Student Travel and Pre-Arrival Sessions

Welcome to Cape Breton University! We can’t wait to welcome you for the Winter 2025 semester. Below you will find helpful information that will help you prepare for your travels to Canada to begin your studies.

AIRPORT PICK-UP REQUEST FORM

Free airport pickup from August 19-29, 2024
Student working on computer

PRE-ARRIVAL CHECKLIST

Information Students Need for What's Next

International Student Travel: Winter 2025

In preparation for your arrival in Canada, please carefully review the terms from the Government of Canada to make sure you meet the criteria for travel. Students who have not secured housing and accommodations should not travel to Canada and are encouraged to defer their studies to a future semester.

Refer to the Pre-arrival Checklist that will guide you to prepare yourself before you arrive in Canada.

Distance Learning and its Potential Impact on Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP)

Starting January 1, 2024, students must complete at least 50% of their program in-class inside Canada. The time spent studying outside of Canada will be deducted from the length of the Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP). We recommend that students not take more than one course online per semester to give themselves the best chance to get a three-year PGWP.

Detailed information on PGWP can be found on the IRCC website.

Work in Canada

Wondering if you can work while studying. Please click here for more information and remember that you can not work until your classes start on January 6.

Arriving at your port-of-entry into Canada:

When you arrive at a port-of-entry into Canada, you’ll meet a border services officer who will make sure you meet the basic requirements for arrival in Canada.

Travelling to Sydney, Nova Scotia

CBU is happy to offer a free airport pick-up service from JA Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport from January 1-5, 2025. All students must have accommodations secured before booking.

Airport pick-up requests must be submitted 48 hours prior to your arrival time in Sydney, Nova Scotia. All students must have accommodations secured before booking. For more information about on- and off-campus housing, please visit CBU.ca/accommodations.

AIRPORT PICKUP REQUEST FORM

International Student Health Insurance

Arriving in Canada on January 1 or later? Your international student health insurance plan with Cape Breton University will begin on January 1, 2025, or on the date you arrive in Canada if you arrive after January 1, 2025. Arriving in Canada before January 1, 2025? We strongly encourage that you enroll for the emergency plan to cover you until December 31, 2024.

Please visit www.guard.me/cbu and click EARLY/LATE ARRIVALS. You can also learn more about international students health insurance at CBU. A list of international students health insurance FAQs is also available.

 

Pre-Arrival Sessions

To ensure you are prepared to begin your studies in January 2025, we are thrilled to share that CBU recently hosted a week-long pre-arrival series from Monday, October 21-Friday, October 25.

CBU’s pre-arrival series provided an opportunity for students to connect with members from their Student Success Team over Microsoft Teams where they will learn more about life at CBU and ask questions.

Miss a session? Following each session a full recording, including the key takeaways, will be posted below.

Quicklinks

Quick Links

Pre-Arrival Session Schedule

Department(s): Guard.me Insurance, keep.meSAFE team

Presenter(s): Megan Cameron and Mara Hortsing-Perna

Key Takeaways:

  • Guard.Me Health Insurance is mandatory for all International Students
  • If you are arriving before January 1st, 2025, please purchase an emergency health insurance coverage until your guard.me insurance begins

Link to the session recording.

Department(s): Student Affairs, International Student Advisors

Presenter(s): Mehak Kaushal, Nadarni Headlam, Renee Burt, Fred Eduam, Rahul Luthra and Daniela Quiroz

Key Takeaways:

  • International Students are here on a study permit, and they advised to be aware of the following:
    • Study Permit Conditions
    • Rules surrounding working as an International Student
  • Students are encouraged to defer if they have not received their study permit approval by the middle of December
  • Students are encouraged to defer if they have not secured housing by the middle of December
  • Airport pick-ups are free, and we are excited to welcome you to CBU
  • We will be hosting an orientation session for new International Students on Monday 6th, 2025

Link to the session recording.

Department(s): Student Success Coaches, Student Life and Career Services

Presenter(s): Eli Quirk, Jennifer Billard and Nadine Ratchford

Key Takeaways: 

  • Our Career Services team is a great resource for students that provides different workshops and information’s about employment here in Canada. They can be reached at career_services@cbu.ca
  • Student life is vibrant here on campus and students are recommended to attend the January Orientation, Week of Welcome (WOW) and checkout the Events page for events happening throughout the semester. Please follow us on social media.
  • Student Success Coaching helps students succeed at CBU. Academic Success Coaching program is highly recommended, free and available in Moodle.
  • Remember – You cannot begin to work until your classes for the semester begins. Also, you need a SIN (Social Insurance Number) to begin to work in Canada.

Link to the session recording.

Department(s): Health and Counselling Services, Student Affairs, Library

Presenter(s): Sonya Spencer, Scott Thomas and Jasmine Hoover

Key Takeaways:

  • Students are expected to be respectful to their peers and faculty. The student code of Conduct Handbook spells out what is expected of students. Be graceful with your faculty and make the classroom a safe and peaceful place to study. https://www.cbu.ca/future-students/academic-integrity/
  • CBU is committed to creating an environment free of sexual violence, harassment, or abuse of any kind.  Do not be afraid to report you have been a victim of any form of abuse. To report an incident, please contact Sonya at svreport@cbu.ca 0r 902-565-5328.
  • Academic Integrity is important at CBU. Producing original work and being graded fairly are all part of Academic Integrity. The Academic Integrity Handbook is a useful resource for knowing what is expected of you as a student and what to expect.
  • CBU Emergency Management and Security Services are available 24/7, 7 days a week to assist you with all your security concerns. Keep this phone number handy to reach them anytime: 902-578-2316. If you have an emergency, do not hesitate to call 911 first.

Link to the session recording. 

 

Department(s): Registrar’s Office, Finance Office

Presenter(s): Sheryl Trimm and Shannon Garnier

Key Takeaways:

  • Students need to be registered for a minimum of 9 credits (three 3-credit courses) to be considered a full-time student at CBU or be registered for an Internship or Capstone project in the Fall and Winter semesters.
  • Students need to complete one semester before being eligible to apply for a program change.
  • Being on a waitlist for a course does not guarantee you a seat in the course. Students are recommended to register for a different course or section that is available. You can reach out to your academic advisor about the course you could take.
  • Be aware of CBU’s financial policies and payment deadlines (https://www.cbu.ca/future-students/tuition-fees/payment-deadlines/)
  • If you see a negative balance in your compass student account, this means that there is a credit in your account that can be used for future course registrations and fees.
  • For any general queries, students can reach out to the following emails:
  • enrolment@cbu.ca  – Any general registration/ registrar office queries
  • internationalaccounts@cbu.ca  – international student account queries

Link to the session recording.

Department(s): Nancy Dingwall Health and Counselling Centre

Presenter(s): Pam Chant, Lydia McIsaac, Judy Kelley and Leslie MacIsaac

Key Takeaways:

  • The Nancy Dingwall Health and Counselling Centre is a collaborative health centre with nurses (including a mental health nurse), physicians and counsellors on site working together to meet the needs of our patients.  Please click here for additional information
  • Located on campus and available for the CBU family
  • All information students share with the centre is kept private
  • Contact them by visiting in person, calling at 902-563-1359 by email at healthservices@cbu.ca

Link to the session recording.

Department(s): CBU’s Food and Ancillary Services

Presenter(s): Kelsey Johnston, Christine Harrietha and Doug Connors

Key Takeaways:

  • Residence is a safe and available option for students.
  • Students are encouraged to seek housing in the CBRM (Cape Breton Regional Municipality)
  • Students are encouraged to secure housing prior to travelling to Canada
  • Off Campus accommodations:
  • Please be aware of scams, we go by the saying, “if it is too good to be true, it probably is”.  In addition to this, we recommend that you use the internet to do more research before entering into an agreement with a landlord.  For any questions, please email residence@cbu.ca
  • Please use this listing to search for off-campus accommodations

Link to the session recording.

Department(s): Service Canada and Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)

Presenter(s): Tanya Davis and Anique Fougere

Key Takeaways: 

  • International students looking to engage in employment opportunities must have a condition in their study permit that allows them to do so and a valid Social Insurance number (SIN).
  • SIN numbers can be applied in the following link (https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/sin/apply.html ).
  • Please continue to check our events page for SIN clinics that are also organized at CBU.
  • Please keep your SIN numbers secured.
  • Scams/ Frauds are unfortunately on the rise and students are advised to be careful. CRA and Service Canada sometimes contact residents using phone calls and mail. They will typically ask you for more information and not use scare tactics. Residents can call the CRA and Service Canada directly to verify what has been requested and do not ask for money etransfers, or vital information to be shared.
  • International students are eligible for GST/ HST credit and can find more information on how they can apply in the following page (https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/gst-hst-businesses.html)
  • Residents of Canada are expected to file for income tax from March 1st, till April 30th for the previous calendar year (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/income-tax.html)

Link to the session recording. 

Department(s): Academic Advising, Post-Baccalaureate Advising

Presenter(s): Ian MacQuarrie, Chelsey Martell, Allison MacNeil, Ray Kassem, Mohit Malik, Mehedi Robin and Norm Hubbert

Key Takeaways: 

  • New Students are required to have academic advising before being registered for courses.
  • Please note that registration deadlines for all programs can be found on the Academic Calendar

Link to the session recording.