FAQs for International Students about COVID-19

Please avoid all non-essential travel outside of Canada

As you may be aware, the Government of Canada has a global travel advisory against all non-essential travel until further notice to limit the spread of COVID-19. We understand that this is a difficult time for many students who are missing home and their families, however, we recommend you avoid travel if at all possible.

Your decision to travel must also factor in that travel restrictions are changing quickly and may be imposed by countries with little advance notice. This means that you run the risk of remaining outside of Canada longer than expected.

IRCC offers the following reminders and suggestions concerning travellers departing Canada at this time:

It's important to remember that if you choose to travel abroad:

• your trip may become much longer than you planned
• you may have reduced access to quality health care
• you could be subject to the measures of other countries

If you're still considering travel outside of Canada, you should:

• understand the risks to your safety and security abroad
• check the pandemic travel health notice before travelling
• know the health risks and travel restrictions and requirements for your destination
• make sure you have enough money and necessities, including medication, in case your travel is disrupted

If you must travel abroad and return please take note of the following

1. York University does not issue any documentation to students seeking to depart the country. It is your responsibility to check with your airline(s) and the country you are traveling to regarding any required documentation or other actions necessary for travel and entry to your destination.
2. Please visit the York Quarantine Information Page for detailed information on requirements for re-entry to Canada and quarantine.

Beginning October 20, 2020, Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that international students are exempt from travel restrictions and are able to travel to Canada for their studies if they meet all requirements and have all authorizations for travel.

According to these current travel restrictions, to enter Canada as a student, you must meet 2 requirements:

1. You must have a valid study permit or a letter of introduction that shows you were approved for a study permit.*
2. You must be attending a designated learning institution (DLI) with a COVID-19 readiness plan approved by its province or territory.**

*Stage 1 approval/AIP does not count as final approval.

**York University has an approved COVID-19 readiness plan in place.

CURRENT TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS AND AUTHORIZATIONS 

Please visit the York Quarantine Information Page for detailed information on requirements for entry to Canada and quarantine.

If you have any questions, you can contact one of our immigration specialists at York International, or through Schulich School of Business International Relations for Schulich students.

Yes. The fact that your studies are online do not prevent your entry to Canada. However, you must ensure that you meet the requirements indicated in the current travel restrictions.

Please visit the York Quarantine Information Page for detailed information on requirements for entry to Canada and quarantine.

If you have any questions, you can contact one of our immigration specialists at York International, or through Schulich School of Business International Relations for Schulich students.

Please visit the York Quarantine Information Page for detailed information on requirements for entry to Canada and quarantine.

If you have any questions, you can contact one of our immigration specialists at York International, or through Schulich School of Business International Relations for Schulich students.

To come to Canada as a student, you must have a study permit or a letter of introduction (LOI) as well as a valid Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).

Due to COVID-19, only international students who meet the travel restriction exemptions set forth by IRCC can travel. Do not make travel plans until you know you are exempt.

Starting October 20th, 2020 students attending an institution with an approved COVID-19 readiness plan and have a valid study permit or a final approval (not an AIP/first-stage approval) may travel to Canada. York University has an approved COVID-19 readiness plan. See the full list of approved institutions. If you do not meet these guidelines, you are not exempted from the current travel restrictions and should not travel to Canada at this time.

Before planning to travel, see IRCC’s information for international students about COVID. If you have any questions, you can contact one of our immigration specialists at York International, or through Schulich School of Business International Relations for Schulich students.

In addition to health screening protocols before travel, all individuals entering from abroad must wear a mask to enter Canada and have a concrete plan to quarantine for 14 days upon their arrival in Canada. Air travelers must have a negative COVID-19 test from within 72 hours of boarding their flight.

Please refer to the IRCC website for more details.

International students do not need a study permit to legally start a program from outside of Canada, however, you will need one to begin studying in Canada once you are able to travel.

If you are unsuccessful in receiving a study permit approval, book an appointment with one of our immigration specialists at York International, or through Schulich School of Business International Relations for Schulich students, to help you review a second application submission. If your application is still refused, you may be eligible for a tuition refund if you apply by the deadline. Learn more about the regular refund process and the New International Student tuition refund process.

IRCC continues to process applications submitted online, even if the Visa Application Centre in your country may be closed.  On July 14, 2020, IRCC announced temporary policy changes to facilitate online learning for international students.

Check with your local Visa Application Centre for details on your application and make sure to keep up to date on COVID-19 updates in your country and in Canada. Visit the York University Coronavirus Information and Update frequently.

A study permit is not required to take online courses from abroad. Students can count the time spent pursuing their studies online abroad toward their eligibility for a post-graduation work permit, if they submit a study permit before the program starts. For full details, see how your PGWP eligibility is affected.

You may also be able to request to defer your admission. Not sure if you should defer? Please connect with our immigration advisors to via email iadvisor@yorku.ca or book an online appointment.

The PGWP is an important pathway for international students to gain valuable Canadian work experience after graduation, which can help to eventually obtain permanent residency in Canada.

Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada recently announced temporary PGWP eligibility rules, which allow 100% of your studies completed online from outside of Canada between spring 2020 and December 31, 2021, to be counted toward the length of your PGWP. This also applies to students completing two study programs.

Previous rules that required half of the program to be completed inside of Canada and indicated that online studies would count only up until April 30, 2021, are replaced by the updated rules announced on February 12, 2021, which is summarized below.

According to the IRCC’s updated PGWP rules, if you are outside of Canada, 100% of online studies completed between spring 2020 and December 31, 2021 count toward a PGWP if:

• You are enrolled in a program that was in progress in March 2020, or
• You have started or will start a program between spring 2020 and fall 2021, and
• You have a study permit, or
• You have been approved for a study permit, or
• You applied for a study permit before starting your study program and your study permit is eventually approved.

If you are completing two study programs, the programs must have been ongoing or started between March 2020 and fall 2021, and

• Both study programs are from an eligible DLIand are completed within two years.
• Each program meets all PGWP eligibility requirements and is at least eight months long.

If you are inside Canada, it remains that 100% of online studies count toward PGWP if your in-person classes in Canada have been moved to an online-only format because of COVID-19.

Whether you are inside or outside Canada, you must also meet all other PGWP requirements.

Applications for the post-graduation work permit must be made online within 180 days of your final grades being released. However, if you are applying from inside Canada, you must maintain your status. Please note that study permits become invalid 90 days after completing your studies.

How to obtain the documents that you need from York University to apply for your PGWP:

To apply, you need a (1) graduation letter and (2) transcript.

STEP 1:  verify your graduation status online 

• Once you have applied to graduate with an undergraduate degree you can verify your graduation status online.
• The system will indicate if your application to graduation has been received, if your file has been audited and if you are eligible to graduate.
• Note: As stated on the Registrar Office’s website, once your final grade reports are released, your academic decision will confirm if you are eligible to graduate. If you apply for a graduation letter before your final grade reports are released and/or before your graduation status has been updated, your letter will indicate that you are “potentially eligible to graduate”, which is insufficient for immigration purposes.
• Please also note that you will not receive notification that your graduation status has been updated. Once your final grades are posted, your graduation status will be updated by the end of August 2021 IF you applied to graduate on time for the October 2021 convocation. Please check “Eligibility”.

Faculty of Graduate Studies students: please contact the Graduate Program regarding your status and eligibility. 

Certificate students: please contact the Department/School administering your certificate for your status and eligibility. 

STEP 2: Request a letter of completion / graduation letter 

• Once your graduation status has been updated to “eligible to graduate”, you may go ahead and request your letter of completion / graduation letter by filling out this form. Note that there is a cost of $25.00 for this letter.
• Once the letter is prepared it will be transmitted from York University you will receive an email notification that your letter is ready for payment, viewing and secure sharing online.

STEP 3: How do I obtain a final/official transcript? 

York University does not currently have a digitized version of an official transcript. If you require a final/official transcript for immigration purposes, ordering online is the fastest way to have your request processed.

Submit your request here to request an unofficial digital personalized version of your transcript.  copy of your personalized transcript will be sent to you in the email listed on your student account within approximately 3-5 business days.

NOTE: Your unofficial transcript will be accompanied by a letter that confirms the current transcript procedure and policy due to COVID-19 and that the attached transcript has been issued by the University.

If you do not receive this letter, please email transcpt@yorku.ca to follow-up. In the subject line, write “Time-sensitive, document required for work permit application” and in the email write, “Hello, my name and student number is…. I recently requested a copy of my unofficial personalized version of my transcript. I also require a letter from York University confirming the temporary transcript policy, namely that official transcripts are not available at this time due to the COVID-19 campus closure."

 Useful links

Post-graduation work permit

This depends on your program requirements.

To determine whether you are required to enroll this summer please confirm with your academic advisor whether the summer term is a regularly scheduled break in your program OR whether it is mandatory. For most undergraduate programs, the summer term is considered a scheduled break.

If your academic advisor confirms that the summer term is, in fact, a break term (i.e. it is optional to enroll in courses) then you are also not required to enroll from an immigration perspective.

If your academic advisor states that the summer term is a regular academic semester in your program, then to follow your study permit conditions, you must be enrolled at minimum as a part-time student.

Note that if you have questions about work authorization in the summer, please see below under "Summer 2021 work authorization".

You are required to have a valid study permit throughout the duration of your program while you are in Canada, regardless of the format classes are delivered. During academic sessions, you are still required to comply with your study permit conditions.

For the Fall 2021 term, York University continues to offer online/remote classes. If you are currently outside of Canada and would like to continue your fall term from your home country/country of residence, you may do so and there will be no impact on your study permit or student status in Canada. However, please be aware of the following:

-The expiry date of your study permit and travel visa (if applicable). If your study permit expires while you are outside of Canada, you will need to apply for and receive approval for a new study permit before you are permitted to return.

-Post-graduation work permit eligibility (PGWP). Normally, courses taken online from outside of Canada do not count toward your PGWP eligiblity, however, as a temporary measure, IRCC introduced a policy to permit online studies from outside of Canada to count toward PGWP eligibility up to December 31, 2021. It is unknown at this time whether IRCC will extend this into the winter term of 2022.

Only students who are inside Canada can apply for a study permit extension. If you are a current student who is outside of Canada and your study permit is expiring, you will need to apply for a new study permit from outside of Canada to cover the remainder of your studies.

For students in Canada: you must apply online to extend your stay in Canada. If you’re a student, you have 3 options:

OPTION 1: If you require a study permit to cover the remainder of your studies

If you want to continue studying, you may be able to extend your study permit if you’re eligible. If you are a current student at York, you should be providing proof of enrolment not a letter of acceptance for study permit extension application, and this letter should confirm (1) your enrolment for the next academic session (2) your expected graduation date.

To obtain this letter:

1. Visit this website: https://registrar.yorku.ca/program/letters
2. Under the tab “undergraduate student”, select “I need a special or customized confirmation letter that is not available from MyCreds.ca at this time”
3. Complete the “Letter and Document Verification Request” form and select the option “Student Visa Extension Application” on the form.
4. Email the form to yuverify@yorku.ca
5. The letter will take about two weeks to prepare. Once it is prepared, you will receive a link to pay for the letter, which costs about $25.00.
6. Once payment is confirmed, you will be emailed a copy of the letter.

OPTION 2: Apply to change your status to visitor

If you’re no longer studying and not applying for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP), you can apply to change your status to visitor, as long as your study permit has not expired.

• • Find out how to extend your stay in Canada as a visitor.
    • For more information, see Guide 5551 – Applying to Change Conditions or Extend Your Stay in Canada – Online application.

OPTION 3: Apply for PGWP

If you completed your program of study, you may be eligible to apply for a PGWP.

If you are inside Canada and your study permit has expired, you have lost your status. You cannot study or work until you have restored your status. IRCC announced a temporary extension for temporary residents to restore their status. If your status expired on or after January 30, 2020, you now have until August 31, 2021 to submit your application instead of the normal 90 days.

If your status has expired, please book an appointment to receive advice from an international student advisor before submitting your application.

IRCC continues to process applications submitted online, however, disruptions due to COVID-19 may affect processing times. You can check the current processing times to find out how long it will take to process your application.

Applicants in Canada

On July 15, 2020, IRCC announced a temporary biometrics exemption for temporary residence applicants from within Canada, until further notice. You would qualify for the temporary exemption if you are applying for one of the following:

• an extension of a work permit
• a new work permit
• an extension of a study permit
• a new study permit
• a visitor visa
• a visitor record to allow you to stay in Canada as a temporary resident
• restoration (extension) of temporary resident status
• a temporary resident permit

If you have not yet submitted your application, do not pay the $85 biometrics fee even if the system asks you to pay for it.

If you have a pending application for which you have paid the biometrics fee, you do not need to give biometrics and will receive a refund of $85 once your application is processed.

Applicants outside Canada

If the site closest to you is closed, you will receive an automatic extension of time to give your biometrics. You don’t have to give your biometrics until the sites start offering collection services again. This applies to you, even if your biometrics instruction letter (BIL) says you have 30 or 90 days.

You don’t have to contact IRCC for this extension, and you don’t need a new BIL to make another appointment when sites reopen. Bring your original BIL to your new appointment to show proof of payment.

Due to service disruptions, IRCC is experiencing difficulties receiving and processing applications submitted by mail or in person at a VAC. At this time, if you’re applying for a visitor visa, study permit, work permit or permanent residence, apply online.

Your study permit will be mailed to the Canadian address that you indicated on your application form. Make sure that someone you trust is checking the mail there.

Once your new study permit is approved, you can apply for a new Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) (if required) from outside Canada.

We recommend you apply for a new study permit online, even if your local Canadian visa office/embassy is open. To apply online, please click here to register for an IRCC account, and follow the steps as instructed. If you cannot apply online and your local visa office/embassy is open, you may apply with a paper application. The instructions and the entire application package for paper applications can be found here, and you can click here for the specific visa office you should send your application to.

With travel restrictions around the world constantly and quickly changing, you could get stuck outside Canada. You should avoid travel if possible. International students who meet the travel restriction exemptions set forth by IRCC can travel. Do not make travel plans until you know you are exempt.

Starting October 20th, 2020 students attending an institution with an approved COVID-19 readiness plan and have a valid study permit or a final approval (not an AIP/first-stage approval) may travel to Canada. York University has an approved COVID-19 readiness plan. See the full list of approved institutions.

Before planning to travel, see IRCC’s information for international students about COVID. If you have any questions, you can contact one of our immigration specialists at York International, or through Schulich School of Business International Relations for Schulich students.

If you do not meet these guidelines, you are not exempted from the current travel restrictions and should not travel to Canada at this time.

In addition to health screening protocols before travel, all individuals entering from abroad must wear a mask to enter Canada and have a concrete plan to quarantine for 14 days upon their arrival in Canada. Air travelers must also have a negative COVID-19 test result from within 72 hours of boarding their flight.

Please refer to the IRCC website for more details.

If you think you have 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who has it, use this self-assessment to help determine if you need to seek further care.

You have access to COVID-19 screening free of charge, regardless of OHIP status (unless you need the test for travel reasons). You should provide your UHIP card if asked. If you do not have your UHIP card, please complete click here to request a UHIP card. If Sun Life (insurance company that handles UHIP claims) receives the claim, they will work with the provider to resolve the issue.

Before going to a screening location, members should take the self-assessment on the Ontario Government website.

Need a COVID test for travelling outside Canada? Please see the FAQ below this one.

As of Dec 11, 2020, the Ontario government has announced that they will no longer cover COVID testing for outbound international travellers. This announcement can be found here. UHIP will also not cover COVID testing for outbound international travellers.

If you need a COVID test for travelling outside Canada, some pharmacies like Shoppers Drug Mart* and labs like LifeLabs* are offering these tests at a cost.

*NOTE: It is your responsibility to check with your airline to confirm the COVID testing requirements for your flight.

Temporary residents such as international students are eligible to receive their COVID-19 vaccine in Ontario. To find out when you are can get your COVID-19 vaccine, please visit the Ontario's COVID-19 Vaccine Plan page. There are two methods to book your COVID-19 vaccine.

Method 1: Book your COVID-19 vaccine through the Ontario website here. Once you input your information and click "No Ontario health card", it will prompt you for two ways to book your vaccine: 1) Call the telephone number, 2) Visit the pharmacy to book a vaccine.

Method 2: You can also receive your COVID-19 vaccine through mobile teams and pop-up clinics. For regular updates about how and when you can get your vaccine please visit your local public health unit website.

• Toronto region, please visit the Toronto Public Health site.
• Peel Region, please visit the Peel Public Health site .
• York Region, please visit the York Region site.
• Durham Region, please visit the Durham Region site.

NOTE: There will be a pop-up vaccine clinic on June 22 and June 23 at the York University Keele campus. For more information, click here. For regular updates, click here.

The following are some other links where you can book your vaccine:

For an up-to-date count on available vaccines in the GTA, click here. You can click on the clinic, which will take you the site to book your appointment.

For vaccine sites in Toronto, click here.

For vaccine sites in Peel, click here. For appointments through the William Olser Health System in Brampton, click here. For appointments through the Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga, click here.

For vaccine sites in York Region, click here.

For vaccine sites in Durham region, click here.

Normally, international students who are registered as active in a degree program are automatically enrolled under UHIP. However, this year, since a lot of international students are studying from their home countries, only students who are in Canada this year will be enrolled or charged for UHIP. So, if you are not in Canada, you should not be charged for UHIP. If you are not in Canada but you have been charged, please click here to update your UHIP status.

New Summer Start Students coming to Canada: Please make sure you follow the quarantine protocol and complete the required forms. You can find information regarding quarantine here. You will be enrolled under UHIP accordingly based on your date of arrival in Canada.

New Summer Start Students who stayed in Canada: Please click here to confirm that you are currently in Canada. You will be sent your UHIP card accordingly.

Fall and Winter Start Students who did not receive their UHIP card: Please click here to confirm that you are currently in Canada. You will be sent your UHIP card accordingly.

Normally, there is a three-month waiting period for OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) eligibility. However, due to COVID, as per https://www.ontario.ca/page/apply-ohip-and-get-health-card,

“Ontario is waiving the three-month waiting period for Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) coverage. We will also cover the cost of COVID-19 services if you are uninsured and do not meet the criteria for OHIP coverage.”

If you are self-isolating and cannot go to ServiceOntario to register for coverage, please contact ServiceOntario INFOline at 1-866-532-3161. INFOline staff will advise on next steps as appropriate.”

For information regarding where to apply for OHIP and which documents you will need to take, click here.

If you are in Canada for the this year, please click here to confirm that you are currently in Canada. You will be notified via email.

UHIP covers very minimal costs out of country and you will likely not be covered under UHIP if you are not in Canada. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you purchase a travel plan for the duration of your stay in the other country. Your extended health and dental plan most likely has a travel component. You may check with them to see if that is sufficient or purchase a private travel plan for additional coverage. For more information regarding your extended health plan, please visit: http://www.yfs.ca/health-dental-plan (if you are an undergrad student) or http://yugsa.ca/services/health-plan/ (if you are grad student).

The York Courses website has been updated with course offerings for Fall/Winter 2020-2021. Fall, Winter and Summer term courses will be offered, for the most part, through online/remote delivery. To the extent possible and in accordance with expert guidance from our public health authorities, we may be able to offer selected in-person smaller classes and tutorials, experiential activities such as studio and labs, and re-establish access to our research facilities. When you are looking at a course in the York Courses website, assume that it is being offered online and that you do not need to commute to campus unless you see a notation otherwise in the Notes section.

Please visit the York University's Response to COVID-19 page for more updates regarding the fall and winter academic terms.

We’ve introduced three financial awards for international students in the 2020-21 academic year.  All international undergraduate students enrolled in courses for Fall/Winter 2020 will receive one of these financial awards of $2,000.  With all international undergraduate students receiving one of these awards based on academic achievement, York hopes to alleviate some of the financial pressures that many international students face, so you can focus your academic and personal success. 

You won’t need to apply for this award.  If you have enrolled in Fall courses, it will be automatically applied to your account near the end of the summer or early in the Fall term.  If you don't see the award on your account by early September, please contact Student Financial Services at rscheck@yorku.ca. 

York International is hosting daily Coffee Breaks where you can meet domestic and international students on Zoom. Every day there are different topics and themes, you can find out by visiting the York International Events Calendar for virtual events and workshops. Currently, public health officials are recommending we take social distancing measures. They recommend that everyone stay home when possible. You may want to connect with friends and family online or over the phone more frequently. You can also connect with York International on Instagram and Facebook.

If you need support for mental health or would like to talk to a counsellor, Student Counselling and Development is available to support over the phone. Please call 416-736-5297.

You can also access a variety of supports online and over the phone:

• Good2Talk: Call 1-866-925-5454 or text GOOD2TALKON to 686868
• Assaulted Women’s Helpline: 416-863-0511
• Burlington Distress Centre: 905-681-1488
• Distress Centers of Greater Toronto: 416-408-HELP (4357)
• Durham Crisis and Mental Health Line: 905-666-0483
• Gerstein Centre Crisis Line: 416-929-5200
• Oakville Distress Centre: 905-849-4541
  Scarborough Health Network Community Crisis Line: 416-495-2891
• Spectra Distress Line: 905-459-7777
  York Community Crisis Response Services: 1-855-310-COPE (2673)
• 24/7 Crisis Support Peel Dufferin: 905-278-9036

International students may be eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. If you are living in Canada and lost your job due to COVID-19, see https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/cerb-application.html for full details.

We encourage you to look for support through your home country as well.

Make sure your contact information is up to date on your student account. Check that your email is correct as this will be one of the main ways we contact students.

The Faculty of Graduate Studies is committed to completing the term and will support faculty and graduate students through the transition related to the COVID-19 pandemic. All of the regular functions of the Faculty of Graduate Studies are fully operational. 

1. Information about Grad Studies matters relevant to COVID-19 can be found on their page here.
2. Information about how to book a wellness consultation available to graduate students can be found on the wellness page here.  The Wellness Consultation Service continues to be available to graduate students through phone and videoconferencing options.