Visiting Researcher

• Secure a written invitation from a Dalhousie faculty member to do research at Dalhousie. The invitation should clearly indicate the nature of the research activity (e.g. what you will be doing), where the research will occur (e.g. which Dalhousie campus), when the research will occur (e.g. start-date and duration of the research), who will be supervising the research, and how your time at Dalhousie will be funded (e.g. internal or external funding). 
• Secure a written letter from your home institution confirming that they support you doing research at Dalhousie during the specified research period.
• Confirm/secure the necessary funding to support your living costs while doing research at Dalhousie.
• Apply to Dalhousie as a Visiting International Research Student. Include the host supervisor invitation letter and home institution support letter as part of your application. Undergraduate VIRS should visit the International Centre’s Eligibility & Applications page for application information. Graduate VIRS should visit Dalhousie’s Faculty of Graduate Studies site for application information.
• Consult with a Dalhousie immigration advisor to determine what immigration documents you need to enter Canada.
• Prior to arrival, arrange Dalhousie-approved insurance coverage for the duration of your time in Canada. Visit the Health Insurance page for more information.
• After arriving, pay your Dalhousie student fees. As a VIRS, you are also considered to be a Dalhousie student. You will be required to pay approximately $130-$150 in student fees for each semester, full or in part, that you are at Dalhousie.

• For research that is 120 days or less – A VIRS whose research period is 120 days or less is eligible to request a work permit exemption under the Global Skills Strategy. Prior to leaving your home country, read about the 120-day work permit exemption for researchers on the Government of Canada website. You will make your work permit exemption request to an immigration officer at your first point of arrival in Canada. You will need to apply separately, in advance, for the necessary Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to enter Canada (if required). Check the Government of Canada website to determine if you need a TRV or an eTA to enter Canada.

• For research that is longer than 120 days - A VIRS whose research period is longer than 120 days requires a Work Permit. To apply for a Work Permit, you will need an official Offer of Employment Number (OEN) from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) which is generated by Dalhousie. Please contact a Dalhousie immigration advisor for help with this process. The immigration advisor will obtain the OEN on your behalf and provide you with guidance on the work permit application process. Depending on your citizenship, you may need a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to enter Canada. You do not need to apply separately for a TRV or eTA. It will be automatically issued as part of your Work Permit application at no additional cost.  

• Confirm there is sufficient funding to invite a VIRS to do research at Dalhousie.
• Secure necessary departmental/faculty approval to host a VIRS at Dalhousie.
• Issue an Invitation Letter to the VIRS. Visit the Faculty of Graduate Studies Sharepoint site (Forms & Documents/Faculty & Staff) for copies of standard Invitation Letter templates. Select the invitation letter template that best applies to your VIRS situation and adapt accordingly. For Halifax-based VIRS, make sure to copy international.centre@dal.ca. For Truro-based VIRS, make sure to copy acintl@dal.ca.
• Consult with a Dalhousie immigration advisor about immigration processes and requirements. Refer to the Immigration Information Form (PDF) for more guidance.
• After the VIRS arrives on campus, instruct the VIRS to contact the Registrar’s Office (for undergraduate VIRS) or the Faculty of Graduate Studies (for graduate VIRS) to confirm their arrival. This will activate the VIRS in the system and enable use of their DalCard.

*These are general steps only. In some cases, there may be additional steps and requirements depending on the type of researcher, the type of research, the sponsoring agency/organization, and the funding source(s).