International Student Services - Student Affairs, McMaster University

Changing Immigration Status

If you are not a Canadian citizen, or a Permanent Resident (“landed immigrant”), or an individual registered in the federal government as having an “Indian” status, within the definition outlined in the Indian Act, you will be charged international fees.

In other words, if you are not part of the above categories, including if you are applying for permanent residency or refugee status in Canada, you will pay international fees while waiting for a decision to be made on your behalf, allowing you to stay in Canada permanently. This applies to you and to your dependents in the same situation (waiting for a decision from Canada Citizenship and Immigration).

How to proceed to change your status at McMaster University (e.g., from an international student status to a permanent resident status)

Once you are notified that your application to become a permanent resident has been accepted, CIC will also send instructions on what to do next. For example, they may send you instructions on what to do to become a "landed immigrant" and give you a deadline for when you can re-enter Canada as a permanent resident. Follow CIC's instructions to the letter. They will, however, be instructions sent to you as an "individual" that applied to become a permanent resident. They will not change your student status at McMaster University.

To change your "student status" at McMaster, please contact the Office of the Registrar (Gilmour Hall, Room 108) to find out what type of documentation is acceptable as proof of a change of status.

After presenting the necessary documents to the Office of the Registrar, you will need to monitor your student account online (you can use MUGSI). It may show changes in your student fees, depending on what time of the year you changed your status. You may get more information about fees and deadlines at the Student Accounts and Cashiers (Gilmour Hall, Room 209).

Please be advised that until the Office of the Registrar receives the necessary documentation regarding your status in Canada, there will be no changes to your student status.

Please note that the policies and procedures regarding this matter are enforced in Ontario by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU). If you have any questions regarding this matter or about your eligibility, you have the right to contact MTCU directly:

Tel: (800) 387-5514
Fax: (416) 325-6348

UHIP refunds

Once you become a permanent resident of Canada and reside in Ontario, you will be eligible for the provincial health insurance (OHIP). It takes approximately 3 months for an OHIP card to be issued. We strongly recommend that international students keep their UHIP and that they cancel it only after receiving the OHIP card. UHIP can be cancelled at ISS (Gilmour Hall, Room 104) with the presentation of an OHIP card and another piece of identification, preferably the student card. UHIP refunds have deadlines based on the time students obtain and present their permanent resident documents to ISS. Please refer to the following deadlines:

Elibility to get a UHIP refund	Deadline
You have got your permanent resident status AND now you have health coverage by OHIP	July 31st
You need a refund for any other reason (e.g., you are leaving the country)	March 1st

Please contact ISS if you have any questions or concerns.

IMPORTANT :
Laws in Canada, including immigration regulations, as in most countries of the world, are enforced, regardless of whether the individual knows about them or not. It is your responsibility, not McMaster University’s, to maintain your immigration status and to obey immigration regulations while studying in Canada. Check your immigration documents (Study Permit, Work Permit and/or Temporary Resident Visa) to ensure that they are accurate and that they have not expired. It is your responsibility to take action to renew your documents before they expire. If you have questions about any of your immigration documents, if you need help understanding them or if you have questions about any other immigration issues, please contact McMaster’s International Students Services, in Gilmour Hall, Room 104, or e-mail iss@mcmaster.ca.