Application Process for 2027-2028 School Year
International Student Education Program

 

Admission Criteria

Acceptance into Calgary Catholic School District’s International Student Education Program (ISEP) is based on the student’s overall academic achievement and English language skill suitability for our program. This program is for regular programming only and is intended for students who do not require additional learning support. Each applicant's acceptance into the program will be determined by the following criteria:

 

• The applicant’s educational background: current academic standing as indicated on the transcripts/school report cards and reference letter.
• The applicant’s English proficiency; English Admission Criteria:
  • Kindergarten to Grade 2 - English level 1 or higher
  • Grade 3 to Grade 12 - English level 3 or higher

“Calgary Catholic School District reserves the right, for any reason whatsoever, to reassess your child in person on arrival to Calgary. All in-person assessment results will supersede and replace any prior online assessment results. This means that if CCSD reassesses your child in person and concludes your child does not have a working knowledge of academic English, then CCSD may reject your application and not enroll your child in any of our schools. Therefore, it is possible CCSD will not enroll your child in any of our schools even after your child has already travelled to Calgary.”

• Students must be under 18 years of age by September 1st of the school year they plan to attend in order to be eligible to apply.
  
  

  Please DO NOT complete the application if any of the following apply to either or both of the student’s parents: • landed immigrant or refugee status • Canadian Permanent Resident (PR) or an application for Canadian Permanent Residency has been made with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

Application Dates and Deadlines

	Full Year Study for (Kindergarten to Grade 12) & Semester 1 Study (Grade 10-12 only)	Semester 2 Study (Grade 10-12 only)
School Start Date	September 2027	January 2028
Applications Open	October 1st 2026 at 12 AM	October 1st, 2026 at 12 AM
Deadline to Apply	April 30th, 2027 at 11:59 PM	August 15th, 2027 at 11:59 PM
Deadline to provide the IRCC student visa decision to CCSD	July 31st, 2027 at 11:59 PM	December 31st, 2027 at 11:59 PM
Payment Deadline	All fees must be paid within 10 days of receipt of the invoice to receive the Letter of Acceptance (LOA).
Additional Information	If a student wishes to request a different term of study, please email our office at international@cssd.ab.ca for further processing.

 

                                   

Application Process for International Students with Calgary Catholic School District

Application Tips

1. Prepare and scan the documents before creating a TrueNorth account. You have 14 days to complete and submit the application after creating an account. You will not be able to proceed to the next section without uploading the required documents.
2. Scanned documents must be in PDF, portrait orientation, clear, no shadows or background objects and must have high resolution image. Maximum file size accepted: 5MB per document.
3. Handwritten signatures are required in all legal documents. E-signatures will not be accepted in any required documents.

 

Step 1: Application Stage

 

Complete the application through the True North online portal.

 

Upload a PDF version of the following documents. Please scan documents in portrait orientation only.

• Valid passport (picture page)
• Birth Certificate (no need to translate)
• If Catholic - Baptismal Certificate (no need to translate)
• Official transcripts/school report cards for the last 2 years bearing the school stamp, grading scale, and English translation. Originals must be presented at the assigned school after officially registering with Calgary Catholic. Translated documents must be from official/certified translators.
• Signed reference letter from the student’s current school principal or teacher in support of the student’s academic performance, attendance, behaviour, and attitude in school (letter must include school letterhead, stamp, contact information and English translation).
• Study Permit, if already in Canada (for international student transferees)
• Personal and Health Information Consent Form - If you are using a 3^rd party to submit the application on behalf of the student (ex: Educational agents or immigration consultants).
• Optional: TOEFL or IELTS results if available (for Gr. 9-12)
• Local proof of address of parents or custodian (ex: utility bill, driver’s license, government-issued letter)
• If applicable, Court Order, Divorce Agreement, and/or Adoption Certificate with English translated documents
• Notarized IRCC Custodian Declaration forms (page 1 Custodian’s section & page 2 Parents’ section)

 

Note: Do not complete the Custodian Declaration forms if:

• For students in Kindergarten to Grade 7, one parent must accompany the child in Canada for the entire duration of their studies. Custodianship by anyone other than a parent will not be accepted. The accompanying parent must also sign the “Confirmation of Parent Living with Student” form, available in Section 5 & Section 6 of the application.
• For students in Grades 7 to 12, if a parent is staying with the child for the duration of their studies, the parent must sign the “Confirmation of Parent Living with Student” form, also available in Section 5 & 6 of the application.
• For school placement on the Custodian Declaration forms, indicate “Calgary Catholic School District”.
  - School placement will be finalized before the end of June 2027
  - Semester 2 school placement will be finalized by the end of November 2027
• If the student will be using Canada Homestay Network (CHN), please see the next section.

 

For Students Using Canada Homestay Network (CHN) Services:

• Complete CHN’s online International Student Homestay Application
• Homestay invoice will be issued by CHN after receiving the Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from CCSD.
• Pay the homestay fees in full directly to CHN.
• Custodian Declaration forms may be submitted after the LOA is issued. Custodian information will be provided by CHN, as needed.
• Upload a PDF of the notarized IRCC’s Custodian Declaration form (page 1 Custodian’s section) in True North.
• Upload a PDF of the notarized IRCC’s Custodian Declaration form (page 2 Parents’ section) in True North.
  
  

Step 2: English Language Assessment

The International Student Education Program Team will send the online English Language Assessment and/or interview time directly to the parents and students. If the English admission criteria is met, the applicant will proceed to the next stage of the application.

*The assessment must be completed independently by the student without support by others or technology.

 

*Log-in and password will be given directly to the parent. Please ensure you enter the correct information accurately. This code is valid for one-time use only for the specific student. An extra fee may apply if a new log-in code and password are requested. 

“Calgary Catholic School District reserves the right, for any reason whatsoever, to re-assess your child in person on arrival to Calgary. All in-person assessment results will supersede and replace any prior online assessment results. This means that if we re-assess your child in person and conclude your child does not have a working knowledge of academic English, then we may reject your application and not enroll your child in any of our schools. Therefore, it is possible we will not enroll your child in any of our schools even after your child has already travelled to Calgary.”   

 

 

Step 3: Pre-Admission Stage

• You will be notified via email if the student qualifies to move forward to the next step.
• You will receive notification of an appointment for an English interview
• If acceptance is confirmed, an invoice for the payment of tuition and medical insurance fee will be posted in True North.
• The official Letter of Acceptance (LOA) will be issued via True North once all fees are paid in full and all conditions for approval have been met. The LOA will indicate “Calgary Catholic School District” as the school. A separate school placement letter, confirming the student’s final school placement, will be issued by the end of June 2027 for full-year students, and end of November 2027 for second-semester students
• Apply for a student visa from your home country as soon as you receive the LOA.
• Upload the IRCC acknowledgment email confirming receipt of student’s VISA application through TrueNorth.

- Check current federal guidelines to verify if students studying for less than 6 months are able to study with an eTA

- Check IRCC Processing Times.

Step 4: Student Visa Decision is Received for Full Year Students

 

Student Visa Approved

 

Deadline to notify CCSD of the student visa approval:

• Student visa approvals must be received by July 31st, 2027 for the September 2027 school start date, otherwise, you will be deferred to the September 2028-2029 school start date. Admission, school placement and course selections are not guaranteed if deferred.
• Student visa approvals must be received by December 31st, 2027 for the January 2028 school start date, otherwise, your application will be deferred to September 2028-2029 school start date.

Please upload these documents as PDF files in portrait orientation only in True North.

• IRCC visa approval letter
• Student visa sticker on the passport
• Student’s confirmed flight information (See Compulsory Medical Insurance coverage dates on Page 4)
• Local proof of address of parents or custodian (ex: utility bill, driver’s license, government-issued letter)                  * Lease Agreement, cellphone bills or temporary residential booking confirmation will not be accepted.
• Latest/Final transcript for the most recent school year (transcripts submitted in the initial application may no longer be valid)
• NEW passport (if the passport has been renewed since the application)
• Study Permit; the study permit will be issued by immigration at the Port Of Entry (POE) in Canada.
• OR, eTA approval if your studies are less than 6 months in duration

Compulsory Medical Insurance

The student’s medical insurance will be made effective 15 days before the start date of their program. Medical insurance coverage will be arranged by CCSD for students who have been approved for a student visa.

 

Insurance Coverage Effective Start Date & End Date:

Medical Insurance	Coverage Start & End Dates
Full year (12 months)	August 15, 2027 - August 14, 2028
Semester 1 (6 months)	August 15, 2027 - February 14, 2028
Semester 2 (6 months)	January 20, 2028 – August 14, 2028
If the student is arriving prior to the start or staying after the end of the overage date, the student must purchase their own student insurance coverage in Canada.

 

Student Visa Refusal

If Reapplying for a Visa:

If the student’s visa application is refused and the family intend to reapply, please upload a PDF copy of the IRCC Visa Refusal Letter and the study permit reapplication confirmation letter to TrueNorth portal and notify the International Student Education Program Team at international@cssd.ab.ca.

If Requesting a Tuition Refund:

If the student does not intend to reapply for a visa and wishes to request a refund, please upload a PDF copy of the IRCC Visa Refusal Letter to TrueNorth and notify the International Student Education Program Team at international@cssd.ab.ca. CCSD will review the submitted documents and determine whether the refund request meets the applicable refund policy.

Please refer to the Calgary Catholic School District Refund Policy https://international.cssd.ab.ca/apply -> Refund Police

• We will consider a one-time deferral only to the next school year. Admission, school placement and course selections are not guaranteed if deferred.

 

Step 5: Official Registration at Schools

 

Please upload all the required documents as listed in Step 4 via TrueNorth portal so ISEP office can complete the student’s official registration. This will be followed by schools accepting students and contacting families with information about their first day at school.

*The student cannot attend classes until they have been entered into the Calgary Catholic School District management system.

 

International Student Education Program Orientation Dates:

 

All New Grade 10 to Grade 12 Students Only –Wednesday, August 25th, 2027
High School Orientation – In Person (Mandatory)

   • Bishop O’Byrne High School – 8:30 am
   • St. Mary’s High School – 9:30 am
   • Our Lady of the Rockies High School – 9:30 am
   • St. Timothy High School – 1:00 pm

All New Kindergarten to Grade 12 Students - Friday, August 27th, 2027

ISEP Program Orientation – In Person (Mandatory)
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at St. John Centre for Art & Culture (15 12th St NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1Y4)

ISEP Program Orientation – Online (Optional) Thursday, September 9th, 2027, 7:00 pm (Alberta Time)
This online orientation is provided for parents and family members who are overseas, as well as students and families who have received prior approval to be absent from the mandatory in-person orientation.

* High school students will have an opportunity to provide their course preferences and create student’s timetable during the in-person high school orientation. Please note that certain courses cannot be guaranteed. Please bring any information regarding courses required by your home country upon return.

* Parents, custodians, and/or homestay families are welcome and highly encouraged to attend the orientation with students.

Questions? international@cssd.ab.ca