International FAQ

Travel exemptions and restrictions are constantly changing. Please visit our Travelling to Canada page and the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website for the most up-to-date information.

The majority of courses in the Winter 2022 semester at Douglas College are currently scheduled to be in-person. Classes that are scheduled as “in-person” or “hybrid” require students to be here from the beginning of the semester. If none of your classes have in-class components that required you to be on campus and you choose to study online from your country, please review these considerations:

• Some courses have scheduled times and students are expected to be online in the sessions
• Please account for time zones when you select courses
• You will be required to stream videos and video conferencing
• You are responsible for all internet costs associated with your connections in your country
• If there are mailed materials required for the course, you may be responsible for additional costs of mailing outside of Canada. Some content posted by instructors can be restricted to viewing within Canada only. This may require the use of a personal VPN set to view content from Canada. The government is aware that travel restrictions are limiting travel to Canada for some and they have adjusted the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) eligibility rules to allow time studying online to be counted towards eligibility. You can review Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) student updates to study permit processing, study while abroad, and PGWP eligibility here.

Yes. You are required to have a valid study permit throughout the duration of your program at Douglas while you are in Canada. If you plan to study online from overseas and apply for a PGWP after graduation, you need to meet one of the following requirements:

1. have a valid study permit;
2. have been approved for a study permit;
3. have applied for a study permit before starting your study program and the permit must eventually be approved.

Students may count all their time studying online outside Canada from Winter 2020 until August 31, 2022, according to the recently updated rules posted on the IRCC website. You’re eligible for this temporary policy if you meet all of the following criteria:

• You’re enrolled in a PGWP-eligible program.
• You were outside Canada and unable to travel to Canada because of the COVID-19 pandemic but were still able to take online courses.
• You began a program in any semester from spring 2020 to summer 2022, or your program was already in progress in March 2020.
• You have a study permit or approval for a study permit, or you have applied for a study permit for which you are eventually approved prior to starting your program.
• You meet all other PGWP eligibility criteria.

Classes that are scheduled as “in-person” or “hybrid” require students to be here from the beginning of the semester. Unless your country has a travel ban and you are able to study online, you should plan to arrive in Canada at least 14 days before classes start to complete quarantine if required.

Travel planning:

a. You can travel to Canada as an international student if you have a valid study permit or have been approved for a study permit.

b. Students travelling to Canada should visit our Travelling to Canada page for information, resources, and procedures on how to prepare for entry into Canada. You will be required to submit your plans to both Douglas College and the Canadian government. Links can be found on our Travelling to Canada. To submit your plans you will need to plan the following:

• The location of your 14-day self-isolation
• How you will travel to your isolation location
• Arranging the necessary supports:
  • Food
  • Medications
  • Child care
  • Cleaning supplies
  • Pet care
• Social or family support

Starting from Winter 2022 semester we strongly recommend that students who are inside Canada to complete in-person classes to meet post-graduation work permit eligibility requirements. You can review Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updates on distance learning here.

If your medical insurance is expiring, now is the time to ensure you are covered. For information on medical insurance for international students, please visit this page for options.

To find the latest information on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s policy and service adjustments due to COVID-19, please review the International Student IRCC Coronavirus Disease: International Student page.

When contacting the international office, please include your full legal name and student ID for verification.

For information on our online services please visit our online services page or you can contact us via webform.