We would like to provide the following information and reminders from the University of the Fraser Valley, Canada that applies to new Winter 2022 students.
As you know, most Winter 2022 in person (on campus) classes will be online from January 10th to January 23rd, 2022. Starting January 24th all classes are scheduled to return to an in person instructional setting.
New incoming students registered to in-person classes who have received a study permit approval letter or a passport request letter, and are currently waiting to receive their passports, please note:
- Students have the option of starting classes January 10th online with the understanding that they must reach Canada before classes transition to an in-person setting January 24th.
- It is important to note that the in-person setting will not allow students to continue studying online.
- Each student is asked to assess the risk and determine if they wish to start classes under the structure explained.
New incoming students currently registered to on-campus classes who have received a study permit approval letter or passport request letter, and are currently waiting to receive their passport but are unsure of being able to reach Canada before January 24th :
- Students have the option of reaching out to UFV International via international.reg@ufv.ca so university can see if fully online classes are available. Each case is different, and not all classes are available online.
- Students registered to fully online classes are expected to remain studying in a virtual instructional setting for all the Winter 2022 session. There will be no option of transitioning to on-campus classes after reaching Canada.
- It is important to note that many online classes have waiting lists
- At this point, it can be risky to withdraw from in-person classes and hope to find fully online classes.
New incoming students who have not received a study permit approval letter, or a passport request letter:
- It is suggested to assess their possibilities and determine if it is appropriate for them to start classes under either of options presented in point 1 and point 2. Keep in mind the risk student is taking by starting classes without having received a response on his/her study permit application.
Winter 2022 Deferral Deadline Extension
- University of the Fraser Valley has extended the receipt of the Winter 2022 deferral request forms from January 2nd to January 14th, 2022.
- Students who do not have their study permits / visas by January 14th, 2022 (Winter 2022 semester start date) can choose one of the following options:
- Students can start their semester ( online until Jan 23rd and must transition to an on-campus setting by Jan 24th, and/or fully online studies for the entire semester ) while they wait for their study permit approval. Students should be aware that the Refund Rules for New Students – Winter 2022 will apply. See the section named “incoming Students”. See below for instructions if the approval has not been received by January 21st.
- Students can defer their admission to a future semester without starting Winter 2022 classes.
- Students who have deferred their admission by January 14th, 2022, and receive a visa rejection after this date, the following options:
- Reapply for a study permit with the intention of starting to study in the deferred semester, or
- Complete a refund request
Most common questions and answers:
What if the student has not heard about his/her study permit application before the classes start?
Students can begin classes that are delivered online with the transition to on-campus classes on January 24th, and/or fully online classes while waiting to hear about their study permit application. There is also no fee reduction if they have to drop face-to-face classes and are unable to replace them with online classes. For these reasons, the student might want to consider deferring their studies to a subsequent semester. The deadline to defer the offer of admission is January 14th and the instructions to do so can be found at https://www.ufv.ca/admissions/admission-requirements/deferring-admission/.
What if the student decides not to defer and he/she can begin their online classes even if they have not heard about their study permit status?
If the student still has not heard about their study permit application by January 14th, please email studypermits@ufv.ca, and the admission team will review their individual case to help them decide whether they should withdraw from winter classes. Please note if he/she decides to continue studying and finds out after January 21st that their study permit application was not approved, they will not be eligible for a full refund.
Can the student start classes online and then change to face-to-face classes once they receive their study permit and travel to Canada?
No. The specific classes they are registered into are either delivered online or face-to-face. The delivery method will not change for the duration of the semester.
Useful contact information:
Admissions questions admissions@ufv.ca
Visa refusal questions international.apps@ufv.ca
Course registration questions international.reg@ufv.ca
Fee questions interaccounts@ufv.ca
IRCC questions studypermits@ufv.ca