Winter Break Immigration Considerations

Please note that during the winter closure, our team of international student advisors and immigration specialists will monitor emails addressed to iadvisor@yorku.ca and provide responses to emergency requests only, such as if you are out of legal status, soon to be out of legal status, facing removal or an issue at the port of entry/upon arrival.

Non-urgent calls or emails will be responded to once the University re-opens on January 3, 2024.

If you are within Canada, you can contact the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Client Support Centre from within Canada by telephone at 1-888-242-2100. Client Support Centre agents are available Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., local time, except for statutory holidays. Services are available in French and English.

You can also contact IRCC via its Web Form. Note that the average response time varies and is dependent on the topic of inquiry and the volume of requests received.

Whether online or abroad, you can contact IRCC via its Web Form. Note that the average response time varies and is dependent on the topic of inquiry and the volume of requests received.

If you have questions about entering Canada from abroad or crossing the Canada/US border, please contact Canada Border Services Agency by email at contact@cbsa.gc.ca or else by phone at 1-800-461-9999 where live agents are available Monday to Friday from 7 am to 7 pm (Eastern time) and Saturday, Sunday and Federal statutory holidays from 10 am to 6 pm (Eastern time).

Read our Health and Safety page for resources on health and wellbeing, safety, security contacts and health insurance.

Although proof of COVID-19 vaccination and pre-board testing is not required to enter Canada, you are still advised to visit the COVID-19: Travel, testing and borders page for the most up to date information.

When you travel to Canada, you must bring:

• A valid study permit (current students) OR a port of entry or letter of introduction that shows you were approved for a study permit (newly admitted students). Exchange students who intend to study in Canada for less than six months may enter using a valid visa or eTA.
• Your letter of acceptance available in MyFile (new students only).
• A copy of your letter of enrolment (all students).
• Proof of financial support (as many documents as possible) to show that you have enough money to support yourself and any family members who come with you to Canada.
• New students are encouraged to view the pre-arrival webinar on travelling to Canada.

A Canada Border Services Agent (CBSA) will make the final decision on whether you are eligible to enter Canada. In the rare instance that you face an issue at the port of entry, please email iadvisor@yorku.ca and title your subject line, “URGENT: Issue at POE”. The International Student Advisor and Immigration Specialist team will be monitoring the inbox during the holiday closure and responding to urgent matters only.

If you are in Canada and planning to travel abroad during the winter break, here are a few extra things to consider before you pack your bags:

• Have you checked the travel advisory? See the Government of Canada's travel advice and advisories.
• Do you have a valid passport?
• How much time do you have left on your study permit? If your study permit will expire while you are abroad or you are on implied status, speak to an international student advisor before making travel plans.
• Do you have the proper travel documents? To return to Canada, you need a valid visa or eTA. You may also need documents to enter the country you will be visiting. 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.
• Have you consumed cannabis recently? Although marijuana is legal in Canada, it remains illegal in many other countries. Know the laws and the impacts they could have on you before you travel.
• Do you have health insurance?

If you have questions about the above or otherwise, please visit our drop-in advising sessions held in-person and virtually until December 21, 2023. You can find the dates and times on the York International Events Calendar. Alternatively, you can email iadvisor@yorku.ca.

Did you know you may be eligible to work additional hours off-campus during the winter break? To be eligible, you must be a full-time student both before and after the break. See work off-campus for full details.

Once you have received the first notice of program completion (usually the release of your final grades) you must stop working. However, you may be able to start working again if you have applied for a post-graduation work permit or you are starting a new program.