We hope that this message finds you well, considering the challenges we are facing around the globe. COVID-19 has reached into every corner of the world, affecting all of us. Here in Canada, the federal government formally closed our borders to all foreign travelers on March 18. This decision was not taken lightly and is a move shared by dozens of other countries to help limit the spread of those infected with this easily transmitted virus. As a result of a new set of international circumstances, Northern College’s May 2020 intake is cancelled. If you are a student who has already paid your tuition fees for May 2020:
• your admission will be moved/deferred to the September/Fall 2020 semester, and,
• your updated offer letter will be sent to you, and
• a receipt of your payment will be sent to you shortly.
Those who have not yet fully enrolled in programs are encouraged to do so for the Fall 2020 semester, a change that will be reflected on International OCAS. The College has formally closed all four of our campuses to the public and suspended all on-site teaching and face-to-face education. Northern College students are now learning remotely thanks to modern learning techniques and the efforts of our faculty. We at Northern College understands that this is a difficult time for everyone, including you, our students.
Travel Exemptions and Restrictions for International Students
Brief on IRCC Temporary Policy Changes
Travel Support Letter - Information and Details
Information for International Students who paid tuition but have not obtained their study visa.
Information for International Students who have already reported their visas to us.
COVID-19 Updates from IRCC - May 27, 2020
• your admission will be moved/deferred to the September/Fall 2020 semester, and,
• your updated offer letter will be sent to you, and
• a receipt of your payment will be sent to you shortly.
Those who have not yet fully enrolled in programs are encouraged to do so for the Fall 2020 semester, a change that will be reflected on International OCAS. The College has formally closed all four of our campuses to the public and suspended all on-site teaching and face-to-face education. Northern College students are now learning remotely thanks to modern learning techniques and the efforts of our faculty. We at Northern College understands that this is a difficult time for everyone, including you, our students.
Important Updates
Post-graduation Work Permit Eligibility for Students Beginning Programs OnlineTravel Exemptions and Restrictions for International Students
Brief on IRCC Temporary Policy Changes
Travel Support Letter - Information and Details
Information for International Students who paid tuition but have not obtained their study visa.
Information for International Students who have already reported their visas to us.
COVID-19 Updates from IRCC - May 27, 2020
Frequently Asked Questions
There are few packages available to post-secondary students, but not all of them will be accessible to international students. Please see the below list of options for International Students:
1) Canada Emergency Respond Benefit (CERB) International students may be able to apply if they can meet the requirements of the program. For more information, visit Canada Emergency Response Benefit.
2) For current returning students, the College is using all of the funds from the post-secondary subsidy alongside our own contributions to guarantee that full-time post-secondary students studying at our four Northern Ontario campuses receive a one-time, $250 emergency relief stipend from the College.
Please check your college email inbox for an email titled “Information to All international Students” issued on April 13 for more detailed information.
1) Canada Emergency Respond Benefit (CERB) International students may be able to apply if they can meet the requirements of the program. For more information, visit Canada Emergency Response Benefit.
2) For current returning students, the College is using all of the funds from the post-secondary subsidy alongside our own contributions to guarantee that full-time post-secondary students studying at our four Northern Ontario campuses receive a one-time, $250 emergency relief stipend from the College.
Please check your college email inbox for an email titled “Information to All international Students” issued on April 13 for more detailed information.
The mortgage relief measures announced by the Federal Government exclusively apply to those who have purchased and are actively paying for a home. At this point in time there is no clear indication that the same level of relief measures being made available to students with rent.
For more information on the funds you may qualify for, visit Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan
Always follow your employer’s instructions and safety policies. If you think you’ve had contact with someone suffering from COVID-19, visit COVID-19 Self-Assessment and conduct a self-assessment.
If you meet some of the criteria or have a concern for your health, please contact the Porcupine Health Unit at 705-267-1181 or the Temiskaming Health Unit at either (705) 567-9355 (Kirkland Lake) or at (705) 647-4305 (Haileybury) and ask for the COVID-19 line for further assistance.
If you meet some of the criteria or have a concern for your health, please contact the Porcupine Health Unit at 705-267-1181 or the Temiskaming Health Unit at either (705) 567-9355 (Kirkland Lake) or at (705) 647-4305 (Haileybury) and ask for the COVID-19 line for further assistance.
No, an employer cannot fire an employee due to an unforeseen illness. Please check with your employer, union representative or coworkers to gain a better understanding of your workplaces policies around sick leave, sick pay and job security.
No, an employer cannot fire an employee due to an unforeseen illness. Please check with your employer, union representative or coworkers to gain a better understanding of your workplaces policies around sick leave, sick pay and job security.
There is no blanket policy in place across all employers in Canada to point to as a way of answering this question. Please check with your employer, union representative or coworkers for more information about company policy regarding COVID-19.
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, international students who had obtained their visas before March 23rd when the Canadian border was closed can still travel to Canada. However, they must practice self-isolation for 14 days once they arrive Canada. For any international students who were admitted to May 2020 semester at Northern college, our May intake programs have been cancelled and deferred to Fall 2020, we recommend that students admitted into this intake do not travel to Canada at this point and wait until late August to come to Canada for the Fall 2020 semester. For more information, visit Study Permit: About the Process.
The college’s withdrawal and refund policy has not changed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has stated that disruptions due to the COVID-19 outbreak have slowed down processing times and will likely make the issuing of visas a longer process than normal. According to IRCC’s twitter on April 2nd, “Service disruption and restrictions due to #COVID19 may have an impact on processing times. Current processing times may not be accurate. No application in progress will be closed or refused due to lack of documentation or inability to complete the process in time; COVID19 will not be a factor of your application refusal.
As long as your study visa is still valid when you arrive in Canada in September, you should face no issues when arriving in this country. Northern College’s International Admissions Department is issuing updated offer letters to all May intake students, to reflect the change in start date. If you have not received this re-issued acceptance letter, please contact the International Admission Department at international@northern.on.ca
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, “If your in-class courses are being moved to an online-only format because of COVID-19, your eligibility for the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program won’t be affected. This includes students who have a study permit or who have been approved for a study permit for a program starting in May or June but who are unable to travel to Canada at this time due to travel restrictions. International students in this situation may begin their classes while outside Canada and may complete up to 50% of their program while outside Canada if they cannot travel to Canada sooner.” For more information, visit Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Visitors, foreign workers and students.
Please refer to the answers provided to the first question in this document, it will provide you with more information about what benefits you may qualify for.
Please refer to the answers provided for both questions 8 and question 9, they will provide more insight into how this change may affect you.
As First year international students are expected to have paid their tuition in advance of their first semester start date to assure the Government of Canada that they have the resources required to support themselves during that first year. With this in mind, no special payment consideration is being made for incoming first year international students. However, returning international students who have successfully completed their first year and have experienced employment or income shortfalls can apply to in-term tuition payment plans in order to assist with covering tuition costs.
Yes, Northern College is taking steps to ensure that the course you have enrolled it will still be available to you for the September 2020 intake, provided you have uploaded your approved visa and confirmation to Ontario Colleges. If you have not done so, please do so quickly, Northern College cannot guarantee your seat if you haven’t taken these steps. If you’d like more information, please visit: Northern College: COVID-19 Information and Updates
If you have any further questions or concerns, please go to Northern's COVID-19 page and contact your Campus Specific Point of Contact.