Information for International Students

Due to the extenuating circumstances caused by the current COVID-19 pandemic, you may apply for an exception to obtain a refund as per Sheridan’s Fees Refund/Reversal of Charge Appeal Policy/Procedure for Students if you receive a visa refusal after the official refund deadline which is February 11, 2022 for the Winter term and May 20, 2022 for the Spring/Summer term.

If you receive a visa refusal after this date and wish to withdraw, you are required to: (1) complete the online withdrawal available in myStudent Centre, and (2) submit a copy of the refusal from IRCC to international@sheridancollege.ca. The Fee Refund Appeal Committee will then consider your request for a refund of tuition minus any non-refundable fees as per Paragraph 4.3.5 of the related Procedure (i.e. administrative fee of $200, health insurance fees, program kit fees, etc.).  

You will not receive academic credit for the term in which you receive a refund. Entrance scholarship, if awarded, will be reversed.

The application and required documents must be received by Sheridan by the end of the term in order to be considered for a refund. The last day of the Winter term is April 22, 2022. The last day of the Spring/Summer term is August 19, 2022.

To be clear, if you do not submit the application or related documents by the end of the term, or if you receive a refusal from IRCC after the end of the term, you will not be eligible to receive a refund for that term.

Please review the Orientation to Ontario – O2O on the Settlement.org website. Click on the chat icon on the bottom right of the page to ask question. You may also attend the Suceeding@Sheridan Workshops. These workshops are open to all Sheridan students.

Yes. Sheridan has been added to the Government of Canada's Designated Learning Institutions list. This designation confirms our eligibility to welcome international students travelling to Canada. To learn more about the DLI designation, please visit the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada site.

Please visit the following webpages on the Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website:  

• How your post-graduation work permit (PGWP) eligibility is affected
• Distance learning

If you require further assistance, please book an appointment to speak with an international student immigration advisor

We recognize that international students face unique financial pressures during the pandemic. To help international students offset the cost of their studies, all new international students beginning their studies in the Fall 2021 or Winter 2022 semesters will receive an entrance scholarship ranging from $1,000 to $2,000.  We will notify students of their exact scholarship amount with their offer of admission. Students will receive the funds in two equal instalments issued early in the first and second terms of study (students must remain full-time in term two for the second instalment to be issued). 

Additional scholarships, bursaries and academic awards for international students are posted on the international centre’s webpage and on myOTR. 

Please review the latest IRCC updates for international students. It is also recommended that you check the Border Information Services website for additional  information.

If you are eligible to work off-campus, you can work 20 hours per week while studying full-time. Please review the IRCC guidelines related to work. For additional questions regarding working as an international student please review this page from the IRCC.

You may also make a virtual appointment or an in person appointment (Davis Campus, HMC Campus, Trafalgar Campus) with one of our international student advisors to learn more about your work authorization.

Please review the IRCC’s website to learn if you are eligible to work on campus or work off campus while studying part-time. For additional questions regarding working as an international student please review this page from the IRCC.

You may also make a virtual appointment or an in person appointment (Davis Campus, HMC Campus, Trafalgar Campus) with one of our international student advisors to learn more about your work authorization.

Please review the IRCC website for information regarding working in Canada after you complete your program for information regarding working after your program has ended and working after you apply for a post-graduation work permit. For additional questions regarding working as an international student please review this page from the IRCC.

You may also make a virtual appointment or an in person appointment (Davis Campus, HMC Campus, Trafalgar Campus) with one of our international student advisors to learn more about your work authorization.

You must apply to extend your study permit before it expires. Please review the IRCC website on extending your study permit.  

For more information, please attend one of the weekly study permit extension immigration sessions that is led by one of our registered international student immigration advisors.  

You may also make a virtual appointment or an in- person appointment (Davis Campus, HMC Campus, Trafalgar Campus) with an international student advisor to discuss the process. 

Please review the IRCC website for information regarding expired study permits. You may also make a virtual appointment or an in- person appointment (Davis Campus, HMC Campus, Trafalgar Campus) with one of our international student advisors to seek additional assistance.

A failing grade may not impact your study permit. However, it may affect your enrollment for future terms, which may impact future immigration plans. You may want to speak with a student advisor or your records specialist about how failing a course will impact future semesters.

If you have to study part-time because you failed a course, it is important that you speak with an international student advisor virtually or in person (Davis Campus, HMC Campus, Trafalgar Campus about the implications of studying part-time as an international student. 

Please review the Guard.me website for contact information.

General inquires by phone: 1-877-873-8447, seven days per week, 24 hours per day.

The Sheridan Health Centre has doctors, nurse practitioners and nurses who are seeing patients virtually. You may make an appointment at our health centre by calling (905) 459-7533, ext. 5153. If the Sheridan Health Centre is closed, you may use the mobileDOCTOR feature that is available through your Guard.me Health insurance. mobileDOCTOR is available 24 hours a day. You may also search for clinic near your home in Canada that accepts your health insurance through the guard.me website.

Always remember to read your insurance policy carefully and contact guard.me to confirm what medical tests, treatments and or interventions are covered and the process for ensuring that your medical needs are covered by insurance.

Email askanadvisor@sheridancollege.ca to make an appointment. You may also use the private and confidential Keep.meSAFE student support app. Simply download the “my SSP App” from Google Play of the App Store and you can use this multilingual, real-time service any time of the day or night.

There are ways to get a Canadian phone number even before you arrive in Canada.

You may wish to check out GoPhoneBox, a service that allows you to order a SIM card, which allows you to get a Canadian phone number in your home country before you travel to Canada. 

You can find information about estimated processing times on the IRCC website.

You may contact IRCC using their online web form for case-specific enquiries or call them at 1-888-242-2100.

Information from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) continues to change due to COVID-19. It is recommended that you refer to the IRCC website for updates and changes.

Please also review the following helpful resources:

• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Visitors, foreign workers and students
• Study in Canada as an International Student
• Study Permit: COVID:19 Program Delivery

Sheridan is a designated learning institution (DLI) with an approved COVID-19 readiness plan in place for international students. Travel support letters are not required for Sheridan students. If you require confirmation of Sheridan’s status, please refer to the designated learning institutions list on the Government of Canada website.

The Canadian government considers international student travel to Canada as non-discretionary. This means a student can travel to Canada even if the program is delivered 100% online provided the student has all required documentation to enter Canada.

For new students, your Offer of Admissions, invoice and payment receipt(s) would confirm your student status.

Returning students who require proof of enrollment can download or request the Enrolment Confirmation letters from the Sheridan Central portal. Please allow adequate time to process your request.

Enrolment Confirmation letters are only available to enrolled students after the start of their first semester.

All students are required to fill out Sheridan’s Travel and Quarantine Plans Form even if you qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller.

To avoid travel issues, students are advised to keep monitoring the travel requirements on the government website for international students such as vaccination, study permit/letter of introduction, and quarantine plans.

New international students are encouraged to travel no earlier than four weeks (28 days) prior to the start of the term. If you arrive early in Canada before the start of your program, you should apply for additional medical insurance coverage. Early arrival is a onetime purchase only and cannot be purchased beyond your program start date. You can apply for insurance for up to four weeks prior to the start date of your program. For more information, visit guard.me website.

Before you making your travel arrangements, please check the IRCC website and the Government of Canada’s COVID-19: Entering Canada requirements checklist for the most accurate and up-to-date information on travelling to Canada.

On November 19, the Government of Canada announced adjustments to Canada’s border measures that may affect your ability to travel to Canada. Please be sure to review these new measures. 

Under Canada’s current travel restrictions, to be able to enter Canada as an international student, you must meet two requirements: You must have a valid study permit or a letter of introduction that shows you were approved for a study permit. You must be attending a designated learning institution (DLI) with a COVID-19 readiness plan that has been approved by its province (please note that Sheridan has an approved COVID-19 readiness plan).

You may also use the Find out if you can travel to Canada tool to see if you can travel at this time.

Students who wish to travel to Canada should note that, even if they fall under the guidelines provided on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website, this does not guarantee entry to Canada. A Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer will make a final decision on your eligibility to enter Canada when you arrive.

Before making your travel arrangements, please check the IRCC website and Government of Canada’s Covid-19: Entering Canada requirements checklist for the most accurate and up-to-date information on travelling to Canada.

Please also review this helpful pre-departure guide. 

Please read the general information on the IRCC website regarding which documents you should carry before you travel to Canada.

Having all your documents does not guarantee entry to Canada. A Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer will interview you, review your documents and then make a final decision on your eligibility to enter Canada when you arrive.

Before you travel, you must submit your quarantine plan to Sheridan using Sheridan’s My Travel and Quarantine Plans form and the Government of Canada using the ArriveCAN App.   

In the ArriveCAN app, enter your quarantine plan, proof of vaccination (if you have been fully vaccinated by the standards of the Canadian government), along with your travel plans. 
Submitting your quarantine plan in both places is mandatory. 

Please review the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 testing for travellers page for information about taking a COVID-19 test before coming to Canada.  

Also, please review the information on the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Travel, testing and borders page, for additional information surrounding travelling to Canada.  

Upon arrival, you will also meet with a border services (CBSA) officer who will examine your documents and determine if you are eligible to enter Canada.  

You may also be required to speak with a quarantine officer who will first assess you for symptoms of COVID-19 and ask you about the details of your quarantine plan.  

You may be randomly selected for arrival testing. Effective February 28, 2022, travellers selected will no longer be required to quarantine while awaiting their test result. 
 
All travellers must have a 14-day quarantine plan upon arrival in Canada. Some travellers who are fully vaccinated may receive exemption from quarantine if they meet the government’s requirements. The final determination regarding whether you are exempt from some or all quarantine requirements will be made by a government representative at the border at the time of entry into Canada.  

Before making your travel arrangements, please check the IRCC website. Also, review the information on the Government of Canada’s COVID-19:Travel, testing, and borders page and COVID-19: Entering Canada requirements checklist for the most accurate and up-to-date information on travelling to Canada. You may also answer a few questions to check if you can enter Canada.  

After you have made your travel plans, you must complete Sheridan’s My Travel and Quarantine Plans form and the Government of Canada using the ArriveCAN App. These are mandatory requirements even if you believe you will be exempt from quarantine. 

Starting April 1, 2022, pre-entry tests will no longer be required for fully vaccinated travellers entering Canada by land, air or water. For more information, please click here.

Please review the Entering Canada by Land and air during COVID-19 webpage and the COVID-19 Travel: Checklists for requirements and exemptions page.

To find out if you can enter Canada, please refer to the Government of Canada questionnaire.

Please be sure to review the travel restrictions and exemptions for International students.

• at least 2 doses of a vaccine accepted by the Government of Canada for the purpose of travel
• or a mix of 2 accepted vaccines
• or at least 1 dose of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine

• AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1-S, Vaxzevria, AZD1222)
• Bharat Biotech (Covaxin, BBV152 A, B, C)
• Janssen/Johnson & Johnson
• Moderna (mRNA-1273)
• Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty, tozinameran, BNT162b2)
• Sinopharm BIBP (BBIBP-CorV)
• Sinovac (CoronaVac, PiCoVacc)

Please see the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 Guidance for Individuals Vaccinated outside or Ontario/Canada for information and guidance on this matter.   

You may also speak with the medical professionals (doctors, nurses) at the Sheridan Health Centre to discuss your options. To contact the Health Centre, please call 905- 459-7533, ext. 5153.

Important: effective January 15, 2022, international students who are 18 years old and older, will only be allowed to enter Canada if they are fully vaccinated with one of the vaccines approved for entry into Canada.

You may be exempt from quarantine and testing. 

Please review the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 vaccinated travellers entering Canada page for the eligibility criteria and details about the fully vaccinated exemption. 

The final determination regarding whether you are exempt from some or all quarantine and testing requirements will made by a government representative at the border at the time of entry into Canada.  
The Government of Canada requires all travelers to Canada submit a suitable quarantine plan even if you are fully vaccinated. Please submit your plan to Sheridan through Sheridan’s My Quarantine Plan form and also input your plan in the ArriveCan app before traveling. 

Please click here to send us your question. 

You may also reach us by virtual chat between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday to Friday EST. 

Yes, you may quarantine with family or friends to who travelled to Canada with you on the same flight.

However, it is important to note that if any of you test positive or begin having symptoms, you may no longer share a room, and each person most isolate alone in their own bedroom.

Friends or family can pick you up. You may use a taxi service, or you may drive yourself. Do not take public transportation (such as the public bus or train).

Please see the international students’ virtual community or the off campus housing website for information about Sheridan’s preferred taxi service.

If you arrive in Canada by land, you are expected to drive directly to your place of quarantine. Do not stop anywhere.  

Wear a mask during all transportation. Your friends and family should also wear a mask.

Please review the Government of Canada’s Guidelines for travelling to your quarantine destination.

Start by checking out the Government of Canada’s COVID-19: Travel, Testing, Quarantine and Borders page. This site will contain the most accurate and up-to-date information on the rules and steps travellers need to follow.  

Sheridan offers additional support through the Studying and Working in Canada Succeeding@Sheridan Workshops. You may attend a live workshop or watch a video recording of the workshop. Support may also be found on the international students’ virtual community and the off campus website.  

The Keep.meSAFE mobile app can provide emotional support for you during your quarantine. Download the “my SSP App” from Google Play of the App Store, and you can use the multilingual, confidential 24-hour real-time service. 

For additional information about quarantine resources, click here.

It’s important to be prepared before beginning your quarantine! You may wish to attend a Housing and Quarantine Workshop to get started, and review our Travel, pre-arrival and Quarantine Checklist.

You may also wish to review this simple guide on How to Self-Quarantine.
Preparing to quarantine includes:

• Securing a suitable place to quarantine, which includes all the basic necessities (e.g. a phone, food, water and prescription medications for pre-existing conditions) you’ll need.
• Arranging for transportation straight from the airport to your place of quarantine – ideally, a private vehicle
• Making arrangements to ensure you have food during your quarantine. Information about grocery and meal delivery is available on the International Student Virtual Community.
• Ensuring you have a valid Canadian phone number and SIM card. Information about how to order a Canadian Sim Card from your home country is available on the International Student Virtual Community.
• Completing Sheridan’s My Travel and Quarantine plans form, so we can ensure you are supported prior to your arrival and during your quarantine.
• Securing a travel letter. If you are a returning student, please email confirmationletters@sheridancollege.ca to request a travel letter after you have completed the My Travel and Quarantine plans form.

You may choose to quarantine in your rented apartment/house in Canada, provided you have a bedroom to yourself and remain in your room as much as possible. The Government of Canada states that you cannot  quarantine in group living environments. 

Some examples of group living environments not suitable for quarantine include:

• a small apartment you share with others
• a shared household with a large family or families or many people
• a shelter, group home, group residence, hostels, industrial camps, construction trailers or other group setting
• shared living spaces with housemates who haven’t travelled with you that you cannot avoid interacting with.

You may quarantine in a hotel.

If you need assistance in finding quarantine housing please send us a message. 

Please refer to the list of hotels available at the end of this page.

Please see the transportation guide on the International Student Virtual Community or the off campus housing website. Be sure to travel with enough cash to pay for a taxi if you need to take one.

You may only leave your place of quarantine to seek medical attention. Getting your COVID-19 swab test at an assessment centre is considered seeking medical attention.

Information about grocery and meal delivery is available on the International Student Virtual Community as well as the off-campus housing quarantine webpage.

Translated public health information on a variety of topics related to COVID-19 is available through the Region of Peel and Ottawa Public Health.