Every college/university have different processing times for LOA. I applied in July 2020 for May 2021 and got LOA within a week. I submitted my application until November because I didn't had the funds needed by July.When did you get admission letter from the college and what were the application dates to the college? Asking as my application to SFU was in January 2021 and they made all final decision in February end for September intake.
So I couldn't have applied for study permit earlier than the beginning of March. Wonder if response from other colleges / Unis are faster (UNBC and UViC were slower than SFU).
Then, in March, I decided to defer my application fpr September 2021. Again, I sent the request to the college and got the new LOA within a couple of days.