McGill University

Two hundred years of history

From its founding in 1821, McGill has been home to momentous firsts thanks to brilliant and curious minds.

Our university grounds were the birthplace of basketball and hockey. This is where Archie, the world’s first internet search engine, was created, and where Canada’s first female professor taught.

Recently, McGill’s researchers have been making significant breakthroughs in RNA research that will shape the future of medicine. In all fields, McGillians continue to push boundaries and make an impact.

McGill. Made by dreamers and trailblazers.

From revolutionary scientific and medical innovations, to artists and humanitarians giving back to the community — McGillians have made, and continue to make, a lasting change in the world.

Our faculties’ histories

McGill has 11 faculties and 13 schools across three world-renowned campuses. Discover the people and events that shaped them.

James McGill (1744-1813)

James McGill, the man whose vision would lead to the creation of the University that bears his name, was born in Glasgow, Scotland on October 6, 1744.

Who We Are

McGill University is one of Canada’s best-known institutions of higher learning and one of the leading universities in the world. International students from more than 150 countries make up nearly 30% of McGill’s student body ‒ the highest proportion of any Canadian research university.

History

McGill is a public university, founded in 1821.

A Tradition of Success

McGill is recognized around the world for the excellence of its teaching and research programs. Ernest Rutherford’s Nobel Prize-winning research on the nature of radioactivity was conducted at McGill, part of a long tradition of innovation on our campuses that includes the invention of the artificial blood cell and Plexiglas. Today our professors are building the new field of epigenetics, developing alternative energy sources from crop plants and driving human achievement in every field imaginable.

The Best and Brightest

In addition to a stellar faculty, McGill is known for attracting the brightest students from across Canada, the United States, and around the world. McGill students have the highest average entering grades in Canada, and our commitment to fostering the very best has helped our students win more national and international awards on average than their peers at any other Canadian university. The prestigious Rhodes Scholarship has gone to a nation-leading 147 McGill students.

Two distinct campuses to explore.

McGill boasts two beautiful campuses with state-of-the-art facilities. Both are easy to access by public or active transport.

Our downtown and Macdonald campuses are connected by a shuttle service. It takes approximately 30 minutes to get from one campus to the other.

Downtown campus: an oasis in the city

Located in the heart of downtown Montréal nestled between Mont Royal nature park and the bustling business district. Come surround yourself with restaurants, cafés, museums, and luscious green spaces all within a few blocks of our campus.

Macdonald campus: a sustainable learning environment

It is situated on a luscious and sprawling 1,600 acre waterfront property in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. It is also home to an arboretum, greenhouses, and a sustainable farm that provides food to the downtown residences.

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McGill Financial Aid

Scholarships and Student Aid administers need-based Financial Aid Programs for future and current undergraduates from Canada, US, and abroad. Our programs offer loans and bursaries to students in need of supplemental financial assistance and to those who are experiencing financial hardship. International students who would like to financially plan for their costs of attendance are encouraged to submit an updated in-course financial aid profile/application and make an appointment with a Financial Aid Counsellor in Scholarships and Student Aid. All factors affecting a student’s financial situation and ability to cover costs of attendance will be considered. Other services we offer include:

• Tuition Payment Deferrals: useful for International students experiencing delays in their funding transfers. International students can initiate a fee deferral by submitting a Fee Deferral application in Minerva.
• Work Study Program: for on-campus job opportunities
• Emergency loans: for unforeseen circumstances
• Frugal Scholar Money Management Program: financial planning, debt management and educational costs

Other resources

Our Other Aid and Awards page provides information on additional funding opportunities offered by sources both inside and outside McGill, including private loans dedicated to international students
The Desautels Faculty of Management provides a list of international funding sites organized by country
Students who would like information on how to opt out of certain fees should consult McGill’s Student Accounts website (search engine >”opt out”)

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International student funding

McGill recognises the challenges International students can face when studying away from home. Scholarships and Student Aid is committed to ensuring that qualified students from any geographic region are financially supported in their goals to enter and complete academic programs at the University. This page points to the various funding opportunities that will help support these goals.

McGill Scholarships & Awards

Newly admitted undergraduate students can apply to McGill’s Entrance Scholarship Program. In-course award programs for undergraduate students currently studying at McGill fall under individual faculty jurisdiction as do those for graduate students.

Please visit McGill’s publications site for various program calendars that provide comprehensive listings and information on awards.

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CAQ – FAQs

New Students

1. I need help with the Arrima payment. What do I do?

Please consult the Arrima payment instructions prepared by the ISS immigration advising team.

2. More than five weeks have passed since I sent my supporting documents for CAQ and I have still not heard back from Immigration Quebec. Should I be worried?

Under normal circumstances, the standard processing time for the CAQ is 25 business days from the day Immigration Quebec confirms in your online portal that they have received your supporting documents.

You should continue to monitor the information on your CAQ online portal to verify if any updates have been made in your file.

If more than 8 weeks have passed, you may wish to contact Immigration Quebec to follow up on your application.

3. Can I take less than 12 credits per term and study part-time?

Under the current conditions for CAQ holders, international students must make their studies their principal activity. This means that in order to respect your CAQ conditions, you must maintain full-time student status every term for the duration of your program, with the exception of your last term.

Under the current eligibility requirements to work on-campus and off-campus, international students must maintain full-time student status every term for the duration of their program, with the exception of their last term.

Under the current eligibility requirements for the post-graduation work permit (PGWP), international students must maintain full-time student status every term for the duration of their program, with the exception of their last term.

We, therefore, recommend that all international students maintain full-time student status for the duration of their program with the exception of their last term, so as not to compromise their ability to extend their CAQ, maintain authorization to work on and off-campus or their eligibility for the PGWP.

If you must be part-time due to extenuating circumstances such as health issues or a family emergency, please contact us so that we may best advise you. You may also wish to review our part-time studies information sheet.

4. I am a dual US and French citizen. Does it matter which nationality I use when applying for my CAQ?

You can apply for your documents under either nationality, however there are certain advantages to applying under your French nationality for your CAQ and your US nationality for your study permit.

French citizens are exempt from the international tuition fee. Therefore, when applying for your immigration documents and providing proof of your financial capacity, you should include proof of your French citizenship in order to prove why you are exempt from the international tuition fee.

If you are a US citizen or US permanent resident, you can apply for your study permit directly at the port of entry (land or air border between Canada and the US) and therefore should apply for your study permit with your US passport or US permanent resident card.

While you may be applying under one nationality for your CAQ and another for your study permit, it is still recommended to include proof of your dual nationality in both applications for the reasons mentioned above.

5. I got my offer with certain conditions. Should I apply for CAQ with this or wait for a new admission letter once I demonstrate meeting the conditions?

The offer of admission letter that you will receive from McGill is the official and only letter you will receive. As soon as you receive your admission letter you should apply for your CAQ right away. You do not have to wait until you have met the conditions in your admission letter to apply for your CAQ.

6. I am currently outside of Canada and I do not have a valid passport. Can I apply for my CAQ?

No. In order to apply for both your CAQ, you must have a valid passport. If you have not yet applied for your passport, you should do so immediately and request expedited processing of your passport.

NOTE: When you apply for your CAQ, your passport must be valid at the time of submission but it does not have to be valid for the entire duration of your studies. As such, if your passport has not yet expired but will expire soon, you should apply for your CAQ before it does, as the expiry of your CAQ is not dependent on the expiry of your passport.

7. I am a newly admitted student and I would like to defer my studies. Will this impact the validity of my CAQ?

It depends.

If you are postponing the start date of your studies by one term only, you can use the CAQ you already have and do not need to obtain a new CAQ.

Examples of situations where you would not require a new CAQ:

• Deferring from the Fall to Winter term;
• Deferring from the Winter to following Fall term.

However, if you are deferring the start date of your studies by more than one term, you will need to apply for a new CAQ before you can begin your program.

As per Immigration Quebec:

“If you are postponing your studies for more than one semester, you will have to obtain a new CAQ for studies.”

8. I am currently outside Canada and both my CAQ and study permit are still valid. Can I return with these documents to continue my studies?

Your CAQ and study permit both remain valid until their expiry date and you may use them to enter Canada to resume your studies.

In order to enter Canada, you must have a valid CAQ, study permit and Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or eTA.

*Important: Please review our Travel FAQs before making any plans to travel to Canada.

9. My parents will support me financially using their joint bank account. For CAQ, do they each need to sign a separate Declaration of Financial Support letter?

YES. If submitting financial capacity documents from a joint bank account, both account holders (in this case, your parents) each need to complete and sign a separate Declaration of Financial Support letter.

As a general rule, when submitting proof of financial capacity, each person who will be supporting you needs to individually sign and date a Declaration of financial support letter and provide supporting documents that clearly demonstrate their financial capacity to provide for you during your studies.

NOTE: If you will be receiving funding from your department, you should indicate that you are supporting yourself; your department does not need to sign the Declaration of financial support form.

10. Do I have to apply for a new CAQ if I change universities or programs?

You do not have to apply for a new CAQ if you change universities or programs as long as you meet the following conditions:

Your program of studies is the same length as your original program;
Your original CAQ was issued for university studies;
You do not change the level of study (e.g. Bachelor to Masters).
NOTE: You can find information on when to submit a new application for a CAQ for studies on the MIFI website.

*Please note that the information is only available in French.

11. What does “proof of financial capacity” mean and how do I demonstrate it?

If your checklist includes a request for proof of financial capacity, you – or whoever is supporting you – should provide a confirmation that you/they can cover tuition and fees plus one year of living expenses.

Immigration Essentials For Intl Grad Students

Work in Canada – FAQs

NEW: Study With A Work Permit

1. I am in Canada and hold a valid work permit, or have recently applied to extend my work permit. Can I study at McGill without a valid CAQ or study permit?

It depends. Effective June 27, 2023, IRCC implemented a temporary public policy measure that allows eligible workers to study in Canada without a study permit. Immigration Quebec is also exempting these eligible workers from the requirement to hold a CAQ.

Who is eligible to benefit from this temporary public policy measure?
To be eligible to study at McGill without a CAQ or study permit under this temporary public policy, you must be authorized to work in Canada with either of the following:

• You hold a valid work permit and the application associated with that permit was received by IRCC on or before June 7, 2023; or
• You applied to extend your work permit and received a letter from IRCC with an issue date on or before June 7, 2023 authorizing you to work in Canada while your work permit extension application is being processed.

Who is not eligible to benefit from this temporary public policy measure?
Anyone who applied for their work permit (initial or extension) after June 7, 2023, is not eligible to benefit from this temporary public policy measure.

THINGS TO CONSIDER:

• If you elect to study at McGill without a study permit under this temporary public policy, you will not be eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit. You must have a study permit and study full-time to be eligible for the PGWP.
• If you elect to study at McGill without a CAQ and study permit under this temporary public policy, you are not required to be enrolled on a full-time basis. However, please note that departmental policies may still require full-time enrollment as a condition of your program.
• If you’re a worker who is studying full time and considering applying for Permanent Residency, your work experience will not count toward your eligibility for the Canada Experience Class or for gaining Canadian work experience points under the Express Entry’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
• If you’re a worker who is studying full time and considering applying for Permanent Residency, your full-time studies will count toward the Federal Skilled Worker Program adaptability and Express Entry CRS points, but only if you study at a designated learning institution (DLI) that offers PGWP-eligible programs, which McGill is and does.

NOTE: This public policy is in effect until June 27, 2026 and may be revoked at any time, without prior notice. For more details, please visit the Immigration Canada and Immigration Quebec websites.

2. How long can I study at McGill without a CAQ or study permit under this temporary public policy measure?

a) If you meet the eligibility requirements of this temporary policy, and you held a valid work permit on June 7, 2023, you can study without a CAQ and study permit until the earliest of the two following dates:

• the expiry date on your work permit; OR
• June 27, 2026 (the date IRCC’s temporary public policy expires)

b) If you meet the eligibility requirements of this temporary policy, and you had a work permit extension application in progress on June 7, 2023, you can study without a CAQ and study permit until the earliest of the three following dates:

• the expiry date on your approved work permit extension;
• the date your work permit extension application is refused (if applicable); OR
• June 27, 2026 (the date this temporary public policy expires)

3. My work permit will expire before I complete my program. Do I need a CAQ and study permit?

You will need to apply for a CAQ and apply for a study permit if:

• Your courses, degree or program length will extend beyond the validity of your current work permit (to cover the period you will be studying after its expiry); or
• Your work permit extension application is refused.

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