International Students: Understanding and Meeting Laurier's Vaccination Requirements

Nov. 17, 2021
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Wilfrid Laurier University will resume normal, in-person operations beginning in the winter 2022 term and all students must be fully vaccinated to take part in in-person courses and activities. This means you must provide Laurier with proof of your vaccination status by uploading documentation to the Vaccine Passport section of the SAFEHawk app. Web-based access is available if you don’t have a mobile phone or are unable to download the SAFEHawk app. 

Important Deadlines 

You must meet the following deadlines to comply with Laurier’s vaccination policy: 

  • Dec. 1: Upload proof of vaccination to the SAFEHawk app. Even if you are not yet fully vaccinated, you must provide documentation of your current vaccination status. 
  • Dec. 2: Students who did upload their current proof of vaccination by Dec. 1 will be deregistered from winter-term courses. 
  • Dec. 21: Deadline to receive your final vaccination and upload proof to the SAFEHawk app. This is two weeks before the first day of classes on Jan. 4. 
    • If you plan to be in person on Laurier’s campuses before Jan. 4, you will need to upload proof of full vaccination two weeks before you will be on campus.  
  • Dec. 22: Students who are partially vaccinated but did not upload proof of full vaccination by Dec. 21 will be deregistered from winter-term courses.
  • Dec. 23 – Jan. 2: Laurier will be closed for the holidays and staff will be unavailable to help you. 
  • Jan. 4: Winter term courses begin. 

We know it could be challenging for you to meet these deadlines and we want to help you. If you’re not able to meet these deadlines, but plan to meet the requirements for full vaccination when you arrive in Canada, please complete this form so we can help you individually: 

The information you provide in this form will be used to best support you with your situation. If you don’t complete the form, we won’t be able to help.  

Understanding Vaccination Requirements 

Vaccination requirements for international students are provided by both the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.  

The Government of Canada oversees travel and immigration rules for entering Canada, including vaccination requirements for international students coming to Canada. The Government of Canada considers you to be fully vaccinated if you have received: 

  • A full series of vaccines approved by Health Canada; 
  • One or two doses of a vaccine not approved by Health Canada, followed by one dose of an mRNA vaccine approved by Health Canada; or 
  • Three doses of a vaccine not approved by Health Canada. 

If you are not fully vaccinated based on the Government of Canada’s requirements, then you will have to quarantine for 14 days after entering Canada. As well, if your vaccination has not been approved by Health Canada, you may not be able to enter certain settings (such as restaurants, gyms, etc.) that are located outside of Laurier’s campuses. 

The Government of Ontario is the government for the province where Laurier is located. Laurier is following the same requirements as the Government of Ontario for being fully vaccinated. The Government of Ontario and Laurier accept vaccinations approved by Health Canada or the World Health Organization to meet the vaccination requirements. You can find the vaccinations you have received and what further steps are required to be fully vaccinated using the information in this chart: 

Contact Us 

We know this is a lot of information to understand and that it could be confusing, but we’re here to help. If you need help meeting the vaccination requirement deadlines, complete the accommodation form for international students. If you’re not sure of what to do next, contact us at staq@wlu.ca and we’ll help.