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Important reminder: Immigration requirements for international visitors

Posted by Human Resources on June 13, 2016 in Human Resources

If you are inviting an international visitor to campus, please note that Canadian immigration regulations may require your visitor to apply for a work permit, Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), and/or electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). It is important that you and your visitor(s) check on the requirements before making travel arrangements to come to Canada.

International visitors could include visiting professors, visiting researchers, students from other universities who are completing internships or co-op work terms at Dalhousie, and others. Some visitors are able to enter Canada as visitors (either with a TRV or eTA), while others may also require a work permit.

When does a visitor need a work permit? Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) defines work as any activity for which wages are paid OR that competes directly with activities in the Canadian labour market. This means that even though a visitor may not be getting paid by Dalhousie (or any other Canadian employer), IRCC may require them to have a work permit. If a work permit is required, IRCC also requires that Dalhousie complete an application process and pay an Employer Compliance Fee ($230) before the visitor makes their application for a work permit.

Please contact the following individuals prior to inviting an international visitor to campus:

·    For visiting research trainees (ie. non-Dal students who are undergraduate or graduate students enrolled at institutions outside of Canada, and who are invited to campus by a Dalhousie faculty member to engage in collaborative research activities):

Teresa Inacio: phone (902)494-1020, email Teresa.Inacio@dal.ca

Qiuling Wu: phone (902)494-4127, email Qiuling.Wu@dal.ca

Mark Mason (Agricultural Campus): phone (902)893-6905, email MarkMason@dal.ca

·    For Visiting Professors (ie. academics who hold appointments at institutions outside of Canada, and who are coming to Dalhousie for a visit, normally to collaborate on research):

Marlo Shinyei: phone (902)494-2965, email Marlo.Shinyei@dal.ca

There may also be Dalhousie requirements for the admission of such visitors. For example, students from universities outside of Canada may need to register with the Registrar’s Office and/or the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: The Immigration & Refugee Protection Act requires that any person providing advice to foreign nationals regarding immigration requirements or processes must be a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC), or a member in good standing with a provincial law society. This means that without this accreditation, department administrative staff or faculty members are prohibited by law from providing any immigration-related advice or representation to foreign nationals.