate international students.

The immigration department dropped a bombshell announcement on February 6, 2026, that will rescue thousands trapped in bureaucratic hell.

The fix is simple but revolutionary.

Students enrolled in joint programs spanning multiple provinces no longer need to beg for separate attestation letters from every territory involved.

One letter. One application. One shot at their Canadian dream.

THE GAME-CHANGER

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada updated its officer instructions in a move that has stunned education consultants.

The new rules explicitly state that a single Provincial or Territorial Attestation Letter now covers the entire joint program.

Gone are the days of students watching semesters slip away while waiting for multiple provincial bureaucracies to shuffle paper.

Gone is the nightmare of mismatched expiry dates and conflicting requirements.

The change affects every international student caught in the PAL/TAL trap since the system launched.

Critics had warned that the original rules were strangling Canada’s competitive edge in global education.

Now Ottawa has listened.

But experts warn this window of streamlined processing may not last forever.

International students are urged to file immediately while the new rules are fresh.

Processing centres are already bracing for a tsunami of applications from relieved students who had nearly given up hope.

---

Stay Updated with Canada Visa Monitor
Follow us for the latest immigration news and tips:
• Facebook
• Instagram
• X (Twitter)
• Pinterest