Registration

Registration as a postdoc is limited to those:

Prior to registering ensure that you are aware of the responsibilities of postdoc, supervisors and departments or academic units as outlined in the terms and conditions in your letter of agreement. These terms include policy on leaves of absence, appointment period and compensation.



New postdocs | Required materials for initial postdoctoral registration
Returning postdoctoral fellows | Deadlines/processing

New postdocs

Prospective international postdocs should make sure to read the section on International postdocs before beginning the registration process. Individuals who do not meet the requirements for postdoctoral status may be eligible to attend McGill as a postdoctoral research trainee or category of Academic Personnel.

As a new postdoc, you are required to submit a complete registration package via the Postdoctoral application portal before you start your research. All postdocs training at McGill University must be appointed by their department and registered with Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (through the Management of Academic Records, Enrolment Services) in order to have access to McGill services and resources for postdocs.

Required materials for initial postdoctoral registration

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.

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 5-year postdoctoral eligibility period starts as of the date when the Ph.D. degree is granted.

Note 3: In Quebec, “Postdoctoral” is a full-time student status and trainee category, and the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur (MES) stipulates that all Postdocs must be registered on a university student registration system.


Once your required documents are ready, access the Postdoctoral Application Portal and follow these steps to start the process:

1. Create an account in the application portal using your name, email, and birthdate.

  • A temporary PIN will be sent to your email account: retrieve the PIN, enter it in the portal and set a new password.

NOTE: Previous McGill students also need to create an account

2. Start a Postdoctoral application by clicking on Start new application. Next from the application type picklist select Postdoctoral and Graduate Research Trainee Research and click on create new application.

3. Complete all the corresponding forms, which include: language of choice, personal and biographical information, Legal status in Canada (requires uploading proof), Postdoc registration (requires uploading documents mentioned above), permission to disclose, applicant census (optional) and agreement, and submit your application.

Your file and supporting documents will be reviewed by your department/unit and the Management of Academic Records in Enrolment Services. Once the review and processing is completed, you will receive an email confirmation and be issued a registration confirmation letter in the Postdoctoral application portal. Review this letter to note your McGill ID and other pertinent details.

McGill ID Card

One you have confirmation of registration and know your McGill ID, you will be able to request an ID card. An ID card is required to access many of the benefits, services and resources available to postdocs at McGill.

CHANGE TO RESEARCH DATES OR CANCELLATIONS: If the period of your research, as indicated on your letter of agreement, changes or ends prior to the end date indicated on the version submitted in the Postdoctoral application portal, you MUST notify thepostdocrecords [at] mcgill.ca ( Management of Academic Records, Enrolment Services )via email and specify the changes.


Returning postdoctoral fellows

After initial registration, all returning postdoctoral candidates are required to renew their registration annually, through the Management of Academic Records, Enrolment Services, for the duration of their stay at McGill.

Materials for returning postdoctoral registration

Postdoctoral candidates must renew their registration before August 1st for the upcoming academic year (September 1 - August 31) and must have the following:

In view of recent changes to the postdoctoral status at McGill University, it is mandatory to use the new version of the Letter of Agreement.

  • For international postdoctoral candidates: a valid Work Permit*

Should either of the above documents expire during the academic year, you will only be registered until that expiry date until a new document is provided. The new documents should be emailed to postdocrecords [at] mcgill.ca.

To renew registration:

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


Deadlines/processing

Postdoctoral fellows/scholars/researchers are registered on a rolling basis throughout the academic year depending on their start date, however, please note that you must submit all the appropriate documentation a minimum of 3 weeks prior to the start of your fellowship in order to ensure your registration is handled in a timely manner.

Upon receipt of a complete submission, the Management of Academic Records Office, Enrolment Services, will process your postdoctoral registration on the McGill Student Information System (Minerva). Reasonable turnaround time will be from 5 to 7 working days provided that the postdoctoral registration submission is, in all respects, complete.

Once your status is updated/your registration is processed, you will receive email notification from Management of Academic Records, Enrolment Services, and you can view your registration (letter of agreement) and eligibility dates on your unofficial transcript in Minerva by accessing Student Menu → Student Records Menu → View Your Unofficial Transcript.

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Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, McGill University.

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