Are you interested in the International Education Program at the Durham Catholic District School Board? Please see the admission and application information below.
Admission Criteria
Acceptance into our Passport to Excellence - International Student Program is determined by:
- Educational background and present academic standing as indicated on the school transcripts provided, and
- A recommendation from your current school.
Application Process
Durham Catholic District School Board now only accepts complete applications using our secure online application system. Mailed, emailed, or faxed applications are no longer accepted. Incomplete or unpaid applications will not be processed.
Service providers and parents can submit the applications for international students through the following online application portal.
Please go through the Application Instructions before starting the online application. If you have any further questions about how to apply, please email International Education team at InternationalStudent@dcdsb.ca.
- Step 1: Complete the online application by filling in the online form and uploading the required documents; (If you do not submit a complete application within thirty (30) days, the partial application will be automatically deleted.)
- Step 2: Submit the online application and pay the application fee ($250.00 CDN).
- Step 3: Receipt of all applications will be acknowledged, and in most cases, applicants will be advised of acceptance within a few business days.
- Step 4: Once the application is approved, the conditional acceptance letter and fee invoice will be sent.
- Step 5: Parents make the full tuition fee payment via the acceptable payment method.
- Step 6: Official Letter of Acceptance and Fee Receipt will be issued after the full payment is well-received.
- Step 7: Submit study permit application. (It is the international student's responsibility to obtain the required study permit and student visa from the Canadian Consulate or Embassy before leaving their home country, and to keep the study permit and visa up to date.)
- Step 8: Notify us upon the approval of a valid student visa and confirm the arrival date before travelling to Canada.
Tuition Fee Schedule
Please see below for the Tuition Fee Schedule:
| Description | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application Fee (non-refundable) | $250.00 CDN |
| Two Semesters of Secondary School (maximum of 8 credits) | $16,200.00 CDN |
| One Semester of Secondary School (maximum of 4 credits) | $8,100.00 CDN |
| Full year of Elementary School (10 months) | $15,200.00 CDN |
| Half year of Elementary School (5 months) | $7,600.00 CDN |
| Adult Continuing Education Course | $1,800.00 CDN/Credit |
| Summer School Credit Course | $1,625.00 CDN/Credit |
Payment Methods
The transaction receipt is required after the payment is made via either of the following methods. Please send the receipt to International Education by email at InternationalStudent@dcdsb.ca.
Pay online through Convera GlobalPay. On the online application portal, you will have access to the invoice and the secure online payment portal. It is important to highlight the student’s full name and the invoice number on the "Note" part. Click here for the Convera Secure Online Payment Portal.
The following links to the step-by-step instruction videos in different languages can be used to help service providers and parents make the payment by Convera.
- English: https://youtu.be/gZN_JUp9kHM
- Cantonese: https://youtu.be/1VBFBYa1LbU
- Spanish: https://youtu.be/wQIQH5bATXM
- Mandarin: https://youtu.be/ATRFyrm4tIk
- Korean: https://youtu.be/uWzQxTGslOk
- Japanese: https://youtu.be/y487x4VoUAw
- Hindi: https://youtu.be/kMfkVqyawmY
- Indonesian: https://youtu.be/WQu4rdzZt7g
- French Canadian: https://youtu.be/JJdXize4daE
- French: https://youtu.be/wgnpaUV98NI
- Arabic: https://youtu.be/isxUiD2_zGI
Wire transfer to the bank account of our school board. Please contact the International Education team (InternationalStudent@dcdsb.ca) to receive the DCDSB bank account information. If the wire transfer service fee is charged by the bank, the payers are required to pay this extra service fee.
Arrival and Registration
- Check the Government of Canada travel requirements and updates before planning your trip.
- Complete the Vital English Pre-arrival English Learning and Assessment. The invitation will be sent to your email account. If you don’t receive it, please contact IE staff.
- Contact DCDSB International Education to confirm the travel plan and arrival date.
- Contact host family or homestay provider to arrange airport pickup and exchange contact information (cellphone number, email).
Purchase international student medical insurance before arrival in Canada. For more information, please go through the Student Health and Wellness section.
- Attend the International Student Welcome Day and other orientation sessions organized by schools and community partners.
- Take the Literacy (English) Assessment and Numeracy (Mathematics) Assessment.
- Purchase the school uniform at McCarthy School Uniforms. All secondary students at DCDSB must wear uniform at school. Please check detailed uniform requirements at your school website.
If you have a cell phone, purchase a phone plan so it will work in Canada. PhoneBox, a Canadian cell phone service provider, will provide a SIM card with a Canadian phone number to international students before or upon their arrivals in Canada.
- Schedule an appointment with a guidance counsellor who will help secondary students choose their courses.
- Elementary students will be scheduled to meet with school staff.
- Bring the required registration documents with you when you register at the school.
- a valid study permit,
- valid Passport,
- immunization record,
- proof of medical insurance,
- the Durham Region address where the student will be living,
- most recent transcripts,
- notarized custodian document.
- Receive the student schedule/timetable and student account login information from the guidance counsellor
- If you are eligible for the school bus, please contact Durham Student Transportation Services (DSTS) to check the bus route and stop information.
*After registration, please contact the IE staff or your school if you need to update your homestay address, family contact information, and custodian in Canada.