As someone who stresses probably 95% of the time, mostly because my head is filled with multiple to-do and checklists, the week leading up to leaving Trinidad and Tobago, and heading to Canada for school for the very first time was a very stressful period.
You know it, that whole 'application-acceptance-packing up your entire life and moving across the world' process.
It’s also a pretty bittersweet week in the sense that it's the last time you'd get to see your family and friends from back home for a good while, (unless you’re lucky enough to attend the same school as your friends, or you're able to go back home for Christmas and/or summer.)
Are you preparing to start your post-education journey abroad, specifically in Canada? Need some tips on things to note in that last week before you leave?
In this post we'll be discussing:
Preparing for departure
Major documents you can't forget
Study permit vs. Study Visa
What you should include in your pre-departure checklist
Final tips before you leave
Read more below!
This final week is that last kind of stepping stone before you make the next big jump in your life and start a new chapter, post-secondary education, aka University or College.
Since I’m the only one out of my group of friends who decided to go to Canada, I had one last big joint lime (a Trini term meaning "hang-out/get together") with my best friend who was going off to Barbados the same week as I was.
The team, 2017
To get that many of my friends in one room was already difficult since everyone was using the last few days of August vacation to organize their next steps, so it was a really nice turnout, and one last get-together before everyone started their new journeys.
It was without a doubt a really nice night. A few tears were shed here and there, but one last time to have our bellies filled with laughter the way they would regularly be during lunchtime.
But besides all the bittersweet feelings passing around, that last week is crucial to make sure you’ve done everything you can do from your end before departing.
Preparing for departure
You should already have your visa and plane tickets sorted, (you won’t get your physical student permit till you arrive in Canada) but if you’re one of those people who tend to pack last minute, for this I’d strongly advise against it.
You’re essentially packing up your life, and moving it somewhere else in the world.
That feeling you get when you forget something home is 10X worse knowing you forgot something important at home, and you've already arrived in Canada and are now face to face with one of the border agents. (This is how I felt knowing I left my camera at home when I went back for Christmas.)
I like to think of myself as an extreme planner, so I had multiple checklists compiled of information I got from the university website, Youtube videos, Pinterest boards and more, and I’d advise the same to help with preparation. (Not extreme like me, but a checklist or two helps put things in perspective as to what you should bring with you vs. what you can get when you arrive.)
Part of that checklist should have all the documents you should have before leaving for Canada.
MAJOR documents you can't forget
1. Your acceptance letter from your institution
This would include information such as your name, the school you'll be going to, the duration of your studies, it may also include estimated costs.
2. Your letter of introduction from Immigration Canada (IRCC)
3. Your valid passport with your temporary resident (study) visa
4. A form of proof of payment to the school/proof that you have the funds to cover your estimated costs of your first year of study
5. Declaration of Vaccination Status
For more information about vaccine requirements and COVID-19 related material for international students, including a list of accepted vaccines by the Canadian Ministry of health, please click here.
Student permit vs. Student Visa?
I initially had a lot of confusion surrounding the breakdown of the study visa and the study permit.
I thought the visa and permit were an all-in-one immigration document, but they aren't. Rather, they're two completely separate documents. Your student visa is your travel document allowing you to enter Canada, and your study permit is the document that allows you to stay in Canada, and is proof that you are a legal temporary resident in Canada. Once your study permit is valid, you are eligible to study at a Canadian institution.
When you first arrive in Canada, you'll meet with a border agent in the airport, who'll request to see the documents you gathered from the checklist I noted above, and you'll have a brief 'interview.' This location is also labelled as the port of entry or PoE
There they will decide whether you grant you your study permit, or not.
It sounded like such a nerve-wracking experience the first I heard of it, so my advice is to gather as much additional information as you can too.
If for example, you're living on residence, you can add a copy of your residence agreement to your files, as this is a proof of address document, showing your address in Canada.
If you have any family in Canada, note their address as well, and any contact information.
Note: Your study permit doesn’t allow for re-entry into the country - Remember your student visa is the travel document.
Be mindful of the fact that while these are two separate documents, both of their expiry dates are linked, so once the permit expires, so does your visa or vice versa.
Your passport needs to remain valid for your duration of study, because if you graduate in 2025 for example, but your passport expires in 2024, your immigration documents, i.e. your visa and permit will be linked to your passport expiry date as well, as they cannot issue documents beyond your passport expiry date.
When I first arrived in Canada, and got in the line for newly arriving international students, I was lucky enough to be in and out in 30 minutes, but I know of people who've been stuck in the airport for hours waiting for their permits to be administered, so prepare yourself for a potentially long wait.
I believe it is slightly different if you’re getting a work permit if you're pursuing a degree, diploma, or certificate that has a co-op element to it.
A brief explanation around co-op - Some degrees have co-op programs where some companies and workplaces have partnerships with the schools. In these programs, students can get involved in work periods with companies in their field, almost like an internship, where you perform career-related tasks, and gain experience in your field.
Unfortunately, I didn't pursue a degree with a co-op study element to it so my knowledge is very limited, but you can always check out the government of Canada's website for more accurate information by tapping here.
What I do know about a work permit if your program consists of co-op, is that the work permit is also administered in the airport when you get your study permit.
What else should I include on my pre-departure checklist?
Aside from the immigration documents, you should also note some school related information like tuition payments (or residence if you'll be living on the forms), how to pay, and the payment deadlines.
I don’t know the process for every institution, but international students at York have to pay tuition via a wire transfer, so make note of the processes for your institution, and whenever in doubt, jot down questions you may have so you can ask the immigration specialists or financial offices at your institutions.
Another helpful tip that I found useful: if you haven’t already, and if your university or college has one, join the Facebook group(s).
For York they have groups for people going based off the graduating years. In my case for example, there’s one for the main campus, 'Accepted to York – 2021' and there’s also one for my campus (Glendon) with my incoming year.
If you have more questions relating to school, travel, or you just want to know where's the closest location to campus to get some good honey garlic wings, there are members in these groups who are part of student administration, and can answer them for you. Other general students in the group who may actually be from Canada can also be really helpful in answering your question too.
In these groups, you may also come across other people’s questions that you may not have even thought of, but may apply to you if not now, somewhere down the line, which may prove helpful in the near or distant future.
These groups are a great way to introduce yourself, find people in similar programs, and jumpstart the friend-making process while you haven't even arrived in Canada yet. We're very fortunate to have this technology that helps bridge the gaps, we just need to properly understand where, and how to use it.
I also started looking at the pricing of different items in stores in Canada that were close-ish to campus, that I would need to get once I got there, so I could have some ideas in the back of my mind. Things like how much a mini fridge and some snacks would cost at Walmart, or a bedding set (on sale) from Bed, Bath and Beyond.
With the Facebook groups for example, I was able to find out what the maximum allowed size for a mini fridge in your dorm room was. Surprisingly at the time, this was information that I wasn't able to find anywhere else on the residence pages, so it was really helpful for me since since I was going to be living on campus in a dorm at the time.
Another piece of advice would be to print out one of those little checklists you can find online that details things you’d need, or want for your dorm room.
I had about three lists in total, but Bed bath & Beyond has a pretty good one on their website. Tap here to check out their 2019 list, and tap here for the 2020 one.
There are also a lot of checklists to chose from on Pinterest.
Final tips before you leave!
Before I end off this post, my last tip is to please make sure to gather as much information as you can while you’re still home. Start formulating questions to find out more on what you don't know.
I know it's really broad, but think of it like this - You're going to a possibly brand new country, and there's a good chance you'll have to figure out a lot of it on your own, and essentially, there'll be very little you actually know.
So for anything you want to know more about, anything you're curious of, jot those questions down so you can ask them in person.
Things I wanted to know more about varied from:
What support is offered for international students financially?
How does health insurance work, and what is my coverage like as an international student?
Tips and tricks on looking for a student job
What's the worst the weather has gotten in the last 2-3 years in the location you're going to?
What phone companies are the best, and how much does a phone plan cost?
What orientation activities happen on campus?
My list was way way longer than this, but these are just a few ideas to get the ball rolling.
However, at the end of the day, (this is also a daily note to myself too) you can plan all you want, and try and become as prepared as possible, but life is unpredictable. Planning on paper also differs from actual real life experiences you're going to have.
But hey, that’s how life works, you can’t plan for every single thing.
However, there's nothing wrong with a little preparation before hand. I mean this is a major life milestone you're about to embark on you know.
Prepare, but also give yourself a chance to be excited! It's exciting!
My excitement didn't hit me till I left the airport after getting my study permit. Before that I was a ball of stress - so take if from me, relax and get ready for the new adventure you're about to embark on in your life!
Also, enjoy those last few days with your family and your friends (and most importantly your pets if you have any)
- Maya 🤍