International trainees

If you are a prospective international trainee, your future CAMH supervisor or their administrative team must contact [email protected] for information and guidance as early as possible.

After preliminary consultation, Research HR will provide the supervisor with instructions about the necessary information and documents needed to provide an eligibility assessment and to determine the appropriate pathway to legal authorization for working in Canada (e.g. a work permit).
The minimum required lead time for a new request involving a work permit application is four months. Research HR is unable to guarantee the timeline, as there are many factors that will affect the process and the possible start date:

• your Canadian immigration status
• whether a valid Labour Market Impact Assessment Exemption is applicable 
• Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) work permit processing times (vary widely depending on the type of application and location of the applicant) 
• how quickly you submit your completed application for authorization to work in Canada

CAMH is a public hospital, and all prospective international students and postdocs must pass an immigration medical exam as part of the study permit/work permit application process.  Failure to complete this step will automatically result in IRCC placing a condition on your study/work permit that prohibits work in a public health setting. You will not be allowed to start your CAMH trainee engagement until you have taken the necessary steps to have the condition removed; this process costs additional time and money.

For more information on immigration medical exams, please see: Medical exams – Immigration - Canada.ca

If you are an international student, you must have a Canadian bank account for CAMH payroll, and provide your banking information to your supervisor along with your other registration documents. Acceptable forms of banking information include a void cheque or a copy of the direct deposit information issued by your bank.

Major Canadian Banks

• Simplii (online bank with ATM access)
• Tangerine (online bank with ATM access)
• TD Canada Trust
• BMO
• Royal Bank
• Scotiabank
• CIBC

Credit unions are an alternative to major banks, and may have better options or services for your needs.

• Alterna
• Meridian

As a public hospital, CAMH requires all personnel (including research trainees) to have up-to-date immunization. 
Please click here to see our current immunization requirements.

Vaccinations for international students must be completed and up-to-date prior to arrival in Canada. Please be aware that the Canadian government may have additional health and vaccine requirements beyond the CAMH requirements, such as COVID testing and vaccination. You can find the latest entry guidelines here.

Please click here for our orientation guide on living in Toronto, including transportation and finding housing.