Visiting Professor Appointments

A visiting professor appointment shall be granted only to a faculty member or professional researcher who has a full-time position with another employer to which they can return. Visiting professors may also include those who are on sabbatical doing collaborative research at the university.

To initiate the process, a faculty member in the academic unit submits a formal request package electronically, through the department head and the dean to the office of the VP, Faculty Relations. The formal request package should be one combined pdf, and be organized in the order of numbered requirements below. This should be sent via email to vpfaculty.relations@usask.ca.

• Process for Visiting Professor from outside of Canada (see below)
• Process for Visiting Professor within Canada (see below)

Please note that IRCC does not accept work permit applications for foreign nationals prior to 6 months before the appointment start date. Therefore we ask that you do not submit a Visiting Professor application for anyone visiting from outside of Canada any earlier then 6 months from their initial start date. For example, if the Visiting Professor's start date is July 1, 2021, the earliest you may submit documentation to our office is January 1, 2021.

The formal request package includes the following information:

1. Visiting Professor Formal Request Form (Word | PDF). This must be filled out completely.
2. The visiting professor’s full C.V.
3. A letter of invitation from the supervising professor to the visiting professor (must include summary of work in which the visitor is expected to participate or reason for coming, and remuneration details).

Once this formal request package has been received and approved by the office of the VP, Faculty Relations, it will be sent to the department/college. There is no work permit required for visiting professors who are from Canada, meaning that once the department/college has received an approval letter from the VP, Faculty Relations office, the process is complete.

The formal request package includes the following information:

1. Visiting Professor Formal Request Form (Word | PDF). 

Note. The form must be filled out completely with one exception: only complete the section for the 120 day exemption if the appointment is for less than 120 days total and the applicant has not used this exemption in the last 365 days. 

2. The visiting professor’s full C.V.

3. A letter of invitation from the supervising professor to the visiting professor (must include summary of work in which the visitor is expected to participate or reason for coming, and remuneration details).

Note. Immigration processing times can vary widely based on country of origin and volume of applications; we highly recommend the letter of invitation from the academic unit state the length of the appointment (ie. one year or 6 months) and indicate the expected start date, or date of immigration to accommodate this variable.

4. A scanned colour copy of the applicant’s passport photo page.

5. Verification of funds: either a letter from a foreign source with details of funding, or if self-funded, a letter from their bank verifying their financial status.

6. Letter of support from home institution verifying that they will be on approved leave and will be returning after their appointment as a visiting professor has ended (this is a necessary document to complete their work permit). If the applicant will also continue to receive their salary from their academic home during their stay in Saskatoon; the letter should also include a statement to this effect and detail the monthly salary.

Once this formal request package has been received and approved by the office of the vice provost, faculty relations, the following process is followed:

1. VP Faculty Relations creates an approval letter, and sends this letter and the entire formal request package to the department or college. 
   
   
2. The Director of Academic Recruitment and Immigration determines the appropriate immigration processing stream and completes the necessary immigration paper work for the visiting professor including payment of the compliance fee (currently $230) centrally. Note: this will take 7- 10 business days after the application has been approved by the VP Faculty Relations for the formal immigration paperwork to be completed.
   
   
3. Legal counsel will forward the receipt to the candidate along with the Offer of Employment (OoE number) and legal advice regarding how to complete their application.
   
   The Vice-Provost Faculty Relations Office will then forward a copy of the Appointment Letter to the applicant to be uploaded as the “Employment Contract” with their application; the supervisor will be cc’d on this email. Once the supervisor receives this email they will know the applicant has been sent all information required to complete their application.
   
   The visiting professor uses this documentation and information to secure a work permit.
   
   Visiting professor’s should not arrange any flight plans until all immigration documentation has been approved.
   
   
4. Upon applicant's arrival at USask, the supervisor must confirm with the visiting professor that they have scanned and emailed a copy of their work permit to Office of the Vice-Provost Faculty Relations.