Travel policies and procedures
Overnight trips in Canada
If an international student is planning an overnight trip outside of the Vancouver area, the student’s natural parents must fill in the travel request form online prior to travelling outside of the Vancouver area. This online request must be submitted when traveling overnight with their host parents, too.
Once the form has been submitted, the students along with their natural parents and the host parents will be notified by email. We reserve the right to deny permission for any trips were are deemed too risky for the student.
Day trips to the US
If students want to have a day trip to the US, they do not need to be accompanied by an adult over 25. We DO NOT encourage students to travel on their own but they can travel with other students or friends. Natural parents must fill in the travel request form online prior to travel.
Once the office has approved the trip, the student may plan their trip. It is the student’s responsibility to take proper travel documentation and check the US entry requirements. Visa-exempt foreign nationals who fly to or transit through Canada will need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).
We reserve the right to deny trips to the US based on potential risk at our discretion.
Overseas trips
If an international student is travelling back to their home country, their parents must also fill in the travel request form online prior to travel.
Once our International office confirms the Student Travel Application, the student may plan their trip.
We acknowledge that getting flight tickets at Winter and Spring Break can be challenging.
Students should make every effort to return to their schools on time.
Students should also inform their teachers and homestay parents of their travel plans as early as possible.
How to Connect With Your Homestay Coordinator
Call, Text, or Whatsapp to make an appointment to:
- Ms. Jinks 604-313-0012 (Sentinel and Rockridge Secondary)
- Ms. Consiglio 604-842-7578 (West Vancouver Secondary)
Or Email to make an appointment to:
In-Person Meetings
- Come to the International Office
- You are welcome anytime from Monday to Friday 9:00am – 4:00pm (holidays we are closed)
- Meetings at your school
- Based on our availability. Contact us to make an appointment
Curfew
Weekend curfew time (Friday and Saturday night) is the following:
- 12:00 am for grade 10, 11, and 12 students
- 10:00 pm for grade 8 and 9 students
Weekday curfew time (Sunday to Thursday) is the following:
- 10:00 pm for grade 10, 11, and 12 students
- 9:00 pm for grade 8 and 9 students
Note: When you join school or community activities during the week, ask your host families if it is OK to come home later than curfew to attend these activities and team events.
Sleepovers
Students may have sleepovers at friend’s homes and may have friends sleepover at their homestay. There are some rules and regulations that must be followed in order to make sleepovers work for everyone involved. Here are the rules:
1.Your homestay MUST be informed of your sleepover plan
- Where are you staying
- Who is the supervisor
- Contact info for supervisor
- Full name
- Age
- Address
- Phone number
2. Students must inform their homestay of their sleepover plans by 3:00 pm the day of the sleepover at the latest
3. Your homestay has the right to deny a sleepover at their home
4. Sleepovers must be kept to 2-nights maximum – anything over 2 nights must be submitted as travel with the Travel Application Form filled out by Natural Parents
travel request form online
Failure to abide by sleepover rules may result in loss of privilege.
Moving
If you are living with your natural parent, your parent simply needs to bring his/her passport and proof of their new address to our International Programs Office.
If you are living at a private host family, your custodian must inform your Homestay Coordinator with the contact details of your new, private host family information. Please include their name, address, phone number, and email address.
If you are staying with a West Vancouver Schools International Program host family and you would like to move, come see your Homestay Coordinator first. We will assist you in solving issues you might experience. Often, it’s just a result of miscommunication and the situation will be resolved quickly.
If a homestay change is needed, two weeks’ notice is required. If the student is not willing or able to stay the two weeks, we must collect payment from the student for the full notice period. You must contact the International Department for any changes!
We will be contacting you via email, phone, and text messages, so let us know if anything changes! Same for your homestay and custodian information, please inform us of any changes.
Any international students that we accept to continue in our school district can choose to move into a privately arranged accommodation if they meet this criteria:
- Demonstrated success in school, study, and in our community
- Good writing and speaking skills in English
- Comfort and familiarity with our community and school system.
- The family must not be an active District Homestay.
Notes:
Any privately arranged accommodation must meet our supervision requirements. For example, a responsible adult over age 25 must live in the home.
Students who have the Director of the program listed as their custodian, must provide the complete, notarized new custodianship declaration document here before further accommodation arrangements can be made.
We may not be able to accommodate students requesting to return to our program after opting out.
Custodianship
Students who are staying with a host family that is part of West Vancouver Schools International Program may use our complimentary custodianship service.
Any student residing in a privately-arranged homestay or family friend must provide their own custodian. Likewise, a student moving from a West Vancouver Schools host family to a privately-arranged homestay must change from our custodianship to their own.
For instructions on how to engage a custodian, please see Custodianship instructions English.
For details on the role of a custodian, please see Role of a Custodian in BC.
Homestay fee records
Students should keep a written documentation of their payments to homestay families.
We suggest this form as a convenient record Homestay Payment Record 2022-2023.
Exceptional Dietary Request Fee
Additional costs may apply. Please see details here.