Resumption of international travel for Western students effective February 28, 2022.
Update: Travel Advisory Lifting February 28 - Resumption of international travel for Western students
Earlier this week, the Government of Canada announced that it will lift its global travel advisory as of February 28. Given this change, and in alignment with our Safety Abroad Policy, Western will resume international university-sanctioned student travel effective February 28, 2022.
After this date, students will no longer be required to complete the Special Authorization to Travel request to proceed with their international experience, except in cases where the travel destination is under an official level 3 or 4 advisory issued by Global Affairs Canada.
This is good news for students with research or conference travel planned this spring, and for our faculty-led and summer international programs.
However, international travel continues to be subject to significant disruptions, including enhanced screening and border measures. It is critical that students follow the steps to travel closely, including completing pre-departure modules, reviewing health and travel insurance coverage, and entering their travel information in Western’s travel registry. Now more than ever, we would appreciate your support in ensuring students are aware of and follow procedures to help mitigate their risk.
Our team is reaching out to our partner universities to make them aware of this update, and we will work closely with them to restore international learning opportunities previously affected by the travel advisory.
Our website will be updated to reflect this change as of February 28. Students should be directed to the Safety Abroad website or to travelregistry@uwo.ca for resources and information on safe travel or any questions about the resumption of university-sanctioned international experiences.
Scholarships & Funding
In anticipation of university-sanctioned travel resuming, we are working with the Office of the Registrar to resume the adjudication of Global Opportunities Awards and International Learning Awards applications. For those who have already submitted an application (for December or Spring deadlines), their applications will be reviewed in queue. No additional actions are required.
For students still interested in applying for these awards, the spring application deadline has been extended to March 7, 2022. Successful applicants will be notified by their Western email address by early to mid April.
Students who have already begun an international learning experience under the Special Authorization to Travel (SAT) process are not eligible for funding, as outlined in the SAT form.
Schulich medicine and dental students who have further questions should contact our office at internationalization@schulich.uwo.ca
