International

UFV/International/Agents and partners/Study tours

Study tours

UFV International can help you plan a study tour or international internship. Your tour proposal must be thoroughly documented and considered before UFV will approve it.

Planning an outbound study tour

General content of your proposal

Your dean, director, or department head decides on your proposal based on:

  • Demonstrated educational value
  • Adequate planning
  • Comprehensive budgeting
  • A thorough risk assessment
  • Destination
  • Cost
  • Value (academic and/or other experience)
  • Time of year
  • Established partnerships
  • Other measures to ensure a successful experience

Study tours may be offered on a credit and/or non-credit basis while international internships must have a credit component attached to the course(s).

UFV International may be able to offer scholarships to international experience groups who visit select countries and connect with our partner institutions.

Proposal development steps

Costing

Faculty members, work with your department’s financial liaison to approve a study tour budget, including flights (overestimate), visas, etc. Study tour tuition is separate from regular tuition. If there is confusion, the advice of your financial liaison takes precedence.

You need to create an account for the study tour.

Scheduling/administration

  • Complete the Office of the Registrar study tour scheduling request form.
  • UFV will need to create a course reference number (CRN) for the study tour.
  • You may need a letter of invitation from the host school before you/your students can request travel visas (e.g., China).
  • Complete our risk assessment documentation and process according to International Travel Policy.
  • Before you advertise for participants, get approval for the study tour from the relevant dean.
  • Contact Walter Foreman, Associate Director, International Relations, for any international-related questions.

Pre-travel activities

  • Send a list of names of students who are interested, including their UFV student ID numbers and dates of birth, to the Office of the Registrar.
  • Participants must pay for the study tour in-person at the Office of the Registrar (unless online arrangements are specified).
  • Ensure your participants have valid passports well before travel, and that the passports are valid for at least six months after the planned return date.
  • If applicable, your participants must complete their visa applications early enough to get approval before the departure date.
  • Your participants must have guard.me travel insurance registration (UFV International does this).
  • Book a pre-departure presentation with UFV International. The presentation will review important considerations for you and your participants, including:
    • Cultural considerations.
    • International SOS (ISOS) app and the ISOS Travel Tracker.
    • Registration of Canadians Abroad (ROCA).
    • International travel forms and waivers.
    • Informing Government of Canada and/or ISOS of upcoming trip, depending on risk assessment.
  • Upload the international travel forms and waivers to the Risk Management folder in the shared drive. 

Note: You can request a pre-trip briefing from ISOS as part of your risk assessment.

Passports and visas

Passports and study permits

If you are considering joining an international experience, ensure your passport and Canadian study permit, as well as those of your students, are up to date as soon as possible. Your passport must be valid for six months past your planned date of return to Canada. If your passport expires within or close to this time frame, renew it as soon as possible.

Entry visas for other countries

Some countries require a visa to enter. International students may require an entry visa even if students with Canadian citizenship do not. Countries such as China also require a Letter of Invitation detailing the duration, itinerary, and accommodation arrangements, to submit with the visa application.

See the list of countries that require an entry visa for Canadian citizens.

Renew or apply for a passport as a Canadian citizen

Renew your passport from your home country

Application process

For the tour to be approved, your proposal goes through the following process:

  1. Proposal development

    • Develop and document a:
      • Schedule
      • Budget
      • Course association(s)
      • Logistics details
    • If you address all the above factors and others that may apply, you may receive initial approval.

  2. Promotion

    • Recruit tour group members.
    • Ensure they can meet the logistics requirements.
    • Complete all forms.
    • Engage in pre-departure meetings.
    • Collect all fees.

  3. Final approval

    • Ensure you have:
      • The latest risk assessment for your plan.
      • Stored (and have access to) all information you need and which the university needs.
      • Have an international SOS plan in place.

Contact Walter Foreman at walter.foreman@ufv.ca for more information on proposing a study tour.

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