Custodianship in Ottawa

Custodianship in Ottawa

Nowadays, parents pay great attention to children’s education, and many of them decide to send minors to study abroad. Every year, about 71,000 minor international students pursue education in Canada. According to Canadian immigration law, minors who want to earn a diploma in the country must apply for a study permit and submit the Custodianship Declaration. But before discussing custodianship in Ottawa in more detail, it is worth learning more about the capital of Canada and its schools.

Overview of the City

Ottawa is one of the most popular study destinations among international students. The city is located at the convergence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. It borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the Ottawa-Gatineau census metropolitan area (CMA) and Canada’s Capital Region. The total population of the city is above 1,017,449, while the metropolitan population is near 1,488,307. It makes Ottawa the fourth-biggest city and metropolitan area in Canada.

Ottawa is the political center of the country where the headquarters of the federal government are situated. The city is home to foreign embassies, international organizations, and institutions, including the Supreme Court, the Parliament of Canada, the residence of Canada’s viceroy, and the Office of the Prime Minister. It also hosts research and cultural institutions, national museums, monuments, and historic sites, including the National Arts Centre and the National Gallery of Canada.

Secondary and Post-Secondary Schools in Ottawa

In Ottawa, secondary schools run from ninth to twelfth grades. Many public high schools in Ottawa accept minor international students into their study programs. Schools are managed by elected school boards, which deliver a standard curriculum or program of study. The most popular English-speaking public schools among international students are Canterbury High School, A. Y. Jackson High School, Ridgemont High School, Brookfield High School, and Gloucester High School. All mentioned public schools and 20 others are managed by Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. There is also an English-Catholic Ottawa Catholic School Board that supervises 85 public schools.

Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario is responsible for education in the French-speaking public schools in Ottawa. The board includes École secondaire publique l’Alternative, École secondaire publique Omer-Deslauriers, École secondaire publique le Transit, and École secondaire publique De La Salle. The French-Catholic Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est manages 49 schools in the city.

Ottawa also has high-quality private secondary schools, which are not a part of a board. They deliver the same curriculum as public schools and offer specialized programs for minor students. English-speaking private secondary schools are Ashbury College, Astolot Educational Center, Blyth Academy, The Element High School, and Heritage Academy, to name a few. French-speaking private high schools in Ottawa are Académie de la Capitale and Lycée Claudel d’Ottawa.

Many secondary schools charge tuition fees for international students, which range from 8,000 to 14,000 CAD per year. High schools can also charge fees for extra activities, such as sports teams or school field trips.

After completing high school at 17 or 18 of age, minor international students can apply to post-secondary schools in Ottawa. International students often choose to study at Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology, La Cité collégiale d’arts appliqués et de technologie, Carleton University, Dominican University College, University of Ottawa, and Saint Paul University.

Who are Minor Students in Canada?

In Canada, each province and territory define the age of majority, the age when an individual is considered to be an adult. Consequently, a person under the age of majority is a minor child. In the province of Ontario and Ottawa, the age of majority is 18. Parents of international students under 18 years old must apply for a custodianship in Ottawa. Nevertheless, a custodian is optional for minor children 17 years of age and older. The decision on custodianship in Ottawa is the discretion of an immigration officer.

Who are Custodians in Canada?

According to the Canadian government, parents or legal guardians of minor international students are obliged to ensure their children will have the care and support they need during their studies in Ottawa. Hence, parents who cannot accompany their children in Canada need to use custodianship in Ottawa.

The immigration law states that not all adults can be custodians in Canada. A custodian can become a responsible Canadian citizen or a permanent resident who is above 19 years old and speaks English or French well. Custodianship in Ottawa has vital importance since custodians must take care of and support the minor student during their studies.

If, under the custodianship in Ottawa, the custodian will not live with the minor student at the same residence, they must live within a short distance of the student’s intended homestay and school. All schools require that minor international students who are not accompanied by a parent or guardian ought to have a custodianship in Ottawa to make sure that children get enough assistance and support. Some Canadian schools even require applying for custodianship in Ottawa even though minors are going to live with a parent or legal guardian.

Custodianship Declaration

Custodianship in Ottawa implies legal arrangements between parents and custodians to give them permission to act in place of a minor’s parent. It also establishes their commitment to represent the parent’s interests and guarantee that the minor child receives proper care and assistance.

To appoint a custodian for international minor students, parents and custodians must sign a Declaration of Custodianship in Ottawa that contains two pages. The first page is signed by the parents or legal guardians of the child in their country of residence. The second page is signed by the appointed custodian in Canada. The Declaration of Custodianship in Ottawa ought to be notarized, which means the documents and signatures must be certified by a notary.

Then, the document is sent to the prospective student so that they can use it to apply for a study permit. Indeed, minor international students can be accepted to a Canadian school, but they cannot get a study permit without the appropriate signed and notarized Declaration of Custodianship in Ottawa. The study permit application of a minor child can be approved if the immigration officer is satisfied with arrangements of Custodianship in Ottawa.

Responsibilities of Custodianship in Ottawa

Under the custodianship in Ottawa, custodians have the following responsibilities upon the arrival of a minor student to the country.

1. They need to participate in the International Admissions Office’s interview, if applicable
2. Custodians ought to assist minors with college or university registration and help with the necessary paperwork.
3. They should help minor students in opening bank accounts and obtaining a sim card.

Throughout the academic year, custodians have several responsibilities under custodianship in Ottawa.

1. They ought to contact the school for behavioral and learning issues of the minor student.
2. Custodians should give permission for academic programs and events as requested by the school.
3. They may participate in teacher-parent meetings.
4. Custodians ought to send a copy of the report card to the minor’s parents.
5. They should maintain regular contact with the student, if applicable
6. Custodians need to maintain contact with the minor’s parents.
7. They ought to consult international students about resources, such as libraries, gyms, communities and so on.
8. Custodians should explain Canadian regulations and university rules to the minor.

When it is necessary, custodianship in Ottawa requires doing the following things.

1. Custodians must immediately notify parents about any problems or concerns at the school.
2. They should assist the minor student in locating medical treatment and filing insurance claims.
3. Custodians ought to react to emergency issues concerning the student 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If the student is going back to school, custodians have several responsibilities under the custodianship in Ottawa.

1. They need to help minor students with the next academic year’s renewing procedure.
2. Custodians ought to maintain contact with the International Admissions Office. Leaving Ottawa, they should notify the office to ensure that the international student will have assistance during this period. If the custodianship in Ottawa data changes, they should also notify the office.

 

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