Status of Postdoctoral Trainees

Postdoctoral training gives individuals an opportunity to develop expertise in a specialized field of research or in a field that complements their training. Upon completion of their training and on the recommendation of their supervisor and their academic unit, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) awards them an official certificate.

Since 2010, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has considered postdoctoral trainees to be employees receiving employment income. Please refer to section 2, Status of Postdoctoral Trainees, in UdeM’s Policy on the Status of Postdoctoral Trainees for details.

Roles and Procedures of Academic Units

Steps to be completed by unit:

1. Determine the status of the invited postdoctoral trainee.
2. Ensure that the applicant meets the eligibility criteria for the postdoctoral training program. You will find the admission requirements on our website or in the Policy on the Status of Postdoctoral Trainees.
3. Guide both the training supervisor and the trainee. The supervisor must provide the future postdoctoral trainee with a letter of invitation specifying their name, the training location, and the duration of their stay at UdeM (exact dates). See sample letters of invitation in FRENCH and ENGLISH on our website.

Steps to be completed by unit for postdoctoral trainees from another country:

Individuals must have valid legal status to undertake postdoctoral training. For more information, please refer postdoctoral training applicants to section 6 of the Policy on the Status of Postdoctoral Trainees.

In the case of applicants from other countries, it is up to the academic unit to validate all immigration status requirements with UdeM international.

If you are the resource person in your unit responsible for international student intake, we invite you to get in touch with the team of advisors at UdeM international, who can guide you through all the administrative procedures and formalities for immigration and entry to Canada. Their email address is immigration@umontreal.ca.

The UdeM international immigration team has developed a detailed guide to help you navigate the various steps in the intake process.

Roles and Procedures of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

GPS is responsible for managing academic files, i.e., analyzing and reviewing the documents required for postdoctoral training admission and registration.

Specifically, GPS is responsible for the following tasks:

1. Communicating instructions on admission and registration procedures for postdoctoral training programs.
2. Contacting applicants to ensure that their applications and submitted documents are in order.
3. Evaluating and reviewing applications once they are complete and compliant.
4. Admitting successful applicants.
5. Registering successful applicants.

With the assistance of faculties and departments, GPS is responsible for applying the Policy on the Status of Postdoctoral Trainees.

Deadline for Submitting an Application for Admission*

• Fall session (September 1 to December 31): November 15
• Winter session (January 1 to April 30): March 15
• Summer session (May 1 to August 31): July 15

*Note: Applications for admission must be submitted and completed before the start of postdoctoral training.

Choosing a Program

When applying for admission, applicants must choose one of the program numbers from the list available here.

Application processing deadline

Admission: Applications must be completed no later than 30 business days before the start of training. Applicants must upload all documents to their file so that we can review them.

Extension: Individuals wishing to extend their training period must submit their request no later than 30 business days before the end of the registration period concerned by completing the CHE_Prolongation_Stage (CHE_Extension_Training) form available in the Synchro académique form section of their Centre étudiant (Student Centre).

Steps to be Completed by Applicant

1) Before applying

As part of the admission and registration process, individuals interested in pursuing postdoctoral training at Université de Montréal must identify a faculty member who shares their research interests and can supervise them.

2) Completing online admission application form

Once they have identified a professor and obtained the approval of the head of the unit where the training will take place, interested individuals must apply for admission to GPS using the online application form.

3) Uploading required documents

All documents must be official.

The admission application file for postdoctoral trainees must include the documents required based on their nationality, as described in the Prepare the Required Documents section of the GPS website.

Applicants do not have to upload their work permit at the admission stage. However, we will wait for this document to be uploaded before finalizing their registration.

4) Reviewing application

The file is reviewed by the GPS international team and the Director and Associate Vice-Rector for Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies or the designated staff member at GPS.

Note: Only complete application files will be processed. If any documents required for review have not been received, the application will be put on hold.

Applications must be completed and submitted no later than 30 business days before the start of postdoctoral training. Applicants must upload all documents to their file so that we can review them.

5) Confirming admission

After receiving the uploaded documents, GPS will evaluate the application and issue a decision notice via Synchro académique (Student Centre).

Once applicants are admitted, GPS will register them for their training.

Note: International postdoctoral trainees who receive an offer of admission must upload their work permit to Synchro académique (Student Centre) upon arrival so that we can finalize their registration.

Contact Us

For any questions about postdoctoral training admission and registration, please send an email to postdoc@esp.umontreal.ca.