Immigration

The Visiting International Research Student (VIRS) Program is considered full-time studies for which accepted students will be engaged in research under the supervision of a UBC faculty member. Furthermore, the research a student will engage in forms a student-institution relationship and not an employment relationship with UBC.

Notice: Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) 

As of Jan 22, 2025, IRCC updated this website regarding the requirement for Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). Most study permit applicants need to include a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). The allocation of PALs for newly admitted UBC Visiting International Research Students is expected to be confirmed in May 2025. If your planned research study at UBC is more than six months with a tentative start date before September 2025, please contact Go Global at virs.okanagan@ubc.ca for advice. If you have received a scholarship from Global Affairs Canada, you will not need a PAL.

The information above is a brief overview and current at the time of publication. See Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)’s page for the latest updates.

As noted on the Application Step-by-Step guide, here are some tips on required immigration documents.

  • Six (6) months or less  = students can complete their research under visitor status with a Temporary Resident Visa or Electronic Travel Authorization, depending on citizenship.
  • Longer than six (6) months = students will require a study permit in which you will need to upload your LoA and a PAL, the latter you will have to request from UBC.

Find out which document you need by completing this online questionnaire. If you are applying for a study permit from outside of Canada, you do not need to apply separately for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). These are required to enter Canada as a temporary resident and depending on your country of citizenship/nationality, you will either need a TRV or eTA, but not both.

If you have questions about immigration documents, please contact VIRS Advising. Make sure to identify yourself as a VIRS student, and include your UBC student number, your country of citizenship, and the length of time of your VIRS studies. If you are refused by Canadian immigration, please contact us immediately and we will work with our UBC immigration advisors to review your case and inform you of your options.