COVID-19 Information for International Applicants

Update on plans for the Fall 2021 Semester. 

Please inform us in writing of your situation and list which courses you were finishing in your final year and ensure that we recieve all of the relevant documents officially or unofficially that you have access to. Admission consideration may be made on earlier years coupled with a list of specific final year required courses and conditions. If you are elgible for admission, official documents will be required by August 13th, 2021 or a deadline specified in your offer of admission.  

Please connect with the international Student Experinece team if it is related to travel questions: intl.student@uoguelph.ca. If is it admission-related, keep us informed by emailing Astrid Morphet, Assistant Manager, International Admissions at amorphet@uoguelph.ca, including the details of your particular situation, your full name and U of G Student ID.  

Students are able to defer their offers for 1 year. You will be required to accept your offer of admission prior to the response deadline as outlined in your offer letter, in addition to applying for a deferral by Summer 2021. Please visit Deferrals for additional information. 

Our International Recruitment and Admissions staff and students can be reached online through UniBuddy!
Staff are available during business hours (Monday through Friday 8:30am – 4:30pm EST) to answer any general questions you might have during this difficult time. Please visit the website, scroll down and click on the “staff tab” to reach us.
Current students are also available and require up to 24 hours to respond to any of your questions about their personal student experience (admissions, programs and majors, residence, employment opportunities, living in Canada, etc). Please visit the website, scroll down and click on the “student tab” to reach them.

The University of Guelph aims to balance our commitment to the health and safety of our campus community with our commitment to academic and research excellence, and an enriched student experience. We are planning for "face-to-face learning" in the fall semester for the majority of courses, which means that some courses and activities will be taught and hosted in-person and some may be offered remotely. 

The number of students living in residence will substantially decrease to accommodate physical distancing. The deadline is June 1, 2021 but aim to accept your offer of admission and apply early! For more information please visit the housing website. If you need to cancel your residence application, please see the housing website for more details on the circumstance under which a full-refund would be possible. 

Helpful information will be available in the Registration Guide for New Students, and on WebAdvisor once courses are available for registration. The mode of Delivery will be clear at the time of registration which we anticipate will be in July.

Refer to the list of Program Counsellors for current contact information. 

There are two options for students in this situation. 1) A full refund is granted but your academic record at the university is deleted. 2) No refund but you can retain your academic record at U of G for possible use in the future either at U of G or as transfer credit to another institution. If you have any questions or concerns in regards to your travel plans or Canadian immigration processes and requirements, please reach out to your International Student Advisors before moving forward with your arrangements. They can be reached at intl.student@uoguelph.ca

If you have any questions or concerns in regards to your travel plans or Canadian immigration processes and requirements, please reach out to your International Student Advisors before moving forward with your arrangements. They can be reached at intl.student@uoguelph.ca. 

At the moment there are no vaccine requirements to access campus or study in person. International students will be eligible for COVID19 vaccinations based on the same roll out as Canadians. Please see more information here. If you have any questions please contact Student Experience. 

International applicants who study permit is denied by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) may be eligible for a refund of their tuition and fees. Applicants must request a refund, drop their courses through WebAdvisor and forward a copy (PDF) of their IRCC denial letter to accquest@uoguelph.ca. This request must be received within fourteen days of the denial letter date, otherwise, a refund will be denied. Please visit this webpage for further details. 

Incoming international students are encouraged to visit our Funding Your Education website for international tuition fees and financial assistance options. 

By May 15th 2021. We highly encourage incoming international students to review guidance posted on the IRCC's website outlining Study Permit timelines. 

In anticipation that a significant number of our incoming students will receive at least a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine prior to the beginning of the Fall 2021 semester, the University of Guelph Student Housing Services is pleased to offer guaranteed residence to all first year undergraduate students.
The Residence Guarantee is conditional upon meeting the residence application and deposit deadline of June 1, 2021. As the residence environment is densely populated and requires the communal use of washrooms, lounges, dining halls and public areas, it is strongly advised that all students seek out COVID-19 vaccines in advance of taking up residence on campus.

No, your current application remains active. If you have applied, but not yet paid your deposit, please do so by June 1 to confirm your guarantee. We ask that you log in to your active application and review it for accuracy. We have added a new question about vaccination that should be completed before we start room assignments. You can log back in to your application through the Housing Portal. 

Yes, you can log back in to your active application and adjust your preferences on the Housing Portal. 

No, we are limiting assignments to single and double rooms only. 

We strongly advise that students seek out COVID-19 vaccines in advance of taking up residence on campus. As the residence environment is densely populated and requires the communal use of washrooms, lounges, dining halls and public areas, we encourage you to obtain a vaccine as soon as it is available to you. To help us in our room assignment process, we have included a question on the Residence Application to tell us whether or not you intend to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine when one is available to you. 

Although all residences will be open in the fall, we will only be offering accommodation in single and double rooms therefore reducing our overall residence capacity. We will practice COVID-19 health and safety measures that may include the requirement to wear masks and to practice physical distancing. We continue to seek the advice of Public Health and will communicate all health and safety requirements to you prior to your arrival in September. Due to the communal nature of residence we strongly urge you to obtain your COVID-19 vaccine when one is made available to you. We will send communication to you with more detail about moving in and COVID-19 protocols later in the summer.

If you have a medical condition or other circumstance that may impact your residence assignment please visit housing.uoguelph.ca/specialaccommodation or reach out to us by email at housing@uoguelph.ca or by phone at 519-824-4120 ext. 58700. 

We will be offering the following Living Learning Centres this fall: Indigenous House, International House, Eco House, La Maison Française and Arts House. Academic Clusters will be available in all programs. Locations for each cluster have not yet been confirmed. Learn more about all of our Residence Learning Communities.

We are anticipating that room assignments will be released at the end of July. You will receive an email to your @uoguelph.ca account from Residence Admissions to let you know that your room assignment is posted on the Housing portal with instructions on how to view it. 

Our fees are set according to room type and building location. If you are assigned a single room, a single room rate will apply. A list of our F21/W22 residence fees can be found on our website. 

If you change your mind before July 15, you will receive a refund of $500 of the $750 deposit. If you receive an offer and cancel AFTER July 15, you will not receive a refund. 

The University of Guelph is planning for face-to-face delivery for most courses. It is anticipated some faculty will leverage remote technologies and teaching approaches that have proven effective during the past year to make greater use of blended and hybrid teaching. This will not affect your residence guarantee. For up-to-date information on course delivery, visit the University of Guelph COVID information page.  

In consultation with our Public Health unit, we have protocols in place to reduce the potential for transmission of the virus. Further restrictions (such as no gathering and isolation practices) will be implemented as needed. We will continue to follow our outbreak response plan. With increased vaccinations and education of our students, we are optimistic that we can offer a safe and supportive residential environment for our incoming students.