Training and research interns

a) You must meet the criteria for this exemption and know its limits:

• You must be outside of Canada to apply
• The length of the research stay must be 120 consecutive days or less from the time the exemption is granted (initial entry into Canada)
  • If you wish to arrive a few days early to settle in, that time counts against your 120-day total.
  • As you will see in the instructions on going through Canadian customs, you will need a visitor record to get a Social Insurance Number, which you must have in order to receive remuneration from Université Laval or a Canadian organization (this includes some Canadian grants).
  • The visitor record will limit the length of your stay in Canada.
  • If you need a visitor record and you want to stay longer than the period indicated on your invitation or the 120-day maximum, you will have to explain this to the border services officer, using supporting documents (e.g., return plane ticket if you already have it) : the officer will decide on the total duration of your stay. If you are refused an extension, once you are in Canada, you can try to extend your status as a visitor before your initial status expires. However, your work permit exemption will not be extended.
  • If you don’t require a visitor record, you can stay in Canada up to 6 months, unless the border services officer decides otherwise, but you must complete your research within 120 days of your date of entry into Canada.
• At least 12 months have passed since the beginning of the previous use of this exemption.
• The main reason for the stay is research in a Canadian university, which excludes teaching.
• You must play an important role or add value to a research project.
• This role or value must be justified by your academic excellence or expertise.
• This role must be proportional to your experience or expertise.
• Undergraduate and graduate students can benefit from this exemption if they meet all the criteria.
• You must have received an invitation letter to this effect (length, description of the research work, and justification that the exemption criteria are met)
• The exemption cannot be extended: if there’s a chance your research stay will last longer than 120 days, you must apply for a work permit before you come.

Read the official description of this work permit exemption, as it takes precedence over any other description.

b) If required, undergo the Canadian immigration medical exam

c) If required, obtain permission from a professional order

d) Determine which document you need to enter Canada (an electronic travel authorization or a visa) and apply for it

• Procedure for an electronic travel authorization (eTA)
• Applying for a visa

a) You must meet the criteria for this exemption and know its limits:

• Be enrolled as a student in a foreign university’s human healthcare program that, in Quebec, would lead to a profession regulated by a professional order
• Be invited for a period of approximately one term for a clinical or practical internship (including direct interaction with patients), and not for research
• The internship is part of the foreign university’s curriculum
• The intern will return abroad to complete his or her study program after the internship 
• Medical students who have completed their doctorate (MD) and medical residents are excluded
• The student must have a letter from his or her institution showing the duration of the internship and confirming that he or she is enrolled in a foreign program and that the internship in Quebec is part of the curriculum
• The student must have passed the Canadian immigration medical exam
• The student must have obtained permission from the professional order governing the profession in Quebec (or provide a no-objection letter) 
• The student must have sufficient funds for the duration of his or her stay 

Read the official description of the work permit exemption, as it takes precedence over any other description.

b) Take the Canadian immigration medical exam

c) Obtain permission from a professional order

d) Determine which document you need to enter Canada (an electronic travel authorization or a visa) and apply for it

- Procedure for an electronic travel authorization (eTA)

• Request a facilitation letter from the Canadian visa office serving your country of residence that confirms you have passed the medical exam and qualify for a work permit exemption as a healthcare student. To obtain the facilitation letter, send an email with the following information:
  • Copy of the identity page(s) from your passport
  • Copy of the eMedical “Information Sheet” or a copy of the first page of the “Upfront Medical Report, Client Biodata and Summary (Copy to Client)” form (IMM-1017B-UPFRONT)
  • Copy of the invitation letter
  • In the email, write your full name as it appears in your passport, your date of birth, and your contact information, including your phone number and mailing address.
• Apply for an eTA

- Applying for a visa. Do not forget to mention and provide proof of your medical examination.

a) A training or research intern may be eligible for an LMIA exemption under C52 if they are the direct recipient of a Canadian or foreign research award.

To prove they have received their award, they must provide Université Laval with a letter from the awarding institution explaining the purpose of the award and identifying them as the recipient. The letter must be in French or in English; if needed, it can be translated following the instructions in the guide available here. In addition, to qualify under C52, the intern must make a significant contribution to a Canadian research project, but one that is proportionate to their experience. It is less likely for an undergraduate to make such a contribution.

Canadian awards must be the result of a competitive assessment, and interns must be able to show the criteria and provide details on the nomination and selection process. Although awards from Global Affairs Canada (such as ELAP or ASEAN) are included in this category, a Canadian award cannot come from the research funds of a Université Laval professor.

Interns will receive two documents from Université Laval: an invitation letter including an LMIA-exempt job offer number, and the receipt for the employer’s compliance fee of 230 CAD. The invitation letter will outline their contribution to a Canadian research project.

Along with these two documents, interns must provide the following documents with their work permit application. If necessary, they can add them in the “Client information” section.
- Proof of their award
- Their internship agreement
- Proof of their enrollment in a university outside Quebec
- Copies of their relevant diplomas
- Their CV

Interns must also cover the cost of their application (155 CAD) as well as the fees for any required biometrics (85 CAD) or medical exams (fees vary). Interns will also need other immigration documents, as explained in our section on how to apply for an LMIA-exempt work permit.

Read the official description of this LMIA exemption, which takes precedence.

b) If required, undergo the Canadian immigration medical exam

c) If required, obtain permission from a professional order

d) Apply for an LMIA-exempt work permit

This is a program for young people from some 20 countries who are carrying out an internship in Canada as part of their studies:
1.    Meet the requirements for your country
2.    Check the processing times (select “Temporary residence (visiting, studying, working),” then “International Experience Canada (IEC)”)
3.    Obtain a letter of invitation from a professor, without an LMIA-exempt offer of employment number
4.    Enter the program's “pool”
5.    Candidates are selected randomly from within the pool. If you are selected, you will receive an “invitation to apply.” Learn more about the rounds of invitations. Once you have received an invitation to apply for a work permit, you may be exempt from an LMIA. You must notify the inviting professor, who will in turn provide you with an updated letter of invitation with an LMIA-exempt offer of employment number.
6.    Submit your work permit application following the instructions specific to EIC programs. Also note the following:

• Your job title is “training or research intern.”
• Your National Occupational Classification code is “4012,” unless you are in an exchange program with a CEGEP.
• Université Laval has paid the “compliance fee.”
• Some of our instructions on LMIA-exempt work permit applications may help you with your application.
• You may be required to undergo a medical exam or obtain permission from a professional order.
• Electronic travel authorizations (eTAs) and visas are included in the application. Your eTA number will be sent to you with the letter approving your work permit.
• Before booking your flight, you must wait until your work permit has been approved and, if applicable, until you have received your visa.
• Coming to Canada before your work permit has been approved will cause problems and may even result in your removal from the country.

Please print this document and follow the instructions to prepare for going through Canadian customs.

Please note that you should keep the following documents with you rather than in your checked baggage:

• A valid passport
• A valid electronic travel authorization or visa
• A letter approving your work permit: follow the instructions on it and show it to the border services officer so they can print out your work permit
• Your invitation letter with the host professor’s phone number
• Proof that you meet the criteria for the LMIA exemption you used (e.g., a letter confirming a grant, proof of enrolment at another university, academic transcripts, etc)
• Internship agreement
• If required, proof that you have undergone a medical exam
• If required, permission from a professional order
• Any other document Canadian immigration might require before entering Canada, according to the following requirements:
  • Requirements for visitors
  • Requirements for workers
  • Arrival in Canada

The border services officer has the final say on your entry to Canada. If everything is in order, the officer will issue your work permit. Before leaving customs, check that all the information on the permit is correct, including your identity, employer (Université Laval), the city (Quebec City), the status under which you were invited (training or research intern or other), the expiry date (covering at least the duration of the invitation, unless your passport expires earlier), the LMIA-exempt job offer number and the conditions listed (e.g. if you have undergone the medical examination, there must be no restrictions on working with patients, children or the elderly). It is best to have any errors corrected on the spot as even one mistake could prevent you from working in Canada for several weeks.

Important: If the expiry date on your approval letter is before the end of your stay due to slower-than-usual processing times, you may ask the border services officer if they can consider the duration of your invitation when printing your work permit. Generally, the officer will respect the date on your letter. If necessary, you may contact your faculty contact person (PDF in French only) to have your work permit extended.

All training and research interns must be officially registered full time at Université Laval. They will be enrolled for 0 credit, but will have full-time status. Depending on the length of stay, enrolment is renewable each term up to a maximum of one year (12 months). ). Coverage under Université Laval’s group health and hospitalization insurance plan through Desjardins Insurance is also renewable each term, depending on the duration of your stay. No university credits will be awarded by Université Laval to students registered under this arrangement.

When you arrive at Université Laval

The first thing to do when you arrive is email the documents required for your enrolment to sfr@reg.ulaval.ca or drop them off at the Registrar’s Office. Once you are enrolled (3 to 5 working days), the Registrar’s Office will send you a confirmation email with your official student email address, identification number (NI) and login ID (IDUL) as well as instructions on how to access your virtual ID card. You will be able to begin your internship once you have received the confirmation email. Arriving a few days before the starting date for your internship is important as it will give you time to deal with this initial administrative procedure. Since Université Laval’s health and hospitalization insurance plan is mandatory for all foreign students and interns, in the weeks following your registration at Université Laval, the Registrar’s Office will send you an email providing the insurance contract number and personal certificate number assigned to you by our insurer (Desjardins). This information will allow you to access your virtual membership card (called “payment card”) through Desjardins Insurance’s plan member zone or via their mobile application.

Documents to provide to the Registrar’s Office

• Your admission and enrolment form (Fiche d'admission et inscription) (FRA) or Research internship enrolment form (ENG)
• A passport valid for the entire length of your stay
• Your temporary resident visa (if applicable)
• Your invitation letter (sent by the professor who is inviting you)
• A work permit or visitor record (if applicable)
• Your temporary address in Québec
• The dates of your stay

In case of changes to your stay

• You must inform the Registrar’s Office (sfr@reg.ulaval.ca) of any changes to your file (e.g., contact information, duration of stay, RAMQ eligibility, etc.).