Requirements upon entry to Canada:

• You must possess all the necessary documentation to study in Canada: passport, CAQ for studies (or its letter of approval), study permit approval, temporary resident visa (TRV) or electronic travel authorization (eTA).  If you are a student on a one-term exchange program, you can come as a visitor with a TRV or an eTA, or as a student with a study permit.
• You have to hold a valid Offer of Admission for Winter 2023 and either be registered to that term or intend to register.
• Take note that COVID-19 emergency border measures have ended.   However, if you experience COVID-19 symptoms, you should not travel to Canada. 

Start of classes and deadline to arrive in Canada: 

• Winter 2023 classes begin on January 9.  We advise you to arrive two to four weeks before the start of classes, in order to settle down and attend our on-campus welcome activities.  This will help you begin your program in the best conditions possible.  
• You have until January 20 to enter Canada, in order to maintain your registration for the Winter term. No exception will be made to that date. If you cannot make it on time to Canada, you will need to defer the onset of your program, as well as your arrival to the next term.  Here are the instructions for deferring, according to your program:
  Bachelor of Engineering (including preparatory year)
  Graduate Studies (DESS, Master's and PhD)  
  Exchange, Thematic Clusters and Double Degree: no deferral option is offered.  If you have questions, write to etudiant.echange@polymtl.ca

We invite you to register to Welcome Plus (Accueil Plus), a free service that aims at simplifying the arrival of international students in Canada during the back-to-school period.  This service will be available between December 25, 2022 and January 9, 2023 at Montreal-Trudeau Airport.

The final decision on whether or not you will be admitted to Canada as a student rests with the border services officer you will meet, even if your application has previously been approved by a visa office.  The officer must understand that you are a bona fide student.  You can demonstrate this by presenting the following documents:

• Your immigration documents;
• Your Polytechnique Montréal Letter of Admission valid for the Winter 2023 term and if you have already been able to make your course choice, a confirmation of enrolment generated through your online student file;
• Your proof of financial capacity (the same as provided in your application for a study permit, or recent proof of financial capacity) and other relevant documents mentionned in the "Packing your bags" section of our website;
• the address of your temporary accommodation in Montreal (or permanent, if already found).  You will find more information on housing search by visiting this section of our site.  We also invite you to attend the webinar dedicated to this topic.  

We recommend that you have the printed version of these documents on hand to facilitate the processing of your application. 

Do not forget to send a copy of your immigration documents to the Registrar's Office upon your arrival in Canada.  Consult the New Student Journey according to your program for more information.

Students who are eligible to an exemption from the mandatory insurances for international students (ASHEE) must also send proof of their exemption to the Registrar's Office.