In the first months in Canada, an international student may need to renew a study permit, find a place to live and get through a first winter far from family. The universities that support students best have a named person or service for each of those moments, and clear hours for reaching them.
No official ranking measures support services, so the fairest way to compare schools is service by service. The six universities below were compared on what their own pages showed in September 2026.
Which Canadian universities give international students the most support?
1. University of Guelph
The University of Guelph starts helping before a student leaves home. Its pre-arrival advisors guide new students through the study permit , the letter from the province, health insurance, housing and course sign-up. They run drop-in hours by Zoom on Tuesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to noon Eastern time.
Undergraduates from abroad who start in fall 2027 can count on a room in university housing for as long as their degree lasts.
START International is a free orientation, and residence students who sign up can move in early at no extra cost. Later on, International Student Advisors meet students one on one about their permits, and also when they feel homesick, lonely or anxious. GuardMe offers free, private counselling by chat, phone or video.
2. University of British Columbia
Every immigration advisor at the University of British Columbia has a licence. The advisors help with visas, study and work permits, work rules, health insurance and the move to a new country. Students can see one on weekdays, in Room 1200 of the UBC Life Building or by Zoom, after joining a virtual line. Hours are shorter on Wednesdays, and there is an online form for questions.
To keep students from missing an expiry date, UBC has a private reminder system. Students enter the dates on their documents and get a notice when it is time to renew. Health cover needs planning too. New students in British Columbia must wait before they can join the provincial health plan, and UBC’s iMED insurance covers them until then. Students also have a health and dental plan through their student societies.
3. University of Waterloo
At the University of Waterloo, students can get immigration advice from licensed consultants at no cost. These private meetings cover the letter from the province, permit applications, a Social Insurance Number and time away from school. The Get Waterloo Ready guide walks students through what to do before they arrive, and an international student guide explains medical cover.
Waterloo also helps students with language and friendship. Its International Peer Community connects new students with others, and English Conversation Circles give them a relaxed place to practise speaking. Bridge to Academic Success in English offers more structured help with the language. The International Student Bridging Program gives students a place to stay between the end of exams and the start of the next term, and a program called Winterloo runs in December.
4. University of Toronto
The University of Toronto has no airport pickup service, but it does welcome new students inside the airport. In 2026, staff ran welcome booths in the arrival halls of Toronto Pearson Terminals 1 and 3, from Aug. 24 to Sept. 6, between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. The arrival page also explains how to get a health insurance card and add family members to it.
Graduate students get extra care. Grad Step Up is a longer orientation for new international graduate students. Over the summer, student ambassadors mentor new students online, so they can ask questions before they arrive. Toronto’s immigration advisors help students apply for and keep their status in Canada. Their page says they cannot advise on permanent residence, so students who hope to stay in Canada for good will need to find that advice somewhere else.
5. University of Alberta
The University of Alberta has more than 7,200 international students from 148 countries. Its staff include licensed immigration specialists whose work goes well beyond the study permit. They help with study and work permits, ways to stay in Canada for good and bringing family here, and they also run webinars. New students can follow a checklist, take an online orientation and attend one in person.
Students landing at Edmonton International Airport between Aug. 1 and Sept. 30, 2026, could get a one-time $25 taxi voucher. Cab fares in the city are expected to cost $50 to $85, and the voucher does not work for Uber or Lyft. A welcome booth was also open in the airport from Aug. 17 to 31, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and a ride on the Route 747 bus costs $6.
6. McGill University
McGill University pays close attention to life after the degree. Its iSTEP toolkit helps international students get ready for work from first year, through internships and a final-year checklist, to the months after they graduate.
For everyday life, the New Student Buddy Program and First Friends pair new students with people who already know the campus. The International Student Services office is open on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in person and online, and runs webinars before arrival. Its immigration advisors offer virtual drop-in hours on Thursday mornings and take appointments. They help with the Quebec Acceptance Certificate, which students in Quebec need as well as a study permit. Most international students are in a required health plan through Medavie Blue Cross, which includes virtual care and dental. Students who want to learn French can join the Summer French Immersion Program.
Who is licensed to give immigration advice
Canada’s immigration department says anyone paid to give immigration advice must have a licence. At a school, that person is often a Regulated International Student Immigration Advisor. They get their licence from the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, and it lets them advise students on study permits, visas and related matters.
Schools talk about their advisors in different ways. UBC and Waterloo name the licence on their pages, and Alberta says it has licensed immigration specialists. Toronto and U of G do not use the title on their advising pages, and the regulator’s list from April 2022 included both advisors U of G names today. When a question is hard, such as a transfer, a change of program or a spouse’s permit, ask the office if the person helping you has a licence.
Do Canadian universities offer airport pickup?
Many do not. The University of Toronto and U of G both say they do not provide airport pickups. Toronto sets up welcome booths, and Alberta gives a taxi voucher. U of G lists ways to travel from Toronto Pearson or Hamilton airport, which are both about an hour from campus. A shared shuttle starts at $105 plus tax, with $15 off for students. A GO Bus costs about $17 and takes about two and a half hours, and a GO Train costs about $32.
What to ask an international office before you accept an offer
An offer letter says little about the help that comes after it, so write to each international office before you decide. Ask whether the advisors have a licence today, and whether they can talk with you about staying in Canada once you finish.
Health cover is the next thing to check. At the University of Guelph, the University Health Insurance Plan is automatic for international students. It starts on the day you arrive in Canada or on the 10th of the month before your studies begin, whichever is later, so students who arrive earlier need private insurance for the extra days.
For housing, ask how many years a room is promised and when the deposit is due. Then ask who can help you by Zoom or email before you fly, and what to do at the airport if no one meets you. How clearly and quickly each office answers gives you an early look at the help you would get as a student there.
