Primary health care services often include prevention and treatment of common diseases and injuries; basic emergency services; referrals to and coordination with other levels of care, such as hospital and specialized care, etc. You are recommended to only go to the Emergency Unit at a hospital if you require immediate, urgent medical attention and your family doctor or walk-in medical clinic doctors are not available.

As an international student, it's mandatory that you apply and pay for Health Insurance. To know more information about Healthcare in Canada, visit Health Canada.

Secondary health care services include specialized care at a hospital, at a long-term care facility or in the community. You will need a family doctor's referral to see a specialist at any hospital or medical facility. It may take a little longer to see a specialist. For more information, visit Health Canada.

You will receive a welcome email from GuardMe during the last week of your first month of classes (September, January or May, depending on your intake).

This email will be sent to your Mohawk College email account and will include instructions on how to log in to your GuardMe portal.

• Visit the GuardMe portal.
• Log in with your Mohawk email (first and last name).
• Complete the two-factor verification (a code will be sent to your Mohawk email).
• Download your Healthcare Access Card.

Please read the Health Insurance Benefit Summary and Emergency Medical Expenses Claim Form carefully before seeing a doctor or filing a claim. Your Health Insurance Policy information can also be viewed online at guard.me/mohawk in the following ten languages: English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Chinese Traditional, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Arabic.

Guard.me Contact Information

Toll Free Telephone (North America): 1-877-USE THIS or 1-877-873-8447
Telephone: 905-731-8140Fax: 905-731-6676
Website: guard.me/mohawk

Mailing Address:
GuardME™
300 John Street, Suite 610,
Thornhill, Ontario
Canada L3T 5W4

In addition to GuardMe, all full-time international students have access to the extended health and dental coverage through the Mohawk Students' Association (MSA).

This coverage includes:

• Dental care
• Vision care
• Prescription Drugs
• Other extended health services

For details, visit the MSA Health & Dental page or go to the MSA offices at our main campuses.

• Fennell Campus, Room G109
• Stoney Creek, Room A125
• IAHS-McMaster, Room 112

If students want to add a spouse or dependent(s), students may opt in their family during the Change of Coverage period in their first academic semester of the policy. To find more information on this, visit Couple & Family Enrolments.

Your Social Insurance Number (SIN) is a unique 9-digit number issued by Service Canada. It identifies you for income tax purposes under section 237 of the Income Tax Act and is also used for certain federal programs.

Your SIN is confidential, but you must provide it to anyone who prepares your information slips (such as a T3, T4, or T5 slip), including your employer, trustee, bank, or investment company. You must also give it to the Canada Revenue Agency when requesting personal tax information.

For more information or to apply for a SIN, visit Social Insurance Number (Service Canada).

Apply early for the SIN when you begin a job. It can take up to 5 - 6 weeks to issue a SIN, and until you have this number, an employer cannot pay you.

If you earn income in Canada—including jobs, scholarships, or bursaries—you must report it on your tax return. Your college will provide a T4A slip to help you file.

Students from China may benefit from the Canada–China tax treaty, which can allow certain income deductions when filing.

Tax returns are due by April 30. For help, speak with your school’s international office or contact Canada Revenue Agency.

If you plan to work in Canada after graduation, it's essential to follow legal requirements. Working without authorization can lead to serious consequences, including being asked to leave the country. Through the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program offered by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, eligible international students can work for up to three years (or the length of their program, whichever is shorter) without needing a job offer or a role related to their field of study.

To apply, students must pay both the standard work permit fee and the Open Work Permit Holder fee, and submit their application within 90 days of graduating.

To learn more visit our Services and Resources page.

Co-op programs in Canada let you study and gain paid work experience at the same time. If your program includes a co-op or internship, you'll take prep classes before your first work term to build job-ready skills.

Co-op placements usually last 4 months and can be combined (up to 12 months total). These are paid roles that help you gain experience and support your living costs. Many international students also use this experience to improve job opportunities after graduation, including applying for post-graduation work options.

If you're in a co-op program, you must apply for a co-op work permit. Your school will provide a support letter for your application—request it early and apply as soon as possible, since you can't apply to jobs without the permit.

Quick tips:

• Apply for your co-op work permit early
• Keep copies of important documents
• Apply online for faster processing

Full-time international students are permitted to work on-campus if their valid study permit lists a condition that says they're allowed to work on-campus and have a social insurance number. Please visit the following links to access employment opportunities on-campus:

• Campus Student Employment Program (CSEP)
• Mohawk Student Association
• Learning Support Centre

For updated information, please visit Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.

If you qualify, your study permit will allow you to work up to 24 hours per week:

• during regular academic sessions and
• full-time during scheduled breaks, such as the winter and summer holidays or spring break.

To qualify, you must:

• have a valid study permit
• be a full-time student
• be enrolled at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) at the post-secondary level
• be studying in an academic, vocational or professional training program that leads to a degree, diploma or certificate that is at least six months in duration.

You will need a Social Insurance Number. It is your responsibility to look for work. Even if you work off campus, your studies must be the main reason you are in Canada.

More information can be found by visiting the IRCC website. If you have any questions please come to The International Office, call 905-575-1212 or international.services [at] mohawkcollege.ca (email us).