New Information for International Students Preparing to Travel to Canada:

Note: Students who are looking to travel to Canada must have a POE letter with a VISA, or a study permit.

NEW! Please be aware of the latest IRCC announcement concerning international travelers arriving to Canada as of February 22nd. Per IRCC, all air travelers arriving in Canada “must reserve a room in a Government of Canada-approved hotel for three nights at their own cost, and take a COVID-19 molecular test on arrival at their own cost." Please be prepared to include these costs and arrangements in your quarantine plan. Travelers are still required to provide their negative pre-departure test. 

Important links:

IRCC has provided a checklist on pre-departure instructions and planning your trip to Canada. We strongly recommend reviewing this website before moving forward.
Pre-approved quarantine hotels for Calgary can be found here.

Anyone flying to Canada from another country, unless exempted, will be required to provide written or electronic documentation showing they received a negative result from a COVID-19 test conducted within 72 hours prior to their scheduled boarding. The test must be performed using a COVID-19 molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Without a negative COVID-19 test, travelers will be denied boarding onto their flight. Please review additional information on this announcement here.

Please note: If your first point of arrival is not Calgary, you will be required to complete you mandatory hotel quarantine at your port of entry. You will be required to obtain a negative PCR test to before continuing on to your final destination where you will complete the remainder of your quarantine. Please visit the IRCC website here for more details.

Please review the following steps to make informed plans for travelling to Canada:  

1. Review this IRCC webpage, to understand how to prepare for your trip, if you are approved to travel to Canada.
2. Book your pre-departure COVID-19 test.
3. Review the Student Quarantine Guide, to understand what you need to include in your quarantine plan, and submit your travel support letter request to the College:
   -If this is your first time submitting the quarantine plan, please provide it through this link
   -If your travel itinerary or other details require updates, please use this link and submit a new quarantine plan
4. Submit your quarantine plan to the Government of Canada, through the ArriveCAN mobile app.
5. Submit your Alberta Isolation Questionnaire to the Government of Alberta.
6. Download the ABTraceTogether mobile app.
7. Upon your arrival to Calgary please complete the arrival form that will be sent via email.
   a. As a reminder, you will complete a COVID test on arrival. You are required to remain in the hotel until you receive your results.
8. Students will be required to complete their daily 14 day check in throughout quarantine from the College, which will be received through email.

Housing options after your quarantine is completed

Bow Valley College does not offer on or off-campus housing, however we offer a list of resources for housing options, including, homestay, rentals, and student housing at SAIT.

Please note that Bow Valley College is not affiliated with any of these companies. We cannot guarantee the quality of service or accommodation.

Homestay and student residence

• Pick Homestay and Airport Pick-up: Bow Valley College students receive a discount with Pick Homestay. It allows international students to live with a host family and have an amazing cultural experience.
• Canada Homestay International: Allows international students to live in a Canadian home as a member of the family.
• SAIT residence: Bow Valley College students are eligible to live in SAIT residence.
• Places4Students.com has partnered with SABVC to ensure that you can find affordable off-campus housing. 

Rental options

• Students' Association of Bow Valley College (SABVC): Off-campus housing ads listed through SABVC.
• Rent Faster
• Rent Spot
• Rentals.ca
• Capreit
• Rent Seeker
• Search for Student Housing
• Mainstreet Apartments

These websites provide information on the rights of renters and landlords:

• Renting 101
• Living in a rental property

Medical Health Insurance 

Insurance Coverage

Students arriving before the start of class, must ensure they possess their own private medical or travel insurance that covers medical expenses in Canada. This coverage must be valid until the start of their term. After the start of their term, mandatory student insurance plans will come into effect.

For career students:

Career students can request a copy of their Gallivan insurance card from the Student Benefits Plan Office at bowvalleyplan@mystudentplan.ca. Click here for additional information on the student benefits plan.

For ELL students:

All ELL students receive their Guard.me insurance cards via email within the first week of classes. If you do not have your card, please email issc@bowvalleycollege.ca

For all students:

All students must enroll themselves in the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan when they arrive. Registration is not automatic.

Alberta Health Care Insurance is a basic health care coverage that is administered and governed by the provincial Government of Alberta. All eligible recipients are required by law to be covered by this insurance plan.

Students must enrol themselves for Alberta Health Care Insurance when they arrive and establish a residence in Alberta, registration is not automatic. For specific details on Alberta Health Care Insurance benefits and how to register please refer to the website health.alberta.ca.

Other links of interest:

• Eligibility criteria
• Supporting documents
• Application form

To find health care information, please visit Alberta Health Services' website.