Booking Your Flight

When booking your flights, remember the following guidelines:

• You will need to book your flight to arrive at the (major) airport closest to your project location. Your professor will have entered the exact address of your project in the Globalink platform. If you are unsure about which airport to fly into, check with a Globalink Ambassador, your mentor or travel agent.

• We strongly recommend you purchase a changeable or refundable ticket in case you need to change your plans or if your immigration processing times are longer than expected.

• You are required to arrive at your host institution one or two days prior to the start of your internship so that you have time to adjust to your new environment.

• Please remember that all Mitacs funds will only be distributed about 2-3 weeks after arrival in Canada. Please plan accordingly.
• Record your flight information in the 2024 Intern Logistics Platform.
  

• You will be responsible for arranging your own accommodation. Helpful information and resources on accommodation is available on the 2024 GRI Intern Information Website.
  

• Research your accommodation of choice and ensure you are aware of all policies and procedures.

• If you book accommodation in a university residence, please be aware that many residences close in early to mid-August to prepare for the fall semester. This may require you to secure different accommodation if your internship continues beyond this time.

• Please note that while they are not common, rental frauds and scams occur. Please do your research and refer to our available resources to guide you through your accommodation selection in Canada.

• Your mentor is not responsible to secure accommodation on your behalf.

• Most on-campus summer housing leases end in August to vacate the rooms for full-time students in September. When discussing your internship start and end date with your Professor, aim to end your internship by late August to avoid a potential housing crisis.

Contact Globalink Ambassadors

Before coming to Canada, we suggest you contact a Globalink Ambassador (former Globalink research interns) who interned at your host Canadian institution in a previous year. At that time, they had a lot of questions about how to prepare for their upcoming internship in Canada and what kinds of things to expect. These Ambassadors are volunteering their time to answer your questions and to help you in any way they can. Please see a full list of Ambassadors and contact details on the 2024 GRI Intern Information Website . If there is no Ambassador at your host institution, you can contact one from the same region as your host institution.

Contact Your Mentor

Each intern is assigned a Globalink Mentor, who will:

• Provide you with a welcome package before you arrive: Your Mentor will communicate with you to assess your transportation plan to your accommodation. If you are flying to a nearby city or destination, discuss with your Mentor appropriate transportation to the host city and to your accommodation. Your Mentor has knowledge about your host city and institution and can assist you, but you are responsible for arranging your own transportation from the airport.
  

• Provide materials and information orienting you to your host institution and host city

• Provide a campus tour: Your professor will let you know where and when to meet on the first day, and your Mentor can help direct you there.

• Support your arrival by assisting you with opening a Canadian bank account

• Organize fun social events: These events are a great way of experiencing the culture of your institution, host city, and Canada! The availability of the social events will depend on intern's arrival dates.
  

• Check in with you throughout the internship. Check-ins with your mentor are opportunities to reflect on the skills that you are gaining and your goals during this internship

• Act as your main contact in Canada: In case of emergencies your mentor can contact the Globalink Team. Your Mentor will also be available to answer any questions you may have and help support you with any issues that need to be dealt with. If you require emergency assistance in Canada, call 9-1-1.

Your Mentor’s contact information will be uploaded to the 2024 Intern Logistics Platform in mid-April and Mitacs will notify you by email when this is available. Your Mentor will receive your contact information, so they may reach out to you before you contact them. Your first communication with your Mentor over email is an opportunity to exchange contact information, provide details of your flight, and learn about each other and your host city and institution.

Emergency Contact Information

In order for us to assist you, it is critical that you provide Mitacs with your emergency contact information. Please update your emergency contact details (a family member or friend in your home country) on the Intern Logistics Platform.

Your Mentor is your emergency contact in Canada — keep their phone number with you at all times.

Get To know Canada And Your Host Institution

We encourage you to research and learn about your host city ahead of time, including the local transportation system. Think of questions surrounding your city or geographical area and reach out to a Globalink Ambassador. Our ambassadors would be happy to share their experience with you. Find the international student website for your host institution — these websites often include handbooks and guides for students visiting Canada. Discover your host city and other Canadian cities too!

Arriving in Canada

Receiving Funds From Mitacs

We recommend that, when you arrive, you have access to some Canadian currency. We do not recommend keeping large sums of money in your accommodations or on your person.

Your Award Letter on the 2024 Intern Logistics Platform details the funding you will receive. Mitacs only provides funds during your internship. We do not issue funds prior to your arrival in Canada, and we do not arrange housing or flights. Please note, your allocated funds will be disbursed in three instalments. We recommend researching and setting up a monthly budget, so you don’t run out of funds.

To receive your Mitacs funds, you must open a bank account upon arrival in Canada. Your Mentor will help you find a branch near you and if needed, help you arrange your bank appointment . However, it is your responsibility to ensure you open a Canadian bank account. This will be fundamental to receiving funds from Mitacs.

More information on how to open a bank account can be found on the 2024 GRI Intern Information Website. You must provide the account information and a copy of a direct deposit form with your banking details to Mitacs in the 2024 Intern Logistics Platform “Banking” section.

You will receive an email detailing when you should receive funds, based on your official internship start date you provided in March and not based on your arrival date in Canada. Please note that it can take up to 2-3 weeks for funds to be deposited into your account. When arriving in Canada, you should have access to enough money to last until you receive your first Mitacs funds.

Mitacs cannot provide funds earlier than the dates communicated to you; please be aware of any initial costs/deposits you will be required to pay before receiving your funds from Mitacs.

If you have to shorten your internship to 10 weeks, please note that Mitacs will not be funding the 2 remaining weeks the 12 weeks internship period.

University administrative fee

Tax number

After arriving in Canada, please apply for and do your best to provide a Canadian personal taxation number (ITN, TTN, or SIN) to Mitacs before you leave. This should be inputted and saved in the 2024 Intern Logistics Platform’s “Taxation” section. See the 2024 GRI Intern Information Website for more information on taxation numbers.

Medical insurance

Mitacs will purchase emergency medical insurance for two days before your internship start date and two days after your internship end date. Be aware of when your Mitacs-provided insurance begins and ends — you are responsible for purchasing insurance for yourself for any additional time in Canada. You may wish to purchase travel or cancellation insurance for your trip; this is different from medical insurance.

Please review the Mitacs Health Insurance Policy on the 2024 GRI Intern Information Website. The Globalink team will purchase medical insurance for you on your behalf. This is mandatory for all interns and will cover emergency medical needs during your time in Canada. It does not include travel insurance, which you can obtain separately.

Details of this insurance will be provided in April.

If your host institution has a mandatory health insurance plan, please “opt-out” using your Mitacs-provided health insurance. If your “opt-out” request is rejected, please notify Mitacs by email.

Liability Insurance

Mitacs does not provide liability insurance coverage of any kind and shall not be responsible for any loss, liability, damages or injury that takes place during the course of the internship. Interns are advised to contact their host university and home university to understand the liability coverage options available to them during their internship. In the event that neither the host university nor the home university provides liability insurance coverage, the intern shall be responsible for purchasing their own liability insurance coverage for the duration of the internship.

Mitacs Training & Events

Throughout your internship, you will be invited to participate in online professional development courses and webinars offered by Mitacs. We strongly encourage you to attend as many of these events and courses as possible.

EDGE: events hub

The “My Courses” events hub will be your destination for viewing all the upcoming virtual programming available to you this summer. Commonly referred to as “EDGE”, this online portal will give you access to courses, workshops, events, and much more! Instructions on accessing EDGE, how to use EDGE, and how to register for upcoming events will be emailed to you before the start of your internship. Below, we have outlined some of the types of events you will have access to.

1.Mitacs-led events: Mitacs will be hosting our own array of virtual events specially tailored to the needs of GRI participants. All Mitacs-led events will be free for GRI participants, so register for as many of these as you like! You can view upcoming events and register when the EDGE events hub is launched..

2. Mitacs-curated events: Mitacs has been building a list of engaging, innovative, and fun virtual events for you to attend throughout the summer. These events will cover a breadth of topics, from business to engineering, or offer you the chance to interact with Canadian industry partners. These events will be promoted in EDGE, and registration instructions will be emailed to you prior to your internship. Please note: these events are not facilitated by Mitacs.

3) Professional development courses: You will also have access to a catalogue of online professional development courses and webinars offered by Mitacs. These courses are designed exclusively for Mitacs and are a valuable resource for improving on and developing new skills.

Note: Mitacs will register and pay for tickets on your behalf. You DO NOT need to purchase tickets yourself. Please allow up to 15 business days for processing. It is your responsibility to ensure you are registering for events with us before ticket purchase deadlines. More instructions will be sent to you before the start of your internship.

For more information visit the 2024 GRI Intern Information Website

Midterm Survey

You will receive a midterm survey during your internship. This is the first of two surveys. Completion of both surveys is a mandatory component of the program and is required for successful completion of your internship.

Leaving Canada

Airport Departure

Your Mentor will not travel with you to the airport for your departure. You can ask them for advice and tips on the best way to travel to the airport.

Exit Survey

Certificate Of Completion

Becoming An Ambassador

You too can become a Globalink Ambassador and guide future GRIs as they prepare for their internships! Indicate your interest when you complete your exit survey.

On behalf of the Globalink Research Internship team, we look forward to welcoming you to Canada this summer!