Relocation policies, contacts and forms

For specific eligibility and provisions information on travel and relocation assistance for UBC faculty and senior managers, see our relocation policy HR6 [PDF], business expenses policy FM8 [PDF]. 

Note that the relocation policy was revised and received approval from UBC's board of governors on March 22, 2007 and the procedures within the policy were amended on December 21, 2017. The travel policy was revised on January 17, 2019.

New hires eligible for relocation assistance under the relocation policy (called “designated professionals” in the policy document) continue to include:

• Tenure-stream faculty members
• Prospective tenure-stream faculty members (e.g., professorial and instructor ranks).
• Senior management staff.

Get specific information on eligibility.

The terms of relocation assistance are negotiated between you and your faculty/department in advance, and should be outlined in the offer letter. A number of items outlined as eligible in the revised policy are subject to authorization by the faculty/department.

In addition to relocation of household and personal effects, UBC's policy allows for relocation of “tools of the trade”, that are necessary and related to employment with the University. This could include items such as an office library, computer equipment, research equipment and supplies.

Tools of the trade are not counted as part of the weight allowance for household and personal effects. However, the cost of moving tools of the trade is included within the Central Relocation Fund's reimbursement allowance.

The amount of relocation expense that is reimbursed by UBC's payment and procurement services department is now determined based by:

• the number of people relocating, and
• the origin of the move.

The hiring department fills out the relocation reimbursement claim form and submits it with proper documentation to the Finance Operations department in Vancouver or to Payment and Procurement Services at UBC Okanagan in Kelowna.

Exceeding Central Relocation Fund reimbursement: Departments have some flexibility in negotiating additional terms of relocation assistance. You'll be reimbursed in accordance with the policy and the Central Relocation Fund Table, and individual departments are responsible for funding the remainder of negotiated relocation costs.

Any travel claim related to relocation is eligible for reimbursement from central relocation funds, regardless of the provider. If you require assistance with travel arrangements, please find more information at the Travel at UBC website, including information about UBC’s contracted travel agency.

Contacts for hiring departments and for relocating faculty and senior management. Also see the hiring department-only list in the section below.

Policy and procedures

Contact Joyce Wei as your first point of contact. In Joyce’s absence, contact Linda Casey.

• Joyce Wei: 604 822 6865
• Linda Casey: 604 827 5631

Housing and Relocation Services

For information about orientation to UBC, housing, immigration, and other relocation services, please visit or contact:

Vancouver campus Housing & Relocation Services
Granite Terrace III (near Save-On Foods)
Level 3, 3313 Shrum Lane
Wesbrook Village, Vancouver V6S 0C8
Hours: 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m, Monday to Friday

Okanagan campus relocations
Jacky Ivans: 250 807 9839

UBC designated relocation and moving companies

• Quality Move Management (QMM): QMM UBC Email, 604-952-3650 (primary) or 604-952-3652 (secondary)
• Armstrong Moving and Storage / Armstrong International Movers (Armstrong): Stephen Gray, Director, National Accounts, 905-795-6783 (work phone) or 416-986-9606 (cell phone)
• AMJ Campbell: David Dixon, Vice President of Corporate Sales, 905-795-3638 (work phone) or 647-286-3649 (cell phone)

Armstrong and AMJ Campbell are contracted through CAUBO, of which UBC is a member and more information can be found on the CAUBO moving page.  [Please note you will need to register an account with CAUBO to access the information.]

Queries about the CAUBO contracts:

• David Harrison, CEO, Interuniversity Services Inc., 902-453-2414
• Elizabeth Taylor, contracts@caubo.ca

UBC Travel Services

Go to the dedicated UBC travel page.

Purchase requisitions or purchase orders

For training queries (e.g. how to create requisition): Integrated Service Centre (ISC)

For support queries (e.g. status of requisition/PO): Procurement Partner in Financial Operations

Reimbursement from the central relocation fund

• Vancouver campus: Human Resources
  Joyce Wei: 604-822-6865
• Okanagan campus: Finance Operations, UBC Okanagan
  Fiona Stirling: 250-807-8297

Several of the following forms and resources are specifically for moves by UBC's dedicated moving company QMM, but may be used as a general guideline for other moves.

If you have any questions, please contact your hiring department administrator, your relocation coordinator for the moving company you select, or Joyce Wei, relocation administrator at UBC.

QMM relocation contact and information form

If you're newly hired, please fill out the UBC contact and information sheet for relocation and forward it to QMM.

Moving tips sheets

• Moving tips within Canada [PDF] 
• Moving tips outside Canada [PDF] 

QMM shipping methods

• QMM shipping methods [PDF] 

Relocation checklists

• Relocation process checklist for faculty and senior management [PDF] 
• Relocation process checklist for hiring departments [PDF]

Purchase orders

To set up or change a purchase order, submit a purchase requisition with the estimated quote to Financial Operations in Vancouver through Workday.  For Workday resources and help visit Integrated Services Centre.

Relocation reimbursement claim form

• Download the relocation reimbursement claim form

• Either the new hire or the hiring department pays for eligible expenses up front depending on the kind of expense.
• The new hire forwards any receipts or invoices to the hiring department if the hiring department wasn’t originally copied on them.
• If the new hire pays up front, the hiring department reimburses the new hire from the department budget.
• Then, for all eligible expenses under the relocation policy, the hiring department requests reimbursement.
• The hiring department is reimbursed using the Central Relocation Fund, the UBC fund that supports the relocation policy.

Step 1

Your hiring department negotiates the terms of relocation funding with you using the following as general guidelines:

• Central Relocation Fund 
• Policy HR6 – Relocation (pdf, formerly Policy #82)
• Policy FM8 - Business expenses (pdf, formerly Policy #83)

If you have any questions regarding the limits and the expenses that can be reimbursed, please follow up with your department administrator or relocation administrator Joyce Wei before those expenses occur.

For other assistance in helping you and your family make a smooth transition to UBC in Vancouver or Kelowna, please contact UBC's Housing and Relocation Services team.

Step 2

Your hiring department confirms the terms of relocation funding in your letter of offer.

1. Your department administrator provides you with the UBC Contact and Information Sheet to complete. (Note: The sheet is for QMM moves, but may be used as a resource for other moves.)
2. Once you've completed the UBC Contact and Information Sheet, provide it to your moving company’s relocation coordinator. (Note: This step applies to QMM moves only. For all other moves, please contact your moving company’s relocation coordinator directly.)
3. You must use the moving companies designated by UBC or CAUBO in order to be reimbursed from the Central Relocation Fund.

If you need to make travel arrangements, you can find more information at the UBC Travel website.

You're free to make your own travel arrangements and still be covered under the relocation policy.

1. The moving company relocation coordinator contacts you to go over preliminary questions and arrange for a survey of household goods and personal effects to be moved.
2. The moving company performs the survey.
3. The moving company creates an estimated quote and sends it to you and your department administrator.
4. Your department administrator authorizes the estimated quote by setting up a purchase order with UBC's Financial Operations department in Vancouver.
5. The purchase order is sent to your department administrator and the moving company relocation coordinator.
6. As changes may arise during the move, the moving company relocation coordinator may send revised quotes to you and the department administrator for approval.
7. The moving company performs the relocation and sends a final invoice to UBC's Financial Operations department. If the invoice is only sent to you, please forward it to your department administrator.
8. For other relocation expenses, please submit your original invoices and receipts to your department administrator for payment or reimbursement of your eligible expenses.

You may have relocation expenses that are considered taxable benefits, such as customs and immigration expenses. Your department administrator will arrange to have these captured on your T4, the statement of remuneration paid, which you'll receive from UBC to submit to the Canada Revenue Agency when filing your taxes.

For more information on taxable benefits, please see the Canada Revenue Agency website on moving expenses.

1. The hiring department submits a claim to Financial Operations in Vancouver or Finance Operations, UBC Okanagan in Kelowna for reimbursement from the Central Relocation Fund, the UBC fund that supports the relocation policy, for all of the eligible expenses it has paid on your behalf under the policy. The hiring department includes original invoices and receipts. If original invoices and receipts have already been used for earlier reimbursement to you, then they may submit back-up copies.
2. If your hiring department pays up front for any relocation expenses that result in costs exceeding your total negotiated relocation allowance (including either the limit available from the Central Relocation Fund and/or any limit negotiated from the department’s own budget at the time the job offer was made), you are responsible for reimbursing your hiring department for the excess amount. Please discuss this issue with your department administrator.
3. Please be advised that if you voluntarily leave UBC before a 24-month period, you will be responsible for reimbursing the University for the Central Relocation Funds paid on a pro-rated basis as per the relocation policy. The hiring department is responsible for calculating and collecting the reimbursement on behalf of the University.

For a summary of the process, please download the Relocation Process Checklist for Relocating Faculty and Senior Management (PDF). (Note: The checklist is for QMM moves, but may be used as a resource for other moves.)