Postdoctoral fellows at Simon Fraser University (SFU) will be able to broaden their research expertise, build associations with established researchers and strengthen their publication record, thereby enhancing their future employment opportunities. Postdoctoral fellows will have the opportunity to make significant contributions to their chosen field, the University, faculty researchers and graduate students. 

Eligibility Requirements
Postdoctoral Fellows at Simon Fraser University must meet the following criteria.

• Completed a doctoral degree (normally within the previous five years)
  
• Planning to undertake additional advanced research at SFU for 1-3 years

There are two categories of SFU PDFs: External PDF and Internal PDFs (see the Definitions section for more details).

External Postdoctoral Fellows have secured funding from an external funding organization or a fellowship program which is external to the University and whose salary is paid wholly from such funding will be appointed as an External PDF. External PDFs do not have an employment relationship with SFU. They work independently under the mentorship of a supervising faculty member at SFU.  

Internal Postdoctoral Fellows salary is paid in whole or in part either from funds held by a University faculty member or from the University’s financial resources or a combination of the two will be appointed as an Internal PDF. An Internal PDF is an employee of the University. 

* PDFs are eligible for a work permit exempt from the requirement for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

Step 1

Postdoctoral Fellow:

• Check faculties/departments of interest to see if there are any postdoctoral fellow’s positions currently available at SFU. 
• Visit the list of local and external Postdoctoral Fellow Funding opportunities.
• Apply for an SFU postdoctoral appointment.

Step 2

Department:

• Complete the PDF Appointment Form. 
• Send a scanned copy of the postdoctoral fellow's passport along with the other required documents to Research Personnel Team (postdoc@sfu.ca). 

Immigration Consultant:

• Pay the Employer Compliance Fee ($230) online and submit the Offer of Employment form to Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Step 3

Research Personnel Team:

• Forward the Offer of Appointment/Inviattion Letter to the postdoctoral fellow.

Immigration Consultant:

• Forward the Employment Number and LMIA exempt code to the postdoctoral fellow which is required for the work permit application.
  

• Apply for a work permit. The following document and information will be required for the application:

1. Offer of appointment/Invitation letter
2. Offer of employment  number 
3. LMIA exemption code 

Please follow the work permit guide below for more details. 

Step 4

Postdoctoral Fellow:

• Apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) required for employment in Canada. SIN can be obtained from a local Service Canada office with a proof of ID and valid work permit. Download instructions (pdf).
• Ensure you have adequate medical insurance for the duration of your stay. The type of medical insurance required will depend on the length of your visit.
• In order to have pay processed for your appointment, you will need to open a Canadian bank account, once you have obtained your SIN. Postdoctoral Fellows can apply for a bank account with many Canadian financial institutions online. Most banks require members to activate their accounts at a branch in person, while others allow applicants to complete the entire process remotely.  To open bank accounts, you will likely be asked for specific information. To speed up the process, have the following documents prepared:
• Passport
• Work Permit
• Proof of employment at SFU
  
• Canadian address
• SIN (some banks)

Work Permit Application