
Visiting International Research Students (VIRS) | Study Abroad
Please Note: VIRS applicants limited to stay of 6 months or less
Based on the guidelines recently announced by the provincial government, new applications for Visting International Research Students are limited to a stay of less than 6 months as they will not be eligible to receive a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) and cannot apply for a study permit. VIRS students staying less than 6 months do not require a study permit to enter Canada. To determine what documents you will need to enter Canada please check this Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada page and indicate you are staying for 6 months or less. If you are currently in Canada as a Visiting International Research Student, you can remain for the duration of your original stay dates.
Visits longer than 6 months will be enabled in rare circumstances with fulsome justification. Requests in support of such cases can be made through cip@uoguelph.ca. Such circumstances may include students who are fully funded for the duration of their stay by their home institution or government, and are part of a recognized research program which requires greater than 6 months to complete. Final decisions will depend on availability of resources and current immigration requirements.
VIRS Process and Eligibility
A Visiting International Research Student (VIRS) is registered as a full-time student in their home country and visiting the University of Guelph for a period of one to six months for training, research or other experiential learning activity. These visits are arranged on a collegial basis and contribute to the student completing their research, training or degree requirements at their home University. VIRS activities are not part of any existing formal University of Guelph degree program but are meant to facilitate the collegial sharing of expertise, mentoring and supervision with students from abroad on a short-term visiting basis. VIRS status does not apply to Post-docs, paid employees or non-student visitors such as guest lecturers or sabbatical stays. For a full outline of procedures and responsibilities for the VIRS process see the attached PDF document.
Eligibility
To be a Visiting International Research Student, applicants must:
- Be registered as a full-time degree-seeking student in good standing at an accredited post-secondary institution outside of Canada (referred to as the Home Institution) at the time of application and during the entirety of their time at the University of Guelph
- Have written permission from their home institution and acknowledgment that their proposed activities at the University of Guelph are an integral part of their academic program at home.
- Be visiting for the primary purpose of participating in an experiential learning opportunity (research, field research, training etc.) deemed relevant to their home institution degree.
- Have written acknowledgment from a University of Guelph regular graduate faculty member agreeing to act as their academic supervisor for the duration of their stay.
- Meet the English language proficiency requirements as set out by the hosting department at the University of Guelph.
- Be visiting the University of Guelph for a period of one month to a maximum of one year
- Have appropriate funding to cover costs for the duration of their stay and be eligible to enter Canada as per Citizenship and Immigration Canada requirements