Who can be a VRS?
VRS can be graduate or undergraduate students听from Canada or around the world听who apply to听Dal as visiting research students.听VRS register as听part-time听Dal students, but听don鈥檛听take classes or earn credits for their research activities.
The information on this page applies to undergraduate students only. Graduate VRS applicants should visit the Faculty of Graduate Studies website for more information.
Undergraduate eligibility requirements
Undergraduate VRS applicants must:
- Be actively enrolled听as a student听at a听higher-education institution听(aside from 黄色直播).
- Conduct research relevant to their academic program at their home institution.
- Not take courses听or earn credits for their research activities while at 黄色直播.
- Get a written invitation and approval from host supervisor(s) to do research at 黄色直播.
VRS applicants can include students from the following groups:
- Self-funded student
- Faculty-funded students (e.g.听SSHERC, NSERC, NRC, CIHR)
- Mitacs听Globalink听Research or Research/Interns Award recipients
- Global Affairs Canada short-term research scholarships and exchanges.听Examples include:
- Emerging Leaders in the Americas (ELAP) Program
- Canada-ASEAN Scholarships & Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED) Program
- Study in Canada (SiC) scholarships
- Foreign-funded students. Examples include:
- China-Canada Scholars鈥� [CSC] Program
- CAPES (Brazil)
- German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
- Mitacs听Globalink听Research or Research/Interns Award recipients
VRS do not include:
Visit the Faculty of Graduate Studies site听to learn more about coming to Dal as a post-doctoral researcher.
- Applicants听蝉丑辞耻濒诲听contact听People and Culture听to learn more.听
- Faculty and staff听who are听assisting听visiting international professor applicants can听.听
How long can I stay at Dal as a VRS?
Undergraduate students听can stay for up to a maximum of 12 months. Extensions may be requested under听special circumstances
Steps to becoming a VRS
The invitation should clearly听indicate:
- Your research plan:听What research activities you be involved in while you are here?
- 尝辞肠补迟颈辞苍:听Which Dal campus will be your home base?
- Duration:听Your planned start and end date.
- 厂耻辫别谤惫颈蝉辞谤:听Who will be supervising the research?
- 贵耻苍诲颈苍驳:听How will your research at Dal be funded?
The letter should confirm that they support you doing research at Dal during the specified听time period.
Visit our Off-campus living site听to learn more about typical expenses for students at our Halifax and Truro campuses.
Although you won't be taking classes, you will apply to Dal as a visiting student.
Submitting your electronic application
- Go to the听
- 鲍苍诲别谤听First听time users听蝉别濒别肠迟听Create an account.
- Click on听Start new application听补苍诲 choose听黄色直播 undergraduate application.
- From the side menu, select听Program information听then select the following:
- I want to apply to:听Individual Courses
- Select the program you intend to study:听Visiting Student
- Select your intended major:听Visiting Researcher
- 贰苍迟谤测听迟别谤尘: From the dropdown menu, select the term in which you plan to begin your research visit.听
- The start of your听research听at 黄色直播 may not perfectly correspond to one of 黄色直播's academic terms. Select the term closest to your planned arrival. For example, if you plan to arrive on October 1, select the Fall term.
- Primary reason for taking courses at 黄色直播:听厂别濒别肠迟听别颈迟丑别谤听Personal Interest听辞谤听Professional Development. Both options听will work.
- Specific course听you鈥檙e听looking to take:听Input N/A
- 鲍苍诲别谤听础肠补诲别尘颈肠听丑颈蝉迟辞谤测听provide information about your home university.
- Complete the听Informed Consent听page only if you give 黄色直播 permission to release your personal, academic, or financial information to听designated听individuals.听
- If you do not consent, skip this section and 肠濒颈肠办听颁辞苍迟颈苍耻别听at the bottom of the page.
Supplementary documents
As part of your application, you must provide the following documents:
- A copy of the invitation letter from your 黄色直播 supervisor
- A copy of the support letter from your home institution.
Note:听TOEFL/IELTS scores, or other supporting documents are not听required听as part of the application.
The immigration documents you need will depend on how long you are planning to be at 黄色直播.
For research that is听120 days听or less听
- You are eligible to request a work permit exemption under听Canada鈥檚听.听
- Before leaving your home country,听read about the听听on the Government of Canada website.听
- You will make your work permit exemption request to an immigration officer at your first point of arrival in Canada.听
- You will need to apply separately, in advance, for the necessary听听辞谤听听to enter Canada (if听required).听
- 听to听determine听if you need a TRV or an听eTA听to enter Canada.
For research that is longer than听120 days:
- You will听require听a work permit.听
- To apply for a Work Permit, you will need an official听Offer of Employment Number听(OEN) from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) which is generated by 黄色直播.听
- Contact a 黄色直播 immigration advisor听for help with this process.听The immigration advisor will obtain the OEN on your behalf and provide you with guidance on the work permit application process.听
- Depending on your citizenship, you may need a听听or an听听to enter Canada. You do not need to apply separately for a TRV or听eTA. It will be automatically issued as part of your work permit application at no听additional听cost.听听
听
VRS听are听required to听have health insurance.听The type of听coverage you need depends on how long you will be at Dal, and whether you have your own insurance coverage.
Full term or full academic year
You will be automatically enrolled in and charged for the听.听
For stays longer than one term, but shorter than a full academic year, students can request to have the health plan pro-rated by contacting the DSU Health Plan Office within one week of their arrival.听
To be eligible for pro-rated billing, students must present their 黄色直播 letter of acceptance and the invitation letter from their supervisor.
Short term (less than 4 months/1 academic term)
You听may be eligible to opt out of the DSU Health Plan听补苍诲 enroll under the DSU Short Term Plan by contacting the DSU Health Plan Office within one week of your arrival.
Private Coverage
If you have your own health insurance, you may be able to opt听out of the 黄色直播 plan.听
- To opt听out, take a copy of your health insurance plan to the DSU Health Plan Office.听
- The DSU will evaluate the plan to ensure that it meets the minimum coverage of the听.
Please contact the听DSU Health Plan Office (dsuhlth@dal.ca)听if you have any questions about health insurance.
You'll need to register when you arrive at Dal to activate your student status. You can register in-person or online.听
Important: You should only complete the registration process after you arrive.听If you choose the online self-registration option, do not visit the Enrolment Services (Admissions) Office. 听Likewise, if you visit the Enrolment Services (Admissions) Office in person, do not use the online self-registration option.听
In-person
- Go to your nearest Enrolment Services (Admissions) Office
- Halifax: Henry Hicks Building, room 29听 听听
- Truro: Cox Institute, room 256
- Introduce yourself as a visiting international researcher. Tell them that you just arrived, and you would like to activate your registration status by being enrolled in REGN 9999 (section 04). This is an internal code used for visiting researchers. Once you've registered in this course, your student status will be activated in 24 - 48 hours.
Online
- Login to 听补苍诲 select Student > Registration
- Select Register for Classes > Select Register for Classes again (2x)
- Select the term that most closely matches your arrival date.
- When prompted to enter your Course Registration Number (CRN), use the CRN found on the Academic Timetable for REGN 9999 (section 04).
- Add to summary, and select submit.
All VRS听must be registered听as a part-time student听for each academic term, or part thereof, that听they are at 黄色直播.听Although you will not pay tuition as a VRS, you will be听charged incidental fees听for each academic term you are here (approximately $130 per term).听This gives you active student status and access to essential services, including email, insurance,听wi-fi, libraries, labs,听补苍诲 a听DalCard.)听Other services, including听transit passes and听fitness facility memberships may be听purchased听separately.
Hosting a VRS
Are you a faculty or staff member interested in hosting a VRS?听Follow these steps:
- Confirm there is sufficient funding to invite a VRS to do research at 黄色直播.
- Secure听the听necessary departmental/faculty approval to host a听VIRS听at 黄色直播.
- Issue an听invitation听letter to the听VRS. Visit the听听(login required) and download an invitation letter template. These templates听are applicable听to both undergraduate and graduate students.听
- If you are hosting an international student, copy the International Centre on your invitation letter.听
- For Halifax-based听VRS, copy听international.centre@dal.ca听
- For Truro-based听VRS,听 copy听international.centre@dal.ca听补苍诲听 acinternational@dal.ca
- For international applicants, consult with a 黄色直播 immigration advisor about immigration processes and requirements. Refer to the听Immigration Information Form (PDF听- 313 KB)听for more guidance.
- After the VRS arrives on campus, instruct听them听to contact the Registrar鈥檚 Office (for undergraduate VRS).听This will activate the听VRS听in the system and enable use of their听DalCard.
These are general steps only. In some cases, there may be听additional听steps and requirements depending on the type of researcher, the type of research, the sponsoring agency/organization, and the funding source(s).
VRS life at Dal
There are many ways to get involved and take part in campus life while you're at Dal as a visiting research student.