The result first: on October 28, 2026, our client received the confirmed admission letter for the Early Childhood Education Certificate at SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology) in Calgary, together with an Alberta Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). Classes start in September 2027. The next step is the study permit. Yet until the day before, this application showed as "cancelled" in the school's system.
How it started: the student was an international student already in Canada. On July 30 we emailed the school's international office to ask whether seats were still open, and after a week with no answer we asked again on August 5. Once the seat was confirmed, the application began.
On August 13 the school asked for more documents because a transcript was missing. The student's high school was in Texas, USA, and a reissue would take long during the school break. We explained exactly what the school was asking for, and the next day the student submitted the full front and back of the original transcript she already had.
The setback: the deposit was paid, yet the application was cancelled. The student sent the tuition deposit on September 10. On September 14 a cancellation notice arrived. We saw it first and contacted the school the same day: the deposit had been paid, so this looked like an error and should be corrected. The school asked for proof of payment in the portal, and the student uploaded it that day.
The school said twice that no payment had arrived. On October 27 the school replied that it received the proof on September 15, but the money had not come in for a long time and was still missing at the October 23 check, so the application was cancelled. We replied 1 hour 12 minutes later asking for reinstatement, and also asked whether the deposit could move to a new application for the same intake if not. When the school checked again and said no payment was visible as of that day, we replied within 42 minutes and gave the student two things to confirm with her bank: whether the transfer was completed, and whether the student ID was entered correctly.
The cause was the last digits of the student ID. The bank confirmed that the student ID had been entered with different last digits, so the money went to the wrong number. Anyone could miss this. On the morning of October 28 we sent the explanation to the school. That afternoon the school replied that the deposit was found, the application status was changed to Confirmed, and the acceptance letter was issued that day. From cancellation to confirmed admission took half a day after we found the cause.
By the numbers: 24 threads with the school, 8 of them started by us. Two seat enquiries (including a follow up after no reply), two portal login requests, three deposit checks, one student ID check, plus the reinstatement request and the explanation of the cause. The school said no at two points (missing transcript, cancellation for a deposit that had not arrived), and both were resolved by sending evidence and asking again.
If you apply on your own, these are the hard parts: school emails arrive split between your inbox and portal messages, so a cancellation notice is easy to miss. The school only says "check with your bank", and you must work out what to ask. Even with a transfer receipt, the school cannot find the payment if the student ID is wrong. A short, precise English explanation gets the officer to act. A foreign high school transcript can take long to reissue during a break, so you need to know how to meet the requirement with the original you have.
What to learn from this case: an international deposit counts on the day it reaches the school, not the day you send it. Do not get a single digit of the student ID wrong, and keep the transfer receipt. A cancellation is not the end. Find the cause, send evidence, and ask again right away. Finding what the student missed and acting first is what we do.
What this approval means
A study permit application turns on whether the letter of acceptance, the proof of funds and the study plan fit together. The officer decides from the documents why this program, why Canada and why now.
What we checked
- Program, length and school details on the letter of acceptance
- Proof of funds and an explanation of where the money comes from
- How the study plan connects to past education and work
Where people often get stuck when applying on their own
- Proof of funds without a clear explanation of the source
- A study plan that does not seem to follow from previous work
- Missing conditions on the letter of acceptance, such as conditional admission
More detail: Study permit services, Conditional admission guide.