Accepted for Exchange, Research, or Internship
Congratulations on your upcoming adventure! This is an exciting time, and there's lots to do to get ready.
Confirming Your Acceptance
At this point, you have received your application acceptance email. Get started with these simple steps to confirm your acceptance!
Note: if you have any concerns or potential conflicts, or are considering withdrawing, please contact your Global Learning advisor promptly to discuss. "Ghosting" (not completing the steps below) is not automatically assumed to be a cancellation of your program.
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In-person/travel-based programs
Your nomination agreement is completed in D2L. Check under "Ongoing Learning" to view the course named Pre-Departure Orientation. Once you have been added to the D2L, there is a 1 week deadline for you to submit your nomination agreement.
In D2L, you will see instructions to fill in your personal details, your host institution/program, and the semester(s) you are going abroad - this will be the same as the semester(s) you indicated in your RAISA application. Check off each point as you read it. Sign or e-sign the agreement, and upload it to the D2L Dropbox.
Note: If you have been conditionally accepted to a program, refer to the conditions stated in your application acceptance email (conditions may include maintaining a certain GPA, academic requirements, etc.) and copy this into the box which says “Additional conditions”. Otherwise, leave this field blank.
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Virtual/online programs
*This section is only applicable if you are accepted to an online program.
Click here to download the Online Exchange Nomination Agreement
Fill in your personal details, your host institution/program, and the semester(s) of your online program. Check off each point as you read it. Sign or e-sign the agreement and email it to study.abroad@ucalgary.ca.
Note: If you have been conditionally accepted to a program, refer to the conditions stated in your application acceptance email (conditions may include maintaining a certain GPA, academic requirements, etc.) and copy this into the box which says “Additional conditions”. Otherwise, leave this field blank.
After your application has been accepted, log back into the RAISA system (www.ucalgary.ca/UCI/RAISA), navigate to the “My Applications" tab, and select “Study Abroad Program Applications”. There will now be a link to register beside your original application. Please fill out as much information as possible at this time!
If you are missing information (e.g. passport), save your registration so that you can make edits later. Otherwise, you can submit your registration.
Click here to download the Registration Guide for detailed instructions & screenshots.
Note: The personal information obtained through RAISA is confidential and is used in accordance with the FOIP Act.
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Contact information
The registration will ask for your emergency contacts. At least 1 is required. Your emergency contact can be anyone, related to you or not.
There is also a field for “contact information in host country”; this tells us how we can contact you once you’re abroad. You can leave this blank until you know your living arrangements. (It is OK to submit your registration with this field blank. This field remains edit-able until your exchange program ends.)
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Health section
It is always optional and your choice whether or not to disclose health information to us. The information you write here is confidential and allows your Global Learning advisor to work with you to arrange appropriate academic, health, and wellness supports while abroad.
As part of the RAISA registration, you will be asked to provide your passport. This must be a colour, open-faced scan of your passport showing both ID pages. If you don't have access to a scanner, a high-quality photo works as well (make sure it is clear & legible, without fingers or shadows blocking any information).
In order to travel, you are required to have a passport that is valid for 6 months after your expected return to Canada (for example, if your program ends in December 2023, your passport must be valid through June 2024). If your passport will expire before the 6 months, please inform your Global Learning advisor and make plans to renew it ASAP. There is no need to provide information from your old/expired passport in RAISA; you can just save your RAISA registration until you have your new passport ready.
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Travelling on a non-Canadian passport
Please keep in mind that it is your responsibility to research the requirements for travel to your host destination. Depending on your passport issue country, there may be different regulations or documents needed for you to enter your host destination, and it may take longer for you to make these arrangements.
We recommend that you allow ample time to research this process. The consular office of your host destination and/or the consular office of your home country in that destination are often a good place to start. Your Global Learning advisor may be able to offer some support, but please note that they are not trained on international immigration laws.
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Dual citizens of Canada
Dual citizens are legally required to return to Canada on their Canadian passport. You are welcome to travel to your host country on a different passport if you prefer, however, you must bring your Canadian passport with you and present it upon re-entry to Canada. Click here for more information on dual citizenship travel requirements.
If you plan to travel on multiple passports during your time abroad, please email your Study Abroad advisor scans of both your passports. Only one file can be uploaded in your RAISA registration - ideally, this should be your Canadian passport.
Unless otherwise directed, all UCalgary International exchange, research, and internship students are required to make a $150 placement payment. Your payment is due within 1 week of your acceptance.
Payments must be made in person at our office. We accept card payments only: Debit, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, etc. Please bring your UCID with you.
Office location: MT 501 (5th floor Mackimmie Tower)
Drop-in payment hours: Mondays-Thursdays, 11am-12pm or 1pm-3pm
If you are not available during the drop-in payment hours, we may be able to accommodate you at a different time - email study.abroad@ucalgary.ca to discuss.
If you are not currently in Calgary or are unable to come to campus, you can have someone else come to our office and pay on your behalf. Just give them your UCID number, so that we can make sure the payment goes towards the right student!
"Jiankou - The Great Wall of China"
Benjamin Nzojibwami
"Mist Mountains" (Austria)
Arshdeep Grewal
What’s Next?
As your Global Learning advisor prepares to nominate you to your host university, they will email you detailed instructions for your specific program. Here’s what you should be prepared for.
Once your advisor has nominated you, they will send you instructions to complete the application for your host university. Every university has a different application process, so it’s important that you read the email from your advisor carefully and make sure you prepare all necessary documents for your host university's application deadline.
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Common documents for the application
Not all of these documents are needed for every student, but here are some common ones: Official UCalgary transcript, a colour scan of your passport’s ID pages, passport-style ID photos (may need to be taken to your host country’s measurement specifications), study plans/requested courses that have been approved by your academic advisor, a reference letter, resume/CV, health forms completed by your doctor, financial statements, etc.
Some universities will just ask for your transcript, while others may ask for this full list! This depends on what your host university needs in order to register you as a student and support your visa application.
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Academic advising
In your application, you will have to provide your desired courses. You should speak with your UCalgary academic advisor about your tentative course plans and backup courses, and seek confirmation that the courses you wish to take are appropriate for your degree. Click here for a list of academic advisors working with Study Abroad programs in each faculty.
If your host university does not provide course outlines in advance, specific transfer credit may have to be determined after you have arrived on your program and receive the course outlines from your instructors. Often, your academic advisor is still able to give a general confirmation that the course should transfer back to your degree, but in some cases they may not be able to confirm this until they have the course outline. This is why we recommend that students have some flexibility in their academic needs and are able to take electives/options on exchange.
Below are some prompts to guide your research. Your host university will also provide you with some resources.
In addition, you may find it helpful to connect with other UCalgary students! Your Global Learning advisor can help facilitate introductions to other students over email. You will also be added to a Pre-Departure course on D2L which has discussion boards to communicate with the students travelling to your host university/country, talk about your preparations, etc.
Note: Although it's a good idea to start your research early, you should not be making any payments towards housing, visas, travel insurance, flights, etc. until after you receive the official acceptance letter from your host university and your Global Learning advisor gives you the go-ahead. If you decide to make these arrangements early, it is at your own risk.
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Housing options
In many cases, exchange students can choose to pursue housing on or off campus, and may even have other options available such as a homestay. Please consult the program page for your host university for details, and contact your Global Learning advisor with any questions.
For housing on-campus, most universities have exchange students apply for housing at the same time or after they complete the exchange application, or after their exchange application is accepted. At some universities, students can apply for housing even before they have applied for the exchange. Your advisor will inform you how housing works when they nominate you.
For housing off-campus, exchange students make their own housing arrangements. However, as noted above, we recommend not making any payments until after you have been officially accepted for exchange by your host university.
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Health considerations
Please review the Government of Canada’s Travel Advisory and International SOS Report for your destination country. These reports include health sections with recommended vaccines.
Before you travel (ideally a couple months in advance, though earlier is fine), we recommend that you schedule a check-up with your family doctor, make an appointment at the UCalgary Wellness Centre, or attend a travel clinic. A doctor can give medical advice specific to your personal health situation, provide vaccine prescriptions, provide medicine prescriptions (so you can bring enough to cover your time abroad), check the medicine's generic names (so you can get replacements while abroad if needed), and confirm you are up-to-date on routine immunizations (the CANImmunize app is a handy way to keep track).
If you are planning to bring medicine with you abroad, you should research import laws for your destination. Your Global Learning advisor can provide some resources for this.
It is extremely important that you research the student visa/permit application process as early as possible and understand all of the requirements you must meet. You will not be able to apply for a visa until after receiving the official acceptance letter from your host university, however there may be other documents for the application that you can prepare in advance.
Some visas take up to 3 months to process. Some will ask you to submit your passport along with your visa application, making out-of-country travel impossible while your visa is being processed. Some visas require travel to Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, or Edmonton for in-person application. Some may not even require any extra work as your host university does the application for you!
Terminology is also important to pay attention to. Depending on your destination and your own citizenship, you may be applying for a "student visa", a "study permit", a "residence permit", a "residence permit plus visa", etc.
Your host university may provide information about the visa process, or you may need to get information yourself through the consulate or embassy in Canada. Click here to view an online list of diplomatic centres in Canada you can contact for study visa/permit info.
Your Global Learning advisor can usually provide preliminary visa information or links to resources. However, please note that Global Learning advisors are not licensed immigration advisors and are not legally allowed to answer any specific questions about your study visa/permit.
Making a realistic financial plan for your time abroad will help set you up for success. The "Costs and funding" section on each exchange program page is a great place to start your research. Your host university may provide additional information, and you can also find many general resources online such as travel guides and cost-of-living around the world. Past UCalgary students who attended your program are a valuable resource, too!
Below is a list of items to consider when evaluating your income (anticipated savings) and expenses (anticipated costs). Your income & expenses should balance for the duration of your program.
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Income
- Personal savings
- Work/job income
- Financial support from family
- Awards, grants, or scholarships
- Student loans
Consider: Do you have a backup plan in case of any unanticipated expenses that your regular income won't cover?
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Expenses
- Tuition & fees, paid to UCalgary at your normal tuition rate (Fall & Winter students pay 4 courses per semester; Summer students pay 1 or 2 courses, with some exceptions)
- Airfare
- Student visa/permits (not just for your host country, but any other countries you plan to visit!)
- Health insurance
- Vaccines/medications
- Housing
- Food
- Textbooks
- Local transportation
- Entertainment
- Personal expenses
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Awards & scholarships
There is a wide range of funding that you may be eligible for depending on your Global Learning program, your UCalgary faculty, your travel destination, or other criteria.
Our Funding Page (click here) is a great starting point to review the available funding specifically for studying abroad! For example, students on academic-credit-bearing programs, including exchange programs, may be eligible for the International Study Travel Grant which is offered every semester. Some of these funding sources may require applying after you have been approved for a Global Learning program, while others may allow you to apply in advance; please read the website carefully for any funding you plan to apply for, and contact the appropriate office with questions.
In addition to this, students attending all UCalgary-facilitated Global Learning programs remain registered as UCalgary students, which means that you may be eligible for regular university awards that can be used towards your program abroad.
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Student loans
Students attending exchange programs and other academic-credit-bearing programs abroad may be eligible to apply for student loans from the provincial and/or federal government.
The process to apply for a student loan for your exchange is different from the regular student loan application. Please watch the "Student Loans on Exchange" video in the D2L pre-departure orientation module for detailed instructions. This video has been produced by the UCalgary Financial Aid office and is updated every year.
As part of your loan application, you will need a letter from your Global Learning advisor. Your advisor will send you this letter after you have been formally accepted to your host university.
Note: The Global Learning office is unable to answer any questions related to exchange student loans. If you have questions, please refer to the D2L module, or contact finaid@ucalgary.ca.
The pre-departure orientation is a mandatory condition of your program acceptance. There are 2 parts you will be expected to complete.
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D2L modules
You will be registered into a D2L Pre-Departure Orientation course. You must review each module, watch the videos fully, and complete the quizzes. Modules include academic information, health & safety abroad, budgeting advice, how to apply for student loans for your program, and more!
In addition to the mandatory modules, you will also receive a student handbook in D2L. We recommend saving a copy to your laptop/phone: the handbook is full of useful resources in case you have questions arise while travelling, as well as contact instructions in case of an emergency. (If you run into any challenges abroad, please contact both your host university advisor and your UCalgary Global Learning advisor for advice & support.)
Finally, the D2L course includes discussion boards for you to meet & communicate with other students travelling to the same host university or country. This is optional but we encourage it!
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Pre-Departure Day
This live session is designed to supplement the D2L modules with a heavier focus on cultural awareness and your personal development during your time abroad. As this is an in-person meeting, it's also a great opportunity to meet students going to the same region that you are!
Save the date for:
Saturday March 23, 2024 - Pre-Departure Day for students going abroad in the summer and fall semester
Saturday October 5, 2024 - Pre-Departure Day for students going abroad in the winter semester
Details about exact times, locations, etc. will be sent to accepted students in advance.
There are two mandatory forms required for all exchange, research, and internship students to sign before you travel: the Participation Agreement and the International Travel Waiver. Copies of these forms can be found in your RAISA registration for you to review in advance. On the Travel Waiver, you will be prompted to review the Government of Canada’s Travel Advisory and International SOS Report for your destination country.
At your Pre-Departure Day, you will be given paper forms to sign in pen and hand in to your Global Learning advisor. If you are miss the Pre-Departure Day, your advisor will follow up to complete your forms.
First Week Abroad
Once you've made it to your destination, there are a couple important things you must do.