Exchange students
Study period or internship lasting 6 months or less
Period of study
If you come to study for a period of less than 6 months at Université Laval, you enter Canada as a visitor. Upon arrival, you must present your acceptance letter and a visa or an electronic travel authorization, if applicable, to the immigration officer.
Internship or period of study with internship
If your exchange program includes an internship, you must apply for a work permit from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Your acceptance letter from Université Laval will indicate whether your period of study includes an internship. Your application for a work permit automatically includes an application for a visa or electronic travel authorization at no additional cost.
Immigration requirements
You must hold a valid passport to apply to study in Canada. Ideally, your passport should be valid for at least three months after the end of your study period or intership in Canada. Your immigration documents (study or work permit and, if applicable, temporary resident visa or eTA) are only valid so long as your passport is.
Notes: It is possible to apply for a Québec Acceptance Certificate for studies using a passport that will expire during the course of your studies. However, we recommend that you apply for your study permit and visa using a passport that will remain valid for the entire study period
Renewing your passport in Canada
If your passport expires during your study period or internship, you will have to renew it in order to extend your immigration documents before they expire. Contact your home country's consulate or embassy in Canada for more information.
Citizens of all countries except the United States and other minor exceptions must obtain a temporary resident visa (TRV) or electronic travel authorization (eTA) from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to be able to enter Canada. The visa is placed in your passport by the Canadian visa office that serves your country of residence, while the electronic travel authorization is linked electronically with your passport.
If you apply for a student permit online, you will receive once your permit awarded an e-mail with instructions as where to send your passport to the canadian passport office covering your country.
The type of document you need to come to Canada (TRV or eTA) depends on your country of citizenship.
There is a C$100 fee for the visa and a C$7 fee for the eTA (fee in effect May 1 2019).
Applying for a temporary resident visa (TRV) - 2 ways to apply
You may apply online using the MyCIC service. You will need to create an account on the Immigration, Refuges and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website upload scanned copies of the required documents and pay the fee by credit card. To create an account and apply online, go to the online application section of the IRCC website.
For citizens of countries needing a visa, you must send your passport to the Canadian visa office that serves your country of residence for placement of your visa stamp.
Consult the instruction guide on the IRCC website for help filling out the forms and gathering the required supporting documents.
- Forms and instructions for applying for a study permit from outside Canada
You may apply at a Canada Visa Application Centre (VAC) in person and, depending of your VAC, by mail. VACs are independent organizations authorized by Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipCanada (IRCC) to accept visa applications, review them for completeness, and send them to the appropriate IRCC office for review. There are certain advantages to using VAC services, although there is an associated cost. To learn more about the full range of services offered by VACs and find your nearest centre, visit the Visa Application Centre section of the IRCC website.
Forms and instructions for applying for a visitor visa from outside Canada
Applying for an electronic travel authorization (eTA) - Only available online
Canada recently introduced a new entry requirement, the Electronic Travel Authorization, for visa-exempt foreign nationals who fly into Canada. U.S. citizens are among those exempted from the requirement.
The eTA is directly linked to your passport and is valid for five years or until your passport expires (whichever comes first). There is a C$7 application fee for the electronic travel authorization. The eTA application is an online form that takes just a few minutes to complete. To apply, you need a valid passport, an email address, and a credit card.
Apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
Biometrics
Citizens of all countries except the United States and other minor exceptions have to give their biometrics in order to obtain a visa or permit.
Important: Persons needing only an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) do not have to provide biometrics.
Fee: $85 biometric fee in addition to the visa application fee.
In the hours following submission of your online application, you will receive the 'instruction letter' in your MyCIC account with instructions to submit your biometrics at a collection service point.
IMPORTANT: Processing of your application begins only after reception of your biometric information.
Medical exam
Persons who reside or have resided for six months or more in the past year in certain countries need a medical exam by a IRCC-approved physician if they plan to stay in Canada for 6 months or more. You should allow at least one month for this process and you are responsible for the cost of the exam. The embassy that handles your case will contact you and provide instructions as needed.
If you need to complete a mandatory internship during your exchange program in Canada, you must obtain a CO-OP work permit, a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) and a study permit. Therefore, you need to follow rules explained on the page ''Exchage students- Study period lasting more than 6 months''.
For students in health-related fields who are exempt of work permits, please consult the section 'Internships at Université Laval''.
To get the most out of your studies in Québec and make sure you’re covered in the event the unexpected happens, you need health and hospitalization insurance.
Québec and Canadian immigration law requires non-Canadian students to have valid health and hospitalization insurance for the duration of their stay in Canada.
Upon your arrival on canadian territory, as soon as August 15th for the fall session, December 15th for the winter session and April 15th for the summer session, all international students are automatically covered by the Desjardins Insurance’s health and hospitalization plan.
Family members traveling with you may also be covered by an insurance plan offered by Desjardins Insurance. For information: Visitors to Canada Insurance.
Students registered in a Université Laval regular program are automatically enroled in supplemental dental insurance through their student association, with the option of cancelling it. Visit the student association health insurance website for more information (French only).
Depending on your specific needs, we recommend that you take out additional insurance if necessary.
Cost of mandatory insurance
Health and hospitalization insurance fees will appear on your electronic tuition fee invoice. New students are covered as soon as they set foot on Canadian soil, no earlier than August 15 for the fall semester, December 15 for the winter semester, and April 15 for the summer semester.
Cost for the 2019-2020 academic year:
- Coverage for regular students
September 1 - August 31: $900
January 1 - August 31: $600
May 1 - August 31: $300 - Coverage for visiting (exchange) students
Cost per semester: $300
Insurance is billed each semester for the duration of the study period. For example, for a 2-semester study period, you will receive 2 separate invoices of $300. - Coverage for training and research interns
Cost per month: $75
Insurance is billed each semester for the duration of the study period. For example, for a 2-semester study period, you will receive 2 separate invoices.
Receiving your insurance card:
Sometime during your first few weeks at Université Laval, you will receive an email notifying you that your insurance card is ready for pickup at the Registrar’s Office.
Related links
Some international students may be exempt from the Université Laval health insurance plan, including students from countries with which the Québec government has signed reciprocal social security agreements (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Romania and Sweden). These students may be eligible for coverage by Québec's public health insurance plan, the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ).
To be eligible for benefits under these agreements, students must take certain steps before leaving their home country and once in Québec. Contact your home healthcare organization to find out whether you are covered by the social security agreement and to get the necessary documents. Visit the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) website for more information.
Other exemptions are available, namely for students on academic scholarships.
Students covered by RAMQ and enroled in a master's, advanced graduate diploma (DESS), or PhD program may sign up for supplemental dental insurance through their student association, are automatically enroled in supplemental dental insurance through their student association, with the option of cancelling this coverage. Visit the student association health insurance website for more information.
Related links
- Liste des exemptions autorisées (French only) (PDF)
- Registration for the RAMQ: Steps to follow - General informations (VF-VA) (PDF)
- Special conditions for students from France
- Learn more about the reciprocal social security agreements established with the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec
RAMQ Health | RAMQ Prescription drugs | Desjardins Université Laval | Student health CADEUL and AELIES Dental | Student health CADEUL and AELIES Health | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Automatic enrolment | X | X | |||
Self-enrolment | X | X | X | ||
Free | X | X | |||
Costs to be paid | X | X | X | ||
Option of adding spouse and dependent(s) | X | X | NOTE | X | X |
NOTE : Desjardins offers an insurance product that is separate from your group insurance for your family members. For more information: Visitors to Canada Insurance.
Country of citizenship | Status | RAMQ Health | RAMQ Prescription drugs | Desjardins Université Laval | Student health CADEUL and AELIES Dental | Student health CADEUL and AELIES Health |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Belgium and metropolitan France | Regular students | X | X | X | X | |
Exchange students | X | X | ||||
Denmark, Finland, Greece, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Sweden | Regular students | X | X | X | ||
Exchange students | X | |||||
All other countries | Regular students | X | X | |||
Exchange students | X |
Coverage at a glance* | RAMQ Health | RAMQ Prescription drugs | Desjardins Université Laval | Studen health AELIES Dental | Student health AELIES Health |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Medical consultation | X | X | |||
Hospitalization | X | X | |||
Prescription drugs | X | X | |||
Eye exam | X | X | |||
Eyeglasses and contact lenses | X | ||||
Maternity | X | X | |||
Ambulance | X | X | |||
Travel outside Québec (travel insurance) | X | X | |||
Specialists in the RAMQ health network: cardiologist, anesthesiologist, dermatologist, gastroenterologist, neurologist, psychiatrist, etc. | X | X | |||
Specialists outside the RAMQ health network: physical therapist, chiropractor, osteopath, psychologist, etc. | X | X | |||
Dental care (exam, cleaning, surgery) | X |
*This table provides a summary of insurance coverage. Be sure to double check your coverage, conditions, and exemptions before seeking non-urgent care. Your insurance may only reimburse 50% or 80%, not 100%, of the cost of certain services, or there may be a maximum annual limit.
Related link
Important note: This website is intended to provide general information on current procedures, which may change at any time without notice. Quebec and Canadian laws and regulations in effect as well as the websites of Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI), and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) take precedence over this website.
This page was last updated on: 30-04-2019