A Guide for Incoming Students

Entering a new program can be stressful and full of challenges. York University offers a checklist to make things simpler. Here are some of our handy recommendations that will hopefully make your life easier! 

GETTING IN

Around February or March, you can expect hearing from the GFWS department if you've made it into the program. Congratulations, and welcome to graduate school! You must accept your offer via MyFile if you're choosing to come to York. This is also the time to expect formal offers of acceptance from the Faculty of Graduate Studies, and to begin to understand your funding. Often, it takes a while to understand how funding works at York, but it's never too early to begin the process of acquainting yourself with it all (caution: it will likely feel very overwhelming at this point!!). You can click here to get started!

If the department isn't approaching you on their own to nominate you for certain scholarships for incoming students, you can write to the GPD and ask about what scholarships you may be eligible for, before or after you accept your offer. You can also click here or here to learn more about incoming student scholarships on your own. 

If you are an international student, you will receive a letter addressed to the Canadian Immigration Officer in addition to the acceptance letter from the Faculty of Graduate Studies. If you don't receive this letter, feel free to write to the GPD requesting one. Please note that this letter will contain details about Program Length, which is calculated in terms/semesters, not years. So, your program length should state 12 terms for a 4 year acceptance, 15 terms for a 5 year acceptance, or 18 terms for a 6 year acceptance.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS : PASSPORT, STUDY PERMIT, & TEMPORARY RESIDENT VISA (TRV)

For the most current information about passports, study permits, and TRVs, please visit the IRCC website. York University has some information through their dedicated York International section. Basically, depending on your citizenship, you will need to have a passport that has an expiry date longer than 6 months from the date your program begins. You will also need to apply for a study permit, and then a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV). The study permit is a document you must carry with you each time you enter Canada, and the TRV is a Visa attached to your passport. These processes have different requirements and timelines based on country, so we recommend you get started early! 

STUDENT ACCOUNT & EMAIL

In the days after you accept your offer of admission, and in the case of international student, begin your study permit processes, you will be shifting from MyFile to PassportYork, and here's how you get one. You will need your student number (this can be found on your formal acceptance letter), and a new password. PassportYork authenticates you as a York University student and allows you to register for semesters, enrol in courses, access your student financial account, check your grades, and much more. 

REGISTRATION, FEES, & COURSES

Classes usually begin in the first week of September, but registration for the Fall semester happens usually from June until mid-August. It's recommended that you register early, because it is only after registration that you will be able to enrol in courses. Here's where to go to shop around for courses. You could enrol in more courses than you intend to take in your first Fall semester, and then drop courses later, but just remember to do it within the first few weeks of September! Once you register for the semester, your fees will show up on your student account. This will remain outstanding until your funding, bursaries, and scholarships kick in (usually in the first two months of the semester). Check out our page on funding to better understand how fees works! 

COMING TO TORONTO: HOUSING

If you're a student coming into Toronto for graduate school, you will most likely be looking for housing. It might sound like silly or obvious advice, but don’t arrive in Toronto without a planned place to stay, even if it is just a hostel or one of the airport hotels for the first night. In a pinch, current students and faculty have been known to offer temporary places to stay while you are getting on your feet for the first few days, but you should not expect that people will be able to help without at least some advance notice. We recommend looking for a place a couple of months before your scheduled arrival, starting approximately around April. 

Finding an apartment in Toronto takes some time. Regardless of whether you want to rent your own place with your name on the lease (landlords often want to see credit records or evidence of a bank account in good financial standing) or plan to rent a room in someone else’s place, it can take time to get around the city and find a place you like. Check out our page on Toronto to find resources on finding apartments, and details about public transport in the city!

If you're an international student, housing in Toronto can be a strange thing to navigate. Rent is expensive, and even when you find an apartment you like and can afford, it is likely that landlords will ask for first and last month's rent and credit checks, which you may not have when wishing to move into your first apartment. Here, it helps to have a guarantor (a relative who lives in Toronto who will guarantee that you will pay rent on time each month), or it will help to find roommates who are also graduate students, or understand what it means to come from another country. You could also live on sublet your first few months, where many of these demands are negotiable, and settle into your own rental apartment after a few months in the city. Just be prepared to not find your perfect housing situation first thing! 

You could also apply for housing at York; it could be a great first option in case you want to avoid looking for a place on your own! However, housing on campus can be isolating and lonely, especially in the Winter months. It's entirely up to what makes you comfortable! 

YU CARD

In order to check out books from the library, print documents on campus, and much more, you will need to sign up for your YU card. You'll need your PassportYork account to sign up, and here's how you do it! Sign up for the YU Card anytime between April and August. 

HEALTH & BENEFITS PLANS

Depending on whether you are a domestic student or an international student, you will be eligible for the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) or the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP), respectively. On top of that, full time graduate students have access to the CUPE 3903 extended benefits, and have the YUGSA Health and Dental plan in case they are not covered by the CUPE 3903 extended benefits. Click here to learn more and sign up for your CUPE 3903 extended benefits. 

CUPE 3903 benefits work based on the calendar year (January to December), so make sure to calculate how much you utilize your extended benefits based on that, rather than based on the academic year. If you have exhausted your benefits, you may also access the CUPE 3903 Extended Health Benefits Fund. 

If you are an international student, you will automatically be enrolled in the UHIP, and receive instructions on your email about how to get your UHIP Card. Once you receive the card in your email, make sure to make a print out and carry it in your wallet or on your person at all times. The UHIP Card will be necessary if you have an emergency, and need to visit the hospital. 

You should receive your UHIP card anytime between April and August, and you should ideally sign up for the CUPE 3903 Benefits or the YUGSA Health and Dental Plan in August or September. 

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: SIN NUMBER, BANK ACCOUNT, PHONE NUMBER & ONTARIO STATE ID

If you are an international student, once you arrive in Toronto, you will need to set up a bank account, and get a SIN number, maybe even an Ontario state ID. 

SIN number: The Social Insurance Number (SIN) is a 9 digit number that you need to work in Canada or to have access to government programs and benefits. You will need your SIN number to get your paycheck from York University, and will need to provide it to the university. For our department, your contact person to provide the SIN number to will be Sue Sbrizzi (sbrizzi@yorku.ca). Click here to find out how to apply for your SIN number. 

Bank account: The more documentation you can provide a bank (Visa, Passport, SIN, license), the easier it will be to open an account. One of the bigger banks, CIBC ( www.cibc.com/ ) or Canada Trust ( www.tdcanadatrust.com/index.jsp ) ,might be the best choice for international students who will be dealing with currency from more than one country. Electronic transfer of funds makes logistics easier. On campus there are Bank of Montreal ( www.bmo.com ) and Alterna Bank ( http://www.alterna.ca ) branches. Both are located in York Lanes and you should shop around to find the best financial service for you. There are also automated teller machines from many major banks on campus.

Ideally, you should be setting up your SIN and bank account in your first few days in Toronto, in August or September. 

Phone number: You may also need to get a new phone number when you arrive in Toronto, whether you are a domestic or international student. Usually, August and September are great times to shop for phone plans, as there are many plans available to students. Some of the cheaper networks include Freedom Mobile, and Lucky Mobile, although you may opt for other brands, like Rogers, or Telus. Ideally, you should be setting up your phone number within the first few weeks of arrival to Toronto, in August or September. 

Ontario State ID: Known as the Ontario Photo Card, this is an ID that can be used as a valid form of identification if you don't wish to use your passport everywhere you go. Click here to find out how to apply! You can do this at any time, but it's better to get to this sooner rather than later! 

EMPLOYEE EMAIL

Graduate students who are also teaching assistants, research assistants, or graduate assistants also have an employee email, in addition to their student email. The employee email is useful for accessing pay stubs, and sometimes for voting to go on strike as CUPE 3903 members. Click here to learn more about how to sign up for your employee email. Again, you can do this at any time, but it's better to get to this sooner rather than later! 

TEACHING GUIDE FOR TA'S IN GFWS

https://nataliekouritowe.ca/teaching-guide/

TAXES

As domestic and international students, you are eligible to pay taxes each year. Tax season rolls around each February, and ends around May or June. Taxes in Ontario are calculated from January to December, based on the calendar year. As graduate students, you will have two tax forms: the T4A and the T2202A. You can access them using your PassportYork here. Click here to learn more about your tax forms. 

To pay taxes online, or on your own, you must set up an account with the Canada Revenue Agency. Once you've set up the account, you can use a service like SimpleTax, that automatically calculates your taxes and returns, and is Pay What You Can. 

You could also use a service like H&R Block, or other in person services, which will charge a fee to file your taxes for you. 

ACCOMMODATIONS

If you need accommodations, click here to find out more. 

Note: Due to Covid-19, numerous processes are undergoing consistent change and updates. It can be nerve wracking to keep up to date with this information. However, we recommend you pay close attention to communication from the department, from FGS, and to the university website at this time.