Application Instructions - Central Okanagan Public Schools
Thank you for considering the Central Okanagan International Program.
Please contact international.education@sd23.bc.ca with any application inquiries.
IMPORTANT Students intending to graduate with a British Columbia High School Diploma typically take 2+ years due to specific Ministry of Education graduation requirements. Please contact the main contact for your country prior to application if a student is interested in graduating in less than 2 years to determine if it is possible.
Before you begin
Central Okanagan School District accepts applications using our secure online application system. Applications that are incomplete or that have not paid the application fee will not be processed. Applications are reviewed in the order they are received.
Before you begin the online application process, please ensure all the necessary information and documents have been collected.
Complete information for the applicant and all parent(s) including name, birthdate, address, phone number, etc.
Required and recommended documents (see below) must be submitted as PDF or JPEG files only and be less than 15MB each. If any document is larger than 15MB the resolution is too high and it must be rescanned at a lower resolution before beginning the application process.
The application fee for students applying:
- Students applying through one of our partnering agencies - $200 CAD
- Students applying independent of one of our current partners - $3000 CAD
- First installment at time of submission - $200 CAD
- Remaining balance invoiced upon application review - $2800 CAD
IMPORTANT Application fees are non-refundable.
We accept payment by wire transfer, direct deposit or bank draft payable to Central Okanagan International Education. If you are paying by bank draft, the application will not be processed until the bank draft has cleared.
Required documents
In order to submit an application, the documents listed below are required. If you do not upload these documents into the online application system, you cannot complete the application process. Applications must be completed within twenty (20) days, partial application will be automatically deleted.
- Passport photo page. Please scan the passport photo page of the applicant’s passport. This allows us to double-check the applicant’s information to ensure that all identification information is correct.
- Immunization records. Please provide a scan of the immunization record for the applicant. In the province of British Columbia (BC), school-aged children enrolled in public and independent schools are required to report their immunization history (also called vaccination status) to public health.
- Transcripts or report cards. Record of grades must be provided for the previous two school years. Please include the summary sheet as the first page of the scanned document.
- Two Letters of Recommendation. Please use the templates provided. These letters should include a signature and school stamp. Please ensure both pages of the template letter are scanned into a single document.
- School Staff template: Teacher, school counselor, or Headmaster/Principal should complete the template School Letter of Recommendation.
- English Teacher template: English teacher should complete the template English Teacher Letter of Recommendation for the applicant.
- Student Letter of Introduction. This letter is completed by the student and outlines where they live, their family, their interests, and information about them that is helpful for Program staff and future host family. Please ensure both pages of the template letter are scanned into a single document.
- Legal Agreement. Both the student and their parent(s) must sign our International Student Agreement. Before starting the application process, please download the agreement and sign it in ink.
- Photo album. We ask students to compile a photo album for our homestay placement process. Please scan the entire album as one document.
Recommended documents
We recommend the following documents are also collected prior to applying. If additional information is required when reviewing a student application, the listed agent will be contacted directly.
- Custodian document. If the applicant will not be part of our homestay program, or if they choose not to use our free custodianship service, they must assign a custodian for when they are in Canada. This custodian must be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident, over 25 years old, and must live full time in the Central Okanagan area.
- Course Request Form. Applicants can submit a Course Request Form for their requested school at time of application. Please note that school placement is at the discretion of the district.
- Other documents. If there is another document pertinent to admission, such as a student interview form, please submit it as a single document.