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International Residence Student Travel to Campus

Last Update: DECEMBER 9, 2021 – For international students who will be living in residence

You’ve done the hard work and you’re coming to live in the residence community at McMaster – congrats! We can’t wait to welcome you to Canada. If you will not be living in residence, please visit the International Student Success Centre website for information on how they are supporting our non-residence international students this year.

This page will have all the information you need to know about what happens after you land in Canada. Incoming international students will be required to comply with all travel regulations from the government of Canada. We continue to monitor the rules set in place by the Federal government during the Covid-19 pandemic. As changes occur, we will be updating this page with the latest information.

We encourage all international students to visit International Student Services to get help with immigration advising, success coaching, peer support and events, health insurance (UHIP) and more.

Please also register for the iCent app as it is required for all new and returning international students. Signing up for iCent ensures that McMaster has the necessary information to best support and enable you to make the most of your time at McMaster. Visit International Student Services to learn more and sign up.

DECEMBER 2021 UPDATE

If you are an international student who applied to residence after September 30, please note that residence is not guaranteed and international quarantine in residence is no longer offered. You can view the January move-in page for updates.

On November 30, the Government of Canada introduced temporary border restrictions and measures to address COVID-19 Omicron variant of concern.

As of October 21, the Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination began its rollout. This is a reliable way to show proof of your COVID-19 vaccination history when travelling internationally and within Canada.

All travellers must use ArriveCAN to provide mandatory travel information before and after your entry into Canada.

NEW Residence Covid-19 Vaccine Requirements 

As of October 18, McMaster requires all students to be fully vaccinated. Please see McMaster’s vaccination mandate page for updates to vaccine requirements at McMaster.

Please note that the vaccines required to live in residence at McMaster and the ones that are that accepted by the Government of Canada upon travel to Canada are different.

  • Fully vaccinated travellers arriving by air from countries other than the United States will be subject to arrival testing and will need to quarantine while they await the results of this test.
  • Unvaccinated travellers, with right of entry to Canada, will continue to be tested on arrival and day 8 and quarantine for 14 days. However, those arriving by air will now be required to stay in a designated quarantine facility or other suitable location while they await the result of their on arrival test.
    • If you are unvaccinated, you must submit proof of your negative Day 8 test and your quarantine arrangements to Residence Admissions before you can move into your residence space.
    • The Student Wellness Centre will support students who require an additional dose to meet MacCheck requirements.
  • To help you navigate your next steps, please refer to the chart below.
International Student: Vaccination Type/Status International Student: Government Quarantine Requirements International Student: Vaccination Action
Unvaccinated
  • International students, with right of entry to Canada, are required to complete testing and international quarantine off-campus.
  • Those arriving by air will now be required to stay in a designated quarantine facility or other suitable location while they await the result of their on-arrival test.
  • Submit proof of your negative Day 8 test and your quarantine arrangements to Residence Admissions before you move into your residence space.
 You are considered fully vaccinated if you have: 

  • two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine authorized by Health Canada,
  • one or two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine not authorized by Health Canada followed by one dose of a COVID-19mRNA vaccine authorized by Health Canada, or 
  • three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine not authorized by Health Canada. 

 
One dose of COMIRNATY (Pfizer), SpikeVax (Moderna) or Vaxzevria (Astra-Zeneca) (including CoviShield)
  • International students, with right of entry to Canada, are required to complete testing and international quarantine off-campus.
  • Those arriving by air will now be required to stay in a designated quarantine facility or other suitable location while they await the result of their on-arrival test.
  • Submit proof of your negative Day 8 test and your quarantine arrangements to Residence Admissions before you move into your residence space.
 Receive second dose of COVID-19 vaccines authorized by Health Canada.

 
Two doses of COMIRNATY (Pfizer), SpikeVax (Moderna) or Vaxzevria (Astra-Zeneca) (including CoviShield)
  • Fully vaccinated travellers arriving by air from countries other than the United States will be subject to arrival testing and will need to quarantine while they await the results of this test.
 No additional vaccines required.
One dose of Johnson & Johnson
  • Fully vaccinated travellers arriving by air from countries other than the United States will be subject to arrival testing and will need to quarantine while they await the results of this test.
 No additional vaccines required.
One dose of CoronaVac/Sinovac, and Sinopharm/BBIBP
  • International students, with right of entry to Canada, are required to complete testing and international quarantine off-campus.
  • Those arriving by air will now be required to stay in a designated quarantine facility or other suitable location while they await the result of their on-arrival test.
  • Submit proof of your negative Day 8 test and your quarantine arrangements to Residence Admissions before you move into your residence space.
 Individuals who have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine not authorized by Health Canada must receive one additional dose of a COVID-19mRNA vaccine authorized by Health Canada.

 
Two doses of CoronaVac/Sinovac, and Sinopharm/BBIBP
  • Fully vaccinated travellers arriving by air from countries other than the United States will be subject to arrival testing and will need to quarantine while they await the results of this test.
 Individuals who have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine that is not authorized for use by Health Canada need one additional dose of a COVID-19mRNA vaccine authorized by Health Canada.

Please consult with your physician to address any concerns.*

 
Three doses of a vaccine not authorized by Health Canada such as CoronaVac/Sinovac, and Sinopharm/BBIBP
  • Fully vaccinated travellers arriving by air from countries other than the United States will be subject to arrival testing and will need to quarantine while they await the results of this test.
 You are considered fully vaccinated if you have three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine not authorized by Health Canada, such as CoronaVac/Sinovac, and Sinopharm/BBIBP.

Please consult with your physician to address any concerns.*

 

*International students seeking their first dose of the Health Canada-authorized COVID-19 vaccine may receive one at our Student Wellness Centre (as long as it is 28 days after their last vaccination. As per NACI recommendations, an interval of at least 28 days after the administration of any other vaccine should be taken before administrating the Health Canada-authorized COVID-19 vaccine.

What if I cannot be vaccinated?

As per the August 16, 2021 announcement of the McMaster Vaccination mandate, students were required to submit exemption requests with McMaster for medical, religious or other protected grounds as included in the Ontario Human Rights Code, by September 19, 2021.

In addition, as of September 7, students who are not vaccinated must access the MacCheck digital tool for COVID health screening every day and complete rapid testing before coming to main campus or any McMaster facility. This will give you a green checkmark to come on site.

Updated quarantine information – DECEMBER 9, 2021

Updated Quarantine Information for fully vaccinated international residence students

  • As per a recent Government of Canada change, fully vaccinated international students who are arriving in Canada November 30, 2021 or later from any country other than the United States will be subject to arrival testing and will need to quarantine while they await the results of this test. (Quarantine is not available in residence.)

Updated Quarantine Information for international residence students who do not qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller

  • Unvaccinated travellers, with right of entry to Canada, will continue to be tested on arrival and day 8​, and quarantine for 14 days.
    • However, those arriving by air will now be required to stay in a designated quarantine facility or other suitable location while they await the result of their on arrival test.

Move-In Information: Airport to Residence

  • Students should book private transportation from the airport to campus such as Airways Transit.

Quarantine - Frequently Asked Questions

We recommend you find private transportation using a service such as Airways Transit. 

There are several transportation options in Hamilton and the surrounding cities that will make your getting to McMaster easy! Check out the Directions to McMaster page for public transportation and driving options.

We are linking directly to their website to ensure the information available here is always up to date. Guidelines for travellers from the Government of Canada can be found here.

No. In accordance to government regulations surrounding incoming air travellers to Canada, all guests in quarantine must remain in isolation.

Please be aware that violations of the Canadian Quarantine Act may result in fines or other repercussions. Please visit https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/isolation for more information.

You can quarantine with your family in your off campus accomodations.

The fan coil unit brings in 100% fresh air from outside. The air in the different rooms do not “mix” with each other, nor with the hallway air as the rooms are pressurized to not allow for this. It is fresh air that passes through a heating coil and then through a fan coil filter before blowing into the room to heat the space.

The washroom exhaust fan also brings in 100% fresh air to exchange the air. All cleaning protocols for quarantine spaces have been established in accordance with public health guidelines.

Vaccine - Frequently Asked Questions

As per the Government of Canada regulations https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2021/07/international-students-and-travel-to-canada.html

“Travellers must provide proof of vaccination in English or French (or a certified translation of their document). Travellers can receive their vaccine in any country, but it has to be 1 of the 4 vaccines accepted by Health Canada.”

However, we understand that if you arrive to campus with a non-French/English vaccination document, we will work with you to secure a translation.