Starting October 20, all international students who hold a valid study permit or have been approved for one can enter Canada, as long as their school’s COVID-19 response plan has been approved by the provincial government. UofT was added to the list of approved Ontario designated learning institutions on October 20, meaning that UofT students can now take advantage of the loosened travel restrictions.
Before this change, international students who wanted to return or come to Canada had to prove at the border that their reasons for entering Canada were non-discretionary. Time zone difference or lack of reliable internet connection at home, as well as program requirements that could only be fulfilled in-person, could be grounds for travelling to Canada.
Furthermore, the previous guidelines only applied to those whose study permits were issued or approved before March 18, 2020—a deadline unmanageable for many first-year or transfer students.
The Strand spoke with four international students who are currently abroad to find out how the recent change might affect their plans for this academic year.
For Janine Charoonuk, a second-year Astronomy and Physics double major, the new guidelines were great news, as they made her plans to travel from Bangkok back to Toronto “a little more viable.” She adds that she appreciates UofT’s efforts to help international students return, such as providing spaces for students to quarantine for 14 days, although “it really is the bare minimum given how the international tuition fee hasn’t changed in this pandemic at all.”
Samantha*, who is from China and in her fourth year of studying economics and mathematics, welcomes the recent changes as well. Although she enjoys the flexibility of studying remotely, she had planned to come back to Toronto even before the changes were announced. The new regulations did not affect her plans directly, although they have certainly made it easier for her to return to Canada.
However, not every international student can benefit from the recent loosening of travel restrictions. For example, COVID-19 has caused widespread delays in the processing of study permit applications, leaving new students in limbo. Ruofan Chen, a first-year Cognitive Science student from China, was unable to come to Canada in time for her classes in September, as her study permit was still being processed. Her application has since been approved, and she plans to come to Canada after her fall finals, which is now possible under the new guidelines.
Simply getting to Canada can also be a problem. According to a recent CBC report, Air Canada cancelled 27,000 flights in November. This left many travellers stranded, including Alex*, a second-year Social Sciences student from Russia. Alex made all necessary arrangements to return to Toronto in December only to find out that their flight from Zürich to Toronto had been cancelled. Now, they are much less optimistic about their return, as “there’s no guarantee” that if they rebook their flight, it will not be cancelled.
*Names have been changed
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