Postdoctoral Research Trainee Registration

Current postdoctoral researchers should contact their McGill supervisor or Graduate Program Coordinator as the first step to address all concerns. Please reference this list to find out whom to contact in your department.

International applicants should consult the section International Postdocs for more information on obtaining a work permit.

Application Procedure

You must submit the Postdoctoral and Graduate Research Trainee Research form in our Postdoctoral application portal and upload the required supporting documents. Before you access the online form, make sure you have the following documents available:

1. Letter of invitation - A copy of the Department/Academic Unit letter of offer/invitation. This is the initial letter received from the department or presented to the Canadian Embassy in support of your application for a work permit, and indicates the department you will be registered in, the name of your supervisor and your departmental contact.

• Applicants who fall into Category 3 must include a Letter of Permission signed by a competent authority at their home institution (such as the Registrar, Department Chair, Dean or equivalent), along with their letter of offer/invitation. This letter must confirm that you are registered in a program at the home institution in question, state the purpose of the period of research at McGill, and indicate that you are permitted to pursue your research at McGill. It must also specify a clear Start and End date for the period you are permitted to be at McGill.

2. Letter of Agreement - A copy of the Letter of Agreement for Postdoctoral Education (LofA), signed by all parties (postdoc, supervisor, chair/unit head)

3. Proof of legal status in Canada - ONE of the following:

• Copy of your valid Work Permit for international postdocs (must indicate McGill University as employer*) OR
• Copy of your Canadian Birth Certificate OR
• Copy of your Canadian Citizenship Card/Certificate (both sides) OR
• Copy of your Permanent Resident Card (both sides) OR valid Permanent Resident Document (IMM 1000 or 5292)

*post graduate and open spousal work permits are acceptable for postdoctoral registration at McGill University.

4. Proof of doctorate or medical degree - ONE of the following:

• A copy of your final transcript (must indicate date Ph.D. degree was granted) –you will be required to submit an official copy once we confirm your eligibility OR
• A certified/notarized copy of your Ph.D./Medical Specialist Diploma/Certificate OR
• In cases where final transcript/diploma is yet not available
  • an Attestation de Réussite au Diplôme, (graduates from universities in France) is acceptable. The date when the attestation was issued will mark the start date of the eligibility period.
  • a copy of an official letter issued by the Office of Graduate Studies indicating successful completion of all requirements for the PhD/Doctorate degree is acceptable for post-doctoral trainee status (Category 1).

For Medical Specialists the registration submission must also contain the following:

• Proof of successful completion of Medical Specialty Residency training consisting of Medical Specialist Diploma/Certificate/Attestation OR Proof of Residency training (Diploma/Certificate/Attestation)
• The Letter of offer/invitation and Letter of Agreement must specify that "The postdoctoral appointment will not involve any clinical service to hospital or medical patients or any form of medical practice in any setting"

Note: Any of the above documents must be accompanied by an authentic certified/notarized translation into English or French, where applicable.

Note 2: The postdoctoral eligibility period starts as of the date when the Ph.D. degree is granted.