COVID-19: Tips for international students.

Of course, these are testing times for international students in Canada as they are facing a lot of difficulties that include interruption of classes, shutting down of student accommodation facilities, quarantine and an overwhelmed social system. Here are some tips for surviving these challenging times away from home.

Flying to Canada

Though Canada has shut down its borders as an immediate response to the COVID-19 outbreak, now the borders remain open for international students holding a valid study permit or have been approved for a study permit. To enter Canada, international students also need to have a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA).

Once an international student arrives at a Canadian airport, they will be checked whether they show any symptoms of COVID-19, and they also have to isolate themselves for 14 days.

Travelling outside Canada

Though the government has advised those who are in Canada to avoid non-essential travel, international students are allowed to fly to their home country if they want. However, they need to check if the home country enables their entry. The student must also think about being able to re-enter Canada in the future and whether leaving Canada would affect your eligibility to apply for Post-Graduate Work Permit(PGWP).

Student accommodation

Though most of the student accommodation facilities have been closed down, some have made exceptions for international students or help them find alternative solutions for the time being. In Canada, some hotels offer rooms for those who want to self-isolate. Provinces are also taking steps to stop landlords from evicting tenants.

Studies

Though the educational institutions of the country are closed down, most of the universities and colleges in Canada are offering online courses. As final exams are cancelled, many institutions have shifted to the grading system. You may contact the institution to know how the crisis is going to affect your academic year.

Part-time work

International students are allowed to continue working despite the conditions listed on their study permit. However, it would be difficult to find a new job as half of the Canadian households currently report job loss and non-essential businesses are shutting down.

Post-Graduate Work Permit(PGWP)

IRCC has made it clear that those students who are now forced to take their classes online are still eligible to apply for Post-Graduate Work Permit after completing their studies.

Extension of stay

If your status as a student has expired or would be expired soon and you cannot return home because of these circumstances, you may apply for an extension of the permit. If you are an international student who doesn’t know how to extend your student status, you may contact us, and we could guide through the application process so that you may continue to stay in Canada legally.