Canada

Canada’s provinces and territories organise school education. There is no single national curriculum or admission process. Identify the board serving your intended home and ask it to confirm your child’s registration route, fee status and school placement. Keep those questions separate: eligibility to attend does not guarantee a particular school or specialist programme.

In Toronto, the TDSB’s work-permit route requires the parent to be physically resident in Ontario, with proof of status, the child’s identity and a Toronto address. Pending permit applications have a separate process through the admissions office. The board’s non-resident registration guidance explains the documents and circumstances.

Vancouver’s checklist asks work-permit families for a permit lasting at least one year and an employment letter for at least one year of work at 20 or more hours a week. It also requires identity, status and address evidence. Use the Newcomer Welcome Centre checklist and ask about your circumstances if any document is missing or your status is changing.

Families who do not qualify for funded places may be able to apply through a board’s fee-paying international programme, which sets its own tuition, insurance, guardianship and refund terms. A fee classification from one province or board does not carry over to another.

Provincial qualifications include Ontario’s Secondary School Diploma and British Columbia’s Dogwood diploma. Schools may also offer the IB Diploma or individual AP courses. These are different qualifications and course arrangements; check subjects, prerequisites and graduation requirements for your child’s year rather than choosing by a curriculum label alone.

For an older pupil, ask how existing credits will transfer and whether the proposed timetable supports the universities or courses they may consider. For a younger pupil, look at language development, learning support and how teachers help newcomers settle in, and what support the school cannot provide.

Public-school placement commonly depends on home address, while specialist programmes can have their own application windows and selection rules. French immersion and French-language schooling also have different purposes and admission routes, and a home address alone does not secure a specialist-programme place.

French is the usual language of preschool, elementary and secondary instruction in Quebec, with exceptions under provincial law. Some permanent-resident families qualify for English instruction through Canadian family schooling history. Some children accompanying temporary workers or students can apply for temporary authorisation. The intended educational organisation submits the application for a government decision; consult Quebec’s eligibility guidance for the applicable route and duration rules.

Unsubsidised private schools can have different admission requirements. Lower Canada College states that an English eligibility certificate is not required for admission. This school-specific option should not be confused with eligibility for the publicly funded English system.

For a Montreal move, discuss both language learning and the next stage of education. Ask how a child arriving with limited French will be supported and what qualifications and language requirements apply later; admission to an English private school does not settle every future eligibility question.

• Upper Canada College, Toronto: day tuition of CAD 44,940–48,720, plus CAD 10,000 registration for new day pupils. UCC fee schedule.
• Crofton House, Vancouver: CAD 35,300 tuition, including its CAD 3,000 deposit, plus CAD 5,000 entrance fees. A CAD 5,000 grant-related fee applies to some families; English+ is separately charged. Crofton House fee schedule.
• Mulgrave, West Vancouver: CAD 30,290–34,180 tuition plus consolidated charges, a CAD 3,000 new-student fee and a CAD 25,000 refundable family loan. Some K–12 pupils pay a CAD 7,000 non-resident supplement. Mulgrave fee schedule.
• St. George’s, Vancouver: BC-resident day tuition of CAD 37,300–37,400, compared with CAD 54,900 for international day pupils. Boarding ranges from CAD 77,700 to CAD 105,200 by category; new pupils pay a CAD 7,500 entrance levy. St. George’s fee schedule.

Separate a tuition instalment from an additional fee, and keep refundable deposits distinct from annual spending. Also account for uniforms, transport, meals, examinations, trips and support charges where applicable. For boarding, add any insurance, guardianship, holiday care and travel costs.

Financial assistance has school-specific eligibility, deadlines and renewal rules. Obtain an award decision before relying on it in your budget. Published maximum awards or historical averages are not guarantees for an individual family.

Ottawa: Ashbury College’s 2026–27 admission schedule lists CAD 40,920 day tuition and CAD 87,660 boarding, with a separate enrolment fee. Elmwood is another independent-school option to investigate. Compare grade availability, programme and support before treating either as suitable for your child.

Calgary: Webber Academy’s 2026–27 schedule lists CAD 21,000 for JK, CAD 24,000 for SK–Grade 6, CAD 25,200 for Grades 7–9 and CAD 25,800 for Grades 10–12. Its non-resident supplement is CAD 5,000, and each pupil requires a separate CAD 6,000 refundable enrolment bond, subject to deductions for outstanding balances. Starting after the provincial funding count can affect charges.

Calgary Academy and Strathcona-Tweedsmuir are additional schools to investigate according to your child’s needs and preferred programme. A lower published fee than a Toronto example is one school’s price, not a citywide saving, and services differ between schools.

This document-based guide was reviewed on 5 September 2026. Board and government sources support the eligibility guidance; school sources support the dated fee examples. Fees, available places and admission rules change from year to year.

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