As international students prepare to return to Canadian universities, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updates the list of approved Designated Educational Institutions (DLIs). Each DLI must have an approved COVID-19 preparedness plan in place before welcoming international students again – a prerequisite for the federal government’s decision to open the borders to international students on October 20, 2020.

Cindy McIntyre, deputy director of international relations at Universities Canada, told “The PIE” that her organization is “very pleased that the vast majority of Canadian universities have now been approved to host international students”.

However, Languages ​​Canada (LC), an organization of accredited providers of education in English and French for more than 150,000 international students, noted that only 53% of its member universities have been approved. Many more are still awaiting approval in Ontario and British Columbia (BC). A letter to its members stated: “While our comments have been well received, more pressure needs to be exerted by those directly affected by the inability to welcome students back, particularly in Ontario and British Columbia. , where there is the greatest concentration of LC members and the largest backlog of plans awaiting approval.

Last week, the federal government released a set of guidelines to be followed at all stages of the return. If you are already in Canada, you can continue studying at any DLI.

How to check approved accredited educational institutions in Canada

A total of 1,548 DLIs are listed in the official IRCC list, in all provinces of the country except Nunavut. Each of these establishments must be assessed individually before being listed as “approved” on the official IRCC website.

As of November 17, 427 establishments out of 436 in Quebec had had their COVID-19 preparedness plan approved. In contrast, of the 482 facilities in Ontario, only 56 had their plans approved. In British Columbia, 81 of 266 DLIs have approved plans.

While there are plans awaiting federal government approval, some universities may not yet have submitted their COVID-19 preparedness plans for approval. Check if your university is on the latest approved DLI list here or watch the latest news on the official IRCC website. The next update is scheduled for December 1, 2020.