Whether a new PAL will be required depends on your program start date, when you accept your offer, and the time of year.
PALs only need to be valid at the time when you submit your study permit application, and it does not need to be valid when you travel to Canada or when you begin your program.
In most cases, changing your program start date or deferring will not require a new PAL.
For example:
- Changing your start date from Sep 2025, to Jan 2026: you may receive your admission offer sometime between January to April, 2025, accept before June and thus receive a PAL from the current year (in this example, a 2025 PAL with a validity to 31 Dec 2025). As long as you submit a complete study permit application by Dec 31, 2025, the PAL is valid at the time you apply and can still be used for the Jan 2026 start date.
- A deferral from Sep 2025 to Sep 2026: you may receive your offer sometime between January to April, 2025, accept before June and thus receive a PAL from the current year (in this example, a 2025 PAL with a validity to 31 Dec 2025). As long as you submit a complete study permit application by Dec 31, 2025, the PAL is valid at the time you apply and can still be used for the Sep 2026 start date.
It is critical that you apply before your PAL expires, even though your program will start in the following year.