Before and after you go
Before you leave
Review and complete the Work Abroad Readiness Checklist
The Work Abroad Readiness Checklist will help you ensure that you are prepared to explore working abroad during a co-op work term.
Take the pre-departure course
All students going on an international work term must take an online (CourseSpaces) pre-departure course called Take Flight With Co-op – Preparing for Your Work Term Abroad. The course content includes managing risks, the logistics of going abroad and using your Cultural Intelligence (CQ) competencies to plan for a successful international experience.
To register in the pre-departure course, please contact your co-op coordinator.
Follow these Travel Safety for Students steps
UVic's International office has put together a list of steps to take when preparing to work abroad.
Make sure you have workplace insurance
If you are completing a work term outside of Canada (including working remotely for an employer outside of Canada), ask your co-op employer about what workplace insurance coverage is included as part of your employment. If your employer does not provide coverage, then you may need to secure other insurance.
Students may have medical coverage through their student societies’ insurance plans (which is separate from workplace coverage). Note: it is a requirement that those on international co-op opportunities maintain emergency travel medical insurance for the duration of their work.
It is your responsibility, as the student, to ensure that you have obtained adequate workplace and health care insurance for the duration of your work term(s).
To prepare for your international co-op, please review these resources
Resources for living abroad
Please review this Government of Canada 'Living Abroad' publication for important info about preparing to live abroad.
Within this publication, we strongly recommend the following topics:
We also encourage you to check out these helpful topics if they are applicable to you:
- Taxation for Canadians travelling
- Travel Vaccinations
- Travelling with Medication
- Cellphones and Computers Abroad
- Her Way: A Woman’s Safe Guide to Travel
- LGBTQ2 travel support
UVic health resources
UVic is here for you. You can access ongoing support from:
- UVic Mental Health
- UVSS and GSS Health Coverage
Financial resources for your co-op abroad
Other useful resources
Secure a work permit
Consider a few questions
As you prepare to go abroad, it's helpful to ask yourself some reflective questions:
- Why am I choosing to go abroad?
- What do I hope to gain from this experience? What specific skills do I want to develop?
- How do I ensure that I'm successful on this work term? How can I prepare?
After you return
Once you've returned to UVic after your work term, you'll need to:
- Submit your work term report or alternate submission to your co-op office (learn more about work term requirements)
- Attend a mandatory debriefing session with the international co-op coordinator within a month of your return (contact intlcoopcoord@uvic.ca to schedule)
For tax information, please visit the CRA website.