A limited number of bed spaces will be made available to first-year students this fall. Advanced access is currently available to first-year undergraduate 105 Visa students, Out-of-Province students, and students with an approved deferral from 2020-2021. Only those students who are deemed eligible as verified by University record will qualify for the limited number of rooms available. Criteria for advanced access to the residence application can be found HERE.  All other students can watch the Housing website for updates to residence occupancy and eligibility criteria in early May.

The application for residence is for the core academic year, from early September 2021 to end of April 2022. Students approved to live in residence must be prepared to live in residence for the full eight months.

Students with advanced access to the residence application will be required to pay either a $600 or $800 deposit depending on your eligibility criteria. All deposits must be made via the online residence portal using Visa, Mastercard or Amex. Deposits paid to your Mosaic student account will not be accepted. Please view the advanced access eligibility criteria for details and deadline dates HERE.

Students with advanced access to the residence application must submit their residence application by 12 noon EDT on Friday, May 14, 2021. If you are part of the Out-of-Province eligibility or Deferral from 2020-21 criteria, your application is first come, first serve, and please visit the website for details.

Only those students that fall under the eligibility criteria have advanced access to apply for residence. All students with advanced access received an email to their McMaster email account with their offer of guaranteed residence. If you do not have access to the residence portal, please continue to watch the Housing website for updates on residence occupancy and eligibility criteria in early May. If you believe there is a discrepancy in your eligibility criteria, please email resadmissions@mcmaster.ca.

With the complexity and quickly changing dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic, the University continues to work with public health and other authorities to help us determine residence occupancy numbers for Fall 2021. If you are not eligible for advanced access to the residence application currently, please continue to watch the Housing website for residence occupancy and eligibility criteria updates in early May.

According to current federal government guidelines, all persons arriving to Canada are required to quarantine for 14 days after their arrival. McMaster first-year international students arriving from abroad are required to quarantine on campus in McMaster’s residence buildings.

No. In accordance to government regulations surrounding incoming air travellers to Canada, all guests in quarantine must remain in their rooms until they receive official notification from the university that their quarantine period has ended.

Building access card usage is being actively monitored to assess student movement. 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.

Violation of the Residence Agreement & Expectations for International Quarantine Stay Students may result in suspension or expulsion from McMaster University. Violations will also be reported to Hamilton Police Services and Public Health and may be subject to charges under the Federal Quarantine Act.

For students who secure a guaranteed residence offer, room assignments are conditional on student’s ability to arrive for on-campus quarantine between August 3, 2021 – September 12, 2021. Students will forfeit their residence space to another student on the waiting list if they are unable to arrive by September 12, 2021.

Students exploring off-campus options can visit the McMaster Off-Campus Housing website https://housing.mcmaster.ca/off-campus/ for rental properties in the Hamilton and surrounding community.

For students looking for off-campus housemates in advance, learn more about the McMatch, McMaster’s Student Housemate Connector.