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COVID-19 Updates & Information

We understand our international community is particularly impacted at this time - and we are here for you.

ISS remains open and offers support both online and in-person, like many other campus support services.

  • Advising appointments with an international student advisor can be conducted via Google Meet or Zoom, or at the ISS Office.
  • You may submit status letter requests online by logging into your RAMSS account. You will see ‘eForms Centre’ on the bottom right corner of your Student Homepage after logging in. Please click on ‘eForms Centre”. Please proceed to select “International - Status Letters” under “eForms Centre” on the left hand side of your screen. It is very important that you select “International - Status Letters” or your request may be directed to another office.
  • Please note that our rush service will not be available at this time.

If you are in need of a UHIP card, please complete the  (google form) following form (external link)  and your card will be emailed to you.

 
  • If your legal status in Canada has expired, please request an appointment with an international student advisor at issask@ryerson.ca for your next steps.
  • Returning to Canada: Toronto Metropolitan University's readiness plan was approved by the federal and provincial governments effective November 17th, 2020. International students with a valid study permit or study permit approval letter may travel to Canada. For more information, it is important that you consult the FAQ section below under “I’m an international student with a valid study permit or study permit approval letter. Can I travel to Canada?”

International Student Support is available to support you with any questions related to navigating the Canadian immigration process. Reach out to them at issask@ryerson.ca.

 
  • Good2Talk (external link)  is a free, confidential and anonymous helpline providing professional counselling support to post-secondary students in Ontario. You can access their service 24 hours a day/7 days a week. Phone Number: 1-866-925-5454.

Toronto Metropolitan University has partnered with Keep.meSAFE to provide all students with 24/7 mobile access to licensed counsellors via the My SSP app. Mental health care can be provided in over 60 languages and students can access the service from outside of Canada too.

  • Keep.meSAFE is a mental health counselling service that specializes in student mental health support and provides 24/7 access to licensed counsellors through telephone and mobile chat.
  • Students can download the My SSP app on their phone’s app store: Apple Store (external link) ; Google Play (external link) . Keep.meSAFE can also be accessed with a phone call by dialling 1-844-451-9700.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Travel

Absolutely! Upon confirming your offer of admission to Toronto Metropolitan University, we recommend that you apply for your study permit as soon as possible. Due to COVID-19, many of the Visa Application Centres are temporarily closed, so at this time, you will need to apply online. To start the study permit application process, please create an online secure IRCC account (external link) , free of charge. IRCC stands for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, which is the government entity that processes applications to work, study, visit and/or move to Canada. You will proceed to answer a questionnaire that determines which application forms and documents are required based on your unique situation. Please complete the application forms, upload the required documents and finalize your application by making the study permit fee payment by credit or debit card within your online secure IRCC account. Upon paying the application fee, the application is complete and submitted for processing.

Beginning October 20th, 2020, international students are able to enter Canada only once their designated learning institution (DLI) has an approved COVID-19 readiness plan in place. 

Ryerson's readiness plan was approved by the federal and provincial governments and we were added to the list of approved designated learning institutions (DLIs) on November 17th, 2020. In addition to Ryerson having an approved COVID-19 readiness plan, you must be eligible to enter Canada through the following:

 

For all travellers entering Canada by air, land or marine mode on or after October 1, 2022:

If you have symptoms of COVID-19 (external link) , you shouldn't travel to Canada.

 

In order to prepare for your travels to Canada, please ensure to take action on the points listed below:

  • Download the Government of Canada’s ArriveCAN app (external link)  and complete the information required. You and each member of your co-arriving immediate family (if applicable) needs to have this app with you on your devices.
  • Check-in via the ArriveCAN app within 72 hours in advance of your arrival in Canada.
  • Review the Pre-Arrival Checklist.
  • Ensure you have a non-medical mask or face covering that can be worn for the duration of your travel in the event that it is required.

Current Students

If you did not apply to extend your study permit before leaving Canada, you should apply for a new study permit, (external link) , as study permit extensions can only be requested from inside of Canada. At this time, study permit applications must be submitted online through your secure IRCC account (external link) . This account is also referred to as a MyCIC account or GC Key. You will need to request a status letter from ISS to confirm your enrolment as this is a mandatory document for your application. Please apply for your new study permit as soon as possible to get your application in the queue for processing.

Toronto Metropolitan University will do whatever we can to support your access to our educational platforms. More information regarding global access to Toronto Metropolitan University systems. Please keep in mind that you may need to use a Google authenticator to log into D2L.

International students studying online from abroad or who submit a study permit application no later than August 31, 2022, will continue to be able to complete up to 100% of their program online without affecting their PGWP eligibility. However, study time completed from abroad starting on September 1, 2023, will be deducted from the length of their post-graduation work permit, regardless of when a student began their studies.

Any time spent studying outside of Canada after December 31, 2021 may be deducted from the length of the post-graduation work permit.

At this time, applications for PGWP made outside of Canada must be submitted online through an online IRCC account (external link) View instructions explaining how to complete an online application (external link) . To submit an online application, you will need a scanner or camera to make digital copies of your required documents and a debit or credit card to pay the application fee. You have up to 180 days (external link)  to submit your application for a PGWP after receiving official confirmation that you have satisfied all of your program requirements and are eligible to graduate.

Supporting documents for your PGWP application include a PGWP letter from ISS confirming the completion of your study and your final transcripts from your RAMSS account. To request a PGWP letter from the ISS, please log on to my.torontomu.ca and select eForms Centre, followed by International Student Status Letters. Please request the “PGWP” status letter.

Effective June 30, 2020, Toronto Metropolitan University is issuing official digital transcripts. Please order an e-transcript through your RAMSS account under “My Academics” to include in your PGWP application.

 

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) allows some situations in which international students may take an authorized leave (external link)  from their studies for a maximum of 150 days and continue to comply with the conditions of their study permit. You do not need to inform IRCC of your authorized leave, however, you will be required to show proof that your leave was authorized and no longer than 150 days if they ask for it in the future. Due to IRCC regulations, you cannot work on or off-campus during an authorized leave from your study program, even if your study permit says you’re allowed to work in Canada. If you take a leave of absence for any of the reasons approved by IRCC and you continue to comply with the conditions of your study permit, you may still be eligible for a PGWP (external link) . We do not anticipate that you will obtain a longer PGWP as a result of taking an authorized leave. Please ensure to follow the procedure on the Short-Term Withdrawal page and connect with your program administrator or departmental assistant.

If you are an international student at Toronto Metropolitan University and would like to request a Letter of Permission (LOP) to study at a post-secondary institution outside of Canada, please note that there are some immigration considerations to keep in mind.

As a study permit holder, it is important that you maintain continuous enrolment at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI). If your LOP is granted, you will not be considered as enrolled at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Undergraduate students, continuous enrolment means:

  • you must be enrolled in the fall and winter semesters;
  • enrolment during the spring/summer is optional (depending on your program of study).

Graduate students, continuous enrolment means:

  • you must be enrolled during the spring/summer semesters to maintain continuous enrolment.  

If you proceed to enrol at a post-secondary institution abroad through a granted LOP, you will not be enrolled at Toronto Metropolitan University during the semester(s) that you are studying at the institution in your home country. This could impact your eligibility for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) (external link) .

In order to maintain eligibility for the PGWP, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) confirms that you must maintain a full-time student status in Canada during each academic session of the program of study you have completed. As a result, if you are not enrolled in a regularly scheduled academic session at Toronto Metropolitan University as a full-time student, you may not qualify to apply for the PGWP upon the successful completion of your program of studies.

ISS is committed to supporting students in navigating the uncertainties associated with their immigration applications at this time. Please feel free to reach out to us for support at issask@ryerson.ca or register for one of our immigration insights group advising sessions.