Custodianship in Edmonton

Custodianship in Edmonton

Edmonton is known for its diverse public school system and excellent post-secondary educational institutions. Every year, about 5,000 minor international students choose the city as a study destination. Hence, minors who travel without their parents ought to have a custodianship in Edmonton to get a study permit. Before discussing this issue, it is worth learning more about the city and its schools.

Overview of Edmonton

Situated on the North Saskatchewan River, Edmonton is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. The total area of the city is 765.61 km2, while the metro area spans 9,416.19 km2. In Edmonton lives 1,010,899 people and the total population of the metropolitan area is 1,418,118 residents. It is the fifth-biggest city and sixth-biggest metropolitan area in Canada.

Edmonton is divided into seven geographic areas and 375 neighborhoods. It consists of the mature area that was built before 1970 and six surrounding suburban sectors. The metropolitan area includes Edmonton and 34 other municipalities in the surrounding area. The major urban communities are Strathcona County, St. Albert, Beaumont, Leduc, Spruce Grove, Fort Saskatchewan, Stony Plain, Morinville, and Devon.

Edmonton is home to people of various ethnicities and origins, the most common of which are English, Scottish, German, Irish, Ukrainian, French, Indian, Chinese, Filipino and Polish. The city is often called Edmonchuck or the Chuck in reference to the significant Ukrainian diaspora in the area.

Known as the Gateway to the North and the Oil Capital of Canada, Edmonton is a major center for the oil and gas industry and large-scale diamond mining operations. The geographical location of the city has made it an ideal spot for distribution and logistics. CN Rail’s North American operational facility and a major intermodal facility that handles all incoming freight from the port of Prince Rupert, British Columbia are located within the city.

Nicknamed Canada’s Festival City, Edmonton is also a cultural center of Canada. The city hosts a year-round slate of festivals, such as the Works Art & Design Festival, the Edmonton International Street Performer’s Festival, TD Edmonton International Jazz Festival, K-Days, and the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, to name a few. Many of these events are anchored in the downtown Arts District around Churchill Square. On the south side of the North Saskatchewan River, Whyte Avenue and the University district host concert halls, theaters, and various live music venues. Hence, minor international students can visit these festivals during custodianship in Edmonton.

Secondary and Post-Secondary Schools in Edmonton

Edmonton has three publicly funded school boards that provide kindergarten and grades 1–12 education. The English-language boards are Edmonton Public Schools and Edmonton Catholic School District. The Greater North Central Francophone Education Region is a French-language school board. The city’s public schools are known for pioneering the concept of school decentralization, which gives principals the authority and the financial resources to make decisions based on the individual needs of their schools.

As a rule, international students are accepted to secondary schools, which last from ninth to twelfth grades. The best public high schools are Old Scona Academic High School, Millwoods Christian School, Archbishop MacDonald High School, Strathcona High School, and Lillian Osborne High School.

The most popular schools with French as a medium of instruction are École À la Découverte, École Publique Gabrielle-Roy, and École Maurice-Lavallée. Minor international students also study at private schools, such as Edmonton Academy, Progressive Academy and Tempo School.

All the mentioned public and private secondary schools require custodianship in Edmonton for minor international students to make sure they have enough support during their studies. Custodianship in Edmonton may be required even though minors are accompanied by their parents.

Now, it is worth discussing the best post-secondary schools for international students in the city. High-ranking publicly funded schools are Concordia University of Edmonton, MacEwan University, NorQuest College, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and the University of Alberta.

Concordia University offers science, arts, and management undergraduate degree programs, as well as graduate degree programs in education, information security, information technology, and psychology.

MacEwan University offers programs in fine arts, communications, health and community studies, liberal arts, sciences, engineering, physical education, nursing, and business.

NorQuest College has one of the biggest and top-rated practical nursing programs in Canada. In addition, it offers health, human services, and business career programs.

The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology provides careers programs in technical training, applied education, applied research, and learning designed to meet the demands of technical and knowledge-based industries in Alberta.

The University of Alberta offers health science, natural science, applied science, social science, and humanities study programs.

King’s University is a known private Christian university that offers bachelor programs in the arts, humanities, music, social sciences, natural sciences, business, and education.

Minor Students in Edmonton

Parents of international students who have chosen the place of study must check whether they need custodianship in Edmonton. Under Edmonton laws, students under 18 years old are minors. Thus, minor international students who are accepted to the school in the city ought to have the Declaration of Custodianship in Edmonton.

Usually, international students above 17 years old who apply to post-secondary schools do not need a custodianship in Edmonton. Still, parents should contact the school and get details about custodianship in Edmonton.

Declaration of Custodianship in Edmonton

The main role of the custodian is to represent the interests of minor international students during their studies in Edmonton. Hence, parents must find a person who fulfills the following requirements.

1. The prospective custodians need to be Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
2. They should be above 19 years old.
3. Custodians ought to speak English, French, or both.
4. They need to live close to the minor’s school and place of residence.
5. Custodians must be available to minors 24 hours, seven days a week.

Parents who need help with custodianship in Edmonton can reach their relatives who permanently live in Canada. Close friends and business companions of parents who meet the requirements of custodianship in Edmonton also can become custodians for minor students. Additionally, parents may contact the school or hire a local provider of custodianship services.

Once parents find the custodian for the minor international student, they must sign a Declaration of Custodianship in Edmonton, which has two pages. Parents need to complete and notarize the first page in their residence country. The custodian ought to fill out and notarize the second page of the document in Canada.

The completed Declaration of Custodianship in Edmonton should be submitted along with the study permit application of the minor international student. Often, minors are accepted to Canadian schools without legal custodianship arrangements, but they cannot obtain a study permit without the Declaration of Custodianship in Edmonton. When the officer in charge approves the official arrangements, minor international students obtain a study permit.

Types of the Declaration of Custodianship in Edmonton

The Declaration of Custodianship in Edmonton has two types. The mandatory custodianship is applied to international students who are under 17 years old. The officer assesses the minor’s study permit application and decides whether the submitted Declaration of Custodianship in Edmonton acts in the interests of the minor international student.

The discretionary custodianship in Edmonton is applied to students who are 17 to 18 years old. The necessity of custodianship is determined on a case-by-case basis. Hence, officers can ask parents and minor students to pass an interview and send additional documents. Six main factors can influence the decision on custodianship in Edmonton.

1. Minor international students who pursue primary and secondary education must have a custodian, while post-secondary students may not have an appointed custodian.
2. Officers in charge evaluate the minor’s level of independence, such as previous studies abroad and accommodation.
3. They study the financial self-sufficiency of international students outside of parents’ support.
4. Officers check the minor’s travel experience, such as travel history and international exchange programs.
5. They assess the accessibility of the student’s parents in case of emergencies.
6. Officers evaluate informal custodian measures regarding the minor student in Canada.

 

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