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International Postdoctoral Fellows

Overview

York University welcomes many international postdoctoral researchers each year. Our international postdoctoral community plays a vital role in York’s ongoing goal of internationalizing research and building strong global research networks and collaborations.

  • Important: All international Postdoctoral Fellows coming to work at York are responsible for arranging and completing all immigration requirements prior to coming to York to take up a postdoctoral appointment.

Steps to be Taken by the Supervisor

  1. First, the letter of offer should be prepared (see, How to Appoint a Postdoctoral Fellow.)
  2. For postdocs requiring an employer-specific work permit, Canadian universities must submit an Offer of Employment to A Foreign National Exempt from a Labour Market Impact Assessment form and pay a $230 compliance fee for every foreign national invited. This Offer of Employment must be submitted via IRCC’s Employer Portal. To complete this step, the supervisor should contact their Dean's Office for more information and/or contact the Postdoctoral Services & Professional Skills Coordinator for guidance and support with this process.
  3. After the Offer of Employment to A Foreign National Exempt from a Labour Market Impact Assessment form has been submitted to IRCC via the Employer Portal and the compliance fee has been paid, the supervisor must provide the offer of employment ID number to the postdoctoral fellow. The fellow will need to include this ID number on the work permit application form.
  4. The supervisor should also provide the postdoctoral fellow with a copy of the fee receipt itself, along with a copy of the Labour Market Impact Assessment Exemption form.

For the International Postdoc:

Upon arrival:

All Ontario residents are required to have basic medical coverage through OHIP (the Ontario Health Insurance Plan).

  1. Postdoctoral Fellows must apply for coverage directly from OHIP upon arrival in Ontario. Please note that there is a three-calendar-month waiting period prior to enrollment with OHIP.
    • During the waiting period, we encourage Postdoctoral Fellows to arrange for coverage through UHIP which is offered by Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada.
    • York International, the office at York that provides guidance and service to International Visitors, can advise and assist with regard to health insurance.
    • It is recommended that you bring your passport and letter of offer with you to York International upon arrival to discuss health insurance.
  2. For general questions about postdoctoral affairs and resources on campus (including access to email and library services), please contact the Postdoctoral Services & Professional Skills Coordinator.
  3. The office of York International at York University can assist in general with orientation to Toronto and to life on York’s campus for those coming from abroad.