Incoming International Students

If you are an incoming or returning international student for the 2021 Winter Academic Semester, please visit our Current Students page for more information about BCA’s program delivery plan, contact information, and student support services.

New Student Orientation

Our International Student Office team is really looking forward to meeting you! Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, BCA will be hosting ongoing online sessions throughout the month of December and during the first two weeks of January.

Sign-up for the online ISO, since we can't all be together in-person. We can still come together virtually!

During ISO you will learn more about what life at the Bauder College (Atlanta) and in America is like, and find out about the great supports and assistance programs we offer! If you're concerned about starting your degree online or making friends, we have you covered.

For those of you who are able to come to campus, we may be able to hold a few small in-person sessions if we can do so and meet social distancing requirements.

Topics covered at the orientation include:

  • Immigration information
  • COVID-19 and border travel information
  • BCASU's health insurance
  • Transition to the American culture
  • Academic and social supports and information
  • Housing support and information
  • How to make friends
  • Fun social events, activities, and clubs
  • The bus system

... and much more!

We will be covering a lot but we'll make sure you leave orientation feeling fresh and prepared to tackle your BCA degree!

We can't wait to meet you this winter (in-person or online)!

Richelle, Nouhad, Freya, and the rest of the ISO team

We now have an online orientation module!

Topics include travel preparation, arriving in America, and arriving at BCA! Sign in with your BCA username and password.

Get your documents in order 

Due to COVID-19, there are various American travel restrictions in place that may impact your upcoming trip. Please visit the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship America (IRCC) website for updates.

All students travelling to America must have an approved 14 day quarantine plan. You must also download the ArriveCan app and submit the required information to the federal government. In addition to these federal requirements, all students must obtain special permission to enter PEI. 

Regarding the upcoming winter registrations of courses for international students

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship America (IRCC) provided updates on October 20, 2020.

To be able to enter America as a student, you must meet 2 requirements:

  1. You must have a valid study permit or a letter of introduction that shows you were approved for a study permit.
  2. You must be attending a designated learning institution (DLI) with a COVID-19 readiness plan approved by its province or territory.

Your travel to America will be considered essential (non-discretionary) if you have all of the required documents and your DLI is on the approved list.

We believe that it is in the students' best interest to have received permission to study in America, before taking online classes. But we understand that because of the logistical and operational challenges, many students may not be able to apply for student visas and that the visa application is taking an extraordinarily long time. So, BCA will not restrict admitted students from registering for winter courses before they get their student visas. However, students should be aware that the visa decisions are completely up to the visa officers, and BCA has no say in that process. In the case of students taking BCA courses online, but may not get a student visa and cannot come to America, they can transfer their credits to other institutions. The official documents n provide are the admissions documents.

Students who take BCA courses online, and do not subsequently get a student visa and cannot come to America, can transfer their credits to other institutions. Please be aware that the regular student refund policy will be in effect. Please visit the Tuition and Fees Refunds page of the BCA website for further details.

Welcome, incoming international students! We're looking forward to your arrival at BCA.

Welcome to BCA New Student Package
BCA International Student Guide

I have received a letter of acceptance from BCA. What should I do now?

We are excited to continue these discussions and look forward to having you join us at BCA. While we cannot provide immigration advice we can direct you to the proper IRCC websites to assist you with your study permit application.

Please visit our Immigration Information page for complete details.

Apply for on-campus housing

You need to apply for on-campus housing (residence) separately. We have some exciting residence options, but spaces are very limited, so apply early. If you apply after March 31, you may not get a space.

Visit the Residence website to complete a residence application. Wondering which residence to choose? Read more about your options.

We can meet you at the airport (temporarily suspended due to COVID-19)

We usually can arrange for student volunteers to greet you at the airport. Our airport greeter service has some restrictions (for example, we cannot meet people after 12:30 am, and require sufficient time to arrange for a greeter to pick you up). However, due to safety reasons, this service is temporarily suspended for the winter 2021 semester.

Once you arrive at Atlanta airport, you can take a local taxi to your residence. The local taxi line is located on the left side of the airport's main entrance. There will be taxies waiting when flights come in no matter what time you arrive, and you can also call ahead (before boarding the flight to Atlanta) to arrange a taxi to pick you up.

Here are some local taxi numbers:

  • City Taxi: 902-892-6567
  • Co-op Taxi: 902-628-8200
  • Grabba Cab: 902-892-6000
  • PEI Online Taxi: 902-370-2258
  • Yellow Cab: 902-566-6666

Important note: You must travel directly from the airport to your new residence. Do not make any stops.

While you wait:

International Students

Relevant Links