You have lots of questions as you prepare to come to Canada. Find your answers, here!

Accommodations
Travel
NIC-101 Attendance Mandatory
Medical Insurance
What to Bring
Explore your new Community
What to do in Week 1 & 2
Last-Minute Questions

Accommodations

We know you have many things to do before you come to Canada. One very important step is to plan where you will live. You have two options; Family Homestay or Off-Campus Housing (including renting an apartment or room and finding a roommate).

Family Homestay

Homestay gives you a family to care for you, a clean and safe place to live as soon as you arrive, and someone to help you learn about daily life in Canada. Many students develop a strong relationship with their homestay family.

North Island College has a wonderful working relationship with Comox Valley Homestay. Your rent includes a private room, shared facilities in a home (living room, kitchen, bathroom, etc.) and all your meals. Students prepare their own breakfast and lunch and a home-cooked dinner is provided. Most homes have internet access and there are no extra fees for utilities other than long distance calls. A long distance phone card is a great option for students making lots of long distance calls.

Off-Campus Housing

If you are interested in renting a room, apartment, house or shared accommodations, please use our off-campus housing service. Here you will find rentals as well as the opportunity to look for a roommate.

You can also consult local newspapers and websites for rental options.

In the Comox Valley:

• The Comox Valley Record
• The Comox Valley Echo
• The Shantz Hostel
• The Cona Hostel
• Craigslist

In Campbell River:

• The Campbell River Mirror
• The Courier Islander

In Port Alberni:

• The Alberni Valley Times
• The Alberni Valley News

You may want to look at bus routes to consider where you live. You can find all the bus routes by community here.

Once you have your accommodation finalized, please use NIC Connect to update your address and telephone number on your student record at North Island College. Once you finalize your accommodation arrangement, please make sure you tell your host, roommate or landlord your arrival date!

Travel

Entering Canada

When you arrive in Canada by air, you will meet an Immigration Officer at the airport. If you arrive by car, you will meet an Immigration Officer at the border crossing.

Please tell the officer you are coming to North Island College to study.

If you are planning to study for more than six months you will already have your Student Authorization letter from the Canadian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. The Immigration Officer will ask you for this. The officer will also likely ask you other questions; perhaps about what you will be studying, where you will live, how long your program is. Please share any information requested. The officer will then give you your Study Permit; a paper document that is usually stapled into your passport. This is a very important document.

If you are studying for less than six months, you may not have a Student Authorization. Please tell the Immigration Officer when you arrive in Canada that you are here to study. The officer will likely ask you what program you will be taking and when you plan to return home. You will be issued a Visitor's Visa because a study permit is not required for programs less than six months long.

Students who are studying in Canada less than six months can apply for a Student Authorization, if they want to maintain an option to extend their Study Permit for further study. If you have a Student Authorization letter, please give it to the Immigration Officer. Once you have a study permit, then you can request a renewal of it while you are in Canada. If you do not have a study permit and decide to stay in Canada longer to study you must leave Canada to apply for Student Authorization.

More information is available on the Citizenship and Immigration website.

Travelling to Vancouver Island

Travelling from Vancouver to Comox or Campbell River

There are several flights each day directly from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) to the Comox Valley Airport (YQQ) or Campbell River (YBL). Flying to either the Comox Valley or Campbell River is the easiest way for you to arrive. Airlines include:

In Port Alberni:

• Central Mountain Air
• Pacific Coastal, which offers a free shuttle from Vancouver's main terminal to the south terminal

You can also choose to take a bus via Island Link from Vancouver International Airport to Horseshoe Bay, take a BC Ferry to Departure Bay, Nanaimo and meet the Island Link from Departure Bay, Nanaimo to the Comox Valley or Campbell River. This is more difficult with lots of luggage but the ferry trip is spectacular. Reservations are required for Island Link. but not mandatory for BC Ferries.

Airport Pickup at the Comox Valley Airport

For students who have booked a homestay family with Comox Valley Homestay, you will be picked up at the Comox Valley Airport by your homestay family. Be sure to let them know your flight number and the day you will arrive.

For students planning to stay in a hostel for the first few weeks while you look for an apartment or roommates, you can arrange airport pick up to take you to the hostel by using one of the services at the airport. They are all listed on the Comox Valley Airport Transportation page. Be sure to book your room at the hostel ahead of time!

Travelling from Vancouver to Port Alberni

From Vancouver International Airport, you can take Island Link to Horseshoe Bay, take a BC Ferry to Departure Bay, Nanaimo and then take Tofino Bus from Departure Bay, Nanaimo to Port Alberni. Reservations are required.

Please plan to arrive at least two days before NICI 101 beginning August 30!

NICI 101 Aug. 30 to Sept. 3, Attendance Mandatory

NICI 101 - Getting Started at NIC is required for new students. Returning students are encouraged to attend.
It begins Monday, August 30 at 12:30 pm and ends September 3. Please review the agenda.

Checklist of key documents to bring with you to NICI 101 on August 30:

• Passport
• Study permit or Visitor’s Visa stamp
• Medical insurance (unless you are buying your first three months from NICI)
• Address and phone number of your new accommodation, and if you are in homestay, please provide the family name and family email address
• Original transcripts and documents, required by Admissions in previous emails

NOTE:

Port Alberni students will be offered travel and accommodation to the Comox Valley on August 30, 31 and September 1. Students will return to Port Alberni on September 2nd. Assessments and ISEC cards will be completed in Port Alberni.

Campbell River students will be offered daily travel to and from the Comox Valley from August 30 to September 2. Assessments and ISEC cards will be completed in Campbell River.

Medical Insurance

Whether you have a Visitor’s Visa or a Study Permit, you need medical insurance for the time you are studying in Canada. You have two choices:

1. You can buy international medical insurance in your home country. As soon as you arrive you need to bring your international medical insurance papers to the North Island College International Office.
   

Or

2. You can buy medical insurance in Canada. You can buy the first three months of insurance through North Island College International. Then you can enroll in Health Insurance BC for the remainder of your study time.

Visitor’s Visa: Students studying for six months or less on a Visitor’s Visa do not qualify for Health Insurance BC and need to bring a copy of their insurance from their home country that covers their entire length of stay in Canada. Alternately, you may purchase private insurance in Canada through North Island College International.

Study Permit: Students studying for more than three months on a Study Permit MUST enroll in Health Insurance BC. Students should apply as soon as they arrive in Canada – North Island College International will help with this process. For the first three months in Canada, students can bring a copy of their insurance from their home country. Alternately, you may purchase private insurance for the first three months in Canada through North Island College International.

Medical Insurance Costs

A. First Three Months

If you wish to purchase medical insurance in Canada through North Island College International, you have two options:

• You can buy your private medical insurance at NICI 101 on August 30th

Or

• Arrangements can be made to purchase medical insurance that is effective from the day you arrive in Canada. Please contact North Island College International with your arrival date for registration and payment information.

North Island College International uses Strategic Financial Services Ltd., a company that works with AXA Assurance Inc. The cost for one person is $148.00 CDN for 3 months of insurance and can be extended for $53.00 for each additional month. For more information please visit their website.

B. After Three Months

Students who have a Study Permit need to apply for Health Insurance BC (MSP). This insurance begins once you have been in Canada for 3 months. North Island College International will help you apply for Health Insurance BC when you arrive. The cost for a single person is $57.00 per month.

What to Bring

It’s always a challenge to decide what to bring. This list should help!

Clothing

Pack clothing appropriate for Vancouver Island weather. You might want to check out our weather office. Temperatures in the summer rises to +25 degrees Celsius and in the winter the temperature can drop as low as -5 degrees Celsius. A raincoat and boots are a good idea for our winter rain. Students on campus dress casually – jeans and T-shirts are normal.

Money

• Have enough cash or access to funds on a credit card to pay for your expenses for the first few weeks; including accommodation rent and damage deposit, food, text books, and a bus pass. This would normally be $2000 - $2500 CDN.
• We expect you will have paid most of your fall tuition fees. Any additional fees may be paid with Visa, MasterCard, debit card, bank draft, wire transfer, Canadian cheque.
• NICI is not able to provide financial assistance to international students. Please ensure you have enough money to cover your time in Canada.
• We anticipate you will set up a bank account at one of our major banks, allowing you to transfer funds into the account as needed. Major banks in each NIC community include the Royal Bank (RBC), TD Canada Trust, Scotia Bank, Bank of Montreal (BMO), and CIBC.

Personal items

• If you have a laptop or mini-computer, bring it. We have wireless service on campus. Wireless service is also available in most coffee shops, hostels and even at some homestay families.
• Bring photos of your family, your friends and other people or places to help you stay connected with home.
• Bring a book or two as well as your own music! We are beginning an international music library – if you can share a CD with some music from your home country we would gratefully add it to our collection.
• If you use medical prescriptions, ensure you bring them. Also bring a written copy of your prescription as well as your eyeglass prescription.
• Think about what you use each month that you will not be able to buy in Canada and pack that too. Check luggage limits with your airline too!

Explore your new Community

The more connected a student feels to the community they are living in, the more successful they are with their studies, and the more comfortable and confident they feel.

We will do all we can to help you get connected, but the primary responsibility is yours. The Comox Valley offers a Comox Valley Newcomer's Guide with links for support.

Please take some time to look at the community website and decide on one or two activities you will explore during September. Make it your goal to meet people and share your knowledge as you get to know your new community.

• Comox Valley
• Campbell River
• Port Alberni

What to do in Week 1 & 2

In addition to attending NICI 101, College orientation and your classes when you get to Canada, make sure you:

• Bring your passport, medical insurance papers, and transcripts to NICI 101 on August 30
• Make adjustments to your course registration if required
• Purchase your text books – ensure you have your Registration Statement with you at the Bookstore
• Pay all outstanding fees
• Open a bank account
• Get your student cards (NIC student card from Student Services and ISEC card from North Island Students’ Union)
• At the library, register for a tour
• Meet each one of your instructors
• Sign in on Facebook and check out North Island College Welcomes the World
• Drop by Puntledge Hall, Room 108 at the Comox Valley Campus and say hello to NICI staff
• Check out the NICI bulletin board in Puntledge Hall for information about activities, books for sale, accommodations, etc.

Last-minute Questions

We're sure you are looking forward to your travels to Canada with both excitement and perhaps some worry.

We would like to do anything we can to help you. Email us with any questions you have, about anything. Big questions like how do I get to the Comox Valley or small questions like do I need a raincoat - all of them are ok!

You might also want to read Attitude is Everything to help you get ready for the differences you are going to experience.

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