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International Fellows

If you are invited to conduct a postdoctoral fellowship at the Université de Sherbrooke, but are not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, it is recommended to quickly take the steps to come to Canada. 

Work permit

You must allow for three to six months to obtain a work permit with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Depending on your country of origin, the IRCC may require an electronic travel authorization (ETA) or a temporary resident visa to enter Canada. You must also take care of all necessary arrangements in relation to your stay in Quebec.

Consequently, the UdeS can postpone your admission, if the bodies deem that you will not obtain your legal papers within the required timeframes. To avoid any delays, start your process to obtain your work permit as quickly as possible from the reception of your invitation letter for a fellowship. 

Medical coverage

Non-Canadians should have valid health and hospitalization insurance for the duration of their stay in Canada. There are two ways to be covered by health insurance during a stay in Québec. 

  1. Postdoctoral fellows are full-time workers in Canada, while also being, for most of them, part-time students at the Université de Sherbrooke. Consequently, they must subscribe to the private health insurance of the Université de Sherbrooke, namely Desjardins Sécurité Financière (DSF) - INFORMATION IN FRENCH. This private health insurance will allow to benefit from coverage while awaiting the end of the Québec public health insurance plan (RAMQ)’s 3-month waiting period.
  2. Temporary foreign workers in Quebec, if they hold a work permit valid for more than 6 months, will be covered by the public health insurance plan in Québec (RAMQ) after a 3-month waiting period. Registration with the RAMQ shall be undertaken as soon as the person arrives in Quebec. For workers from countries that have signed a reciprocity agreement with Québec, the 3-month waiting period will not apply. However, we strongly recommend that private health insurance be purchased to insure coverage during the waiting period, preferably from the home country, before arrival in Canada.

Living in Quebec

Consult these links to appropriately organize your fellowship project in Quebec.