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 as well.
Once the form has been submitted, the students along with their natural parents and the host will be notified by email. We reserve the right to deny permission for any trips that are deemed too risky for the student.
Day trips to the US
If students want to attend 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 Accommodations Coordinators have made note of 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 hosts of their travel plans as early as possible.
How to Connect With Your Accommodation Coordinator
Call, Text, or Whatsapp to make an appointment to:
- Ms. Jinks 604-313-0012 (West Vancouver Secondary)
- Ms. Consiglio 604-842-7578 (Sentinel and Rockridge Secondary)
Or Email to make an appointment to:
In-Person Meetings
- Come to the International Programs Office
- You are welcome anytime from Monday to Friday 9:00am – 3:30pm (we are closed on all holidays)
- Meetings at your school
- Based on our availability. Contact us to make an appointment.
Curfew Rules
Our Hosted Accommodation program only accepts students in Grades 10 to 12. For rare placements of Grade 8 or 9 students, please speak with your Accommodation Coordinator for your specific curfew instructions.
Curfew is very important and breaking curfew is a serious rule violation. These rules help keep students safe and support a harmonious host environment.
Students who break curfew will face progressive discipline which may include dismissal from the program and being sent home (repatriation).
Curfew Times
Weekends (Friday and Saturday): 12:00 am
Weekdays (Sunday to Thursday): 10:00 pm
If you join school or community activities during the week, please ask your host for permission to come home after curfew. This includes practices, games, and team events.
Sleepovers
Students may have sleepovers at friend’s homes and may have friends sleepover at their homes. 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 host 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 host of their sleepover plans by 3:00 pm the day of the sleepover at the latest
3. Your host 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 your natural parents.
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, your custodian must inform your Accommodation Coordinator with the contact details of your new, private host information. Please include their name, address, phone number, and email address.
If you are staying with a West Vancouver Schools International Program host and you would like to move, come see your Accommodation 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 host 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 Programs 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 host 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 host in our Hosted Accommodation program.
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 that is part of West Vancouver Schools International Program may use our complimentary custodianship service.
Any student residing in a privately-arranged accommodation must provide their own custodian. Likewise, a student moving from a West Vancouver Schools host to a privately-arranged host must change from our custodianship to their own.
For instructions on how to engage a custodian, please see Custodian Procedures.
For details on the role of a custodian, please see Role of a Custodian in BC.
Exceptional Dietary Request Fee
Additional costs may apply. Please see details here.