Planning Your Trip

Congratulations on making it so far, we sincerely anticipate your arrival and artistic input. So now that you are ready to take a trip to Vancouver in Beautiful British Columbia, there are couple of items to consider before landing.

Start planning early, have all your documents ready and make extra copies, get connected with the current students through our social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Vancouver is a relatively expensive city, make sure that you will plan your stay wisely and have enough money saved up to live stress free while at Think Tank Training.

Before You Land:

• Bring a raincoat and a pair of rainboots
• Sort out your housing options (be aware of online scammers)
• Get here at least 2 weeks earlier than your start date to avoid jetlag
• Pack smartly, bring only what you need to avoid extra luggage fees
• Book your flight as early as possible
• Have enough cash for the airport cab ride (between $40 to $60) and the first couple of weeks
• If you bring more than C$10,000 (or the equivalent in another currency) into Canada, you must declare the amount when you arrive.
• Prescribed medicine (if applicable)
• Purchase the right travel insurance

While At The YVR:

• Smile and be confident
• Don’t hide anything
• Follow the officer’s orders and show your documentations

After You Land:

• Sort out your banking situation with one of the major banks in Canada
• Get an international credit card to avoid withdrawal limitations
• Figure out your Medical Insurance
• Familiarize yourself with the school surroundings

What Not To Bring To Canada:
Avoid bringing any of these items with you to Canada:

• Feathers
• Live birds and hatching eggs
• Eggs, yolks, egg whites
• Poultry, or any other type of meat
• Raw pet foods containing poultry products
• Laboratory material containing poultry products/by-products

For more information please review the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website

Airport to Think Tank Training:
If you are travelling directly to the school from the airport you have two options, to take the Canada Line Skytrain or to get a cab. You could take the Canada Line Skytrain at the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) which costs about $8. Upon arrival at Waterfront Station, the Seabus will take you to the North Shore and drop you off within minutes of Think Tank.

NOTE: do not use the student concession tickets as they do not apply to private learning institutions.

You could plan your trip to anywhere that the BC public transit travels to by checking out the Translink website or simply using Google Map’s navigator – Click Here for Directions.

Medical Insurance

BC Medical Insurance is required by law for all students, international as well as Canadians. All students who are not holding Medical Services Plan of B.C (MSP) should apply for it upon arrival and once established a permanent address.

MSP coverage starts three months to activate, in the meantime you could continue using your travel insurance or keep using your previous policy if it covers you internationally or purchase student insurance through Guard.Me or Canada Intercontinental.

Make sure to read all the information and purchase the right type of coverage. All the forms are available online, purchase at least 3 MONTHS of coverage since your MSP will not be in effect for 90 days. In order to complete this process you need to have access to a credit card or PayPal.

Please note, MSP covers your basic needs such as doctor’s appointments, it doesn’t cover vision ro dental. MSP is active as long as your student visa is valid, if you are renewing your visa please make sure to update your documents with the MSP office as well.