Families of students

uoit president with international student family

QUICK LINKS

General resources in the community

ESL support in the community

Working in Canada for spouses/partners of international students

Schools for children of international students

General resources in the community

A general website for newcomers (more specific to those who hold permanent residency (PR)) hosted by the Ontario Government is known as Settlement.organd Centrefranco.org (for francophones).

ESL support in the community

There are a number of off-campus English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. Some of these programs will have a cost associated with them. Other programs will be free or at reduced charges if you have PR status within Canada (if you are applying for PR, this is not the same).

For further information, visit ESL Community Programs.

Another search database of ESL programs can be found on the Government of Ontario website.

Working in Canada for spouses/partners of international students

Working in Canada: Documentation
With respect to Work Permits and other regulations of international students, see here. Both, Permanent Residents and partners/spouses of international students will require a Social Insurance Number (SIN).

Working in Canada: Agencies and Resources
For some students' partners/spouses who arrive as permanent residents of Canada or as international students, finding employment in one's related field can be a challenge without the Canadian work experience.

The Government of Ontario has established a number of programs and resources/centres to assist new immigrants:

Global Experience Ontario: An access and resource centre for the internationally trained. The office is located at 285 Victoria Street, 7^thFloor, Toronto, ON. Call 1.416.327.9464 for click here;
Check out the database of employment assistance through IPS; and
Skills for Change.

Specific agencies for women include:

Schools for children of international students

In Canada, education is a provincial responsibility. The Ontario Ministry of Education website provides an in-depth description of elementary and secondary education, including curriculum and expectations for each grade level and subject, a school board directory, and an elementary and secondary school finder.

Children of international students are not required to have a Study Permit see regulation 5.17.

Public Schools

In Ontario there are publicly funded non-denominational schools and publicly-funded Catholic schools. Click on the links below to visit each school board's website. In most situations, parents need to provide:

proof of registration, program of study and fees paid to UOIT for full-time study;
passports of parent and children ;
birth certificates; and
two pieces of identification demonstrating where the parents/family resides within the school district education is free within the respective public school district where the parent(s) reside.

Area Public School Boards

French-Language Schools

Conseil Scolaire de District du Centre-Sud-Ouest
(French Public District School Board, including the Toronto area)
Conseil Scolaire de District Catholique Centre-Sud
(French Catholic District School Board, including the Toronto area)
The Toronto French School
A bilingual, co-educational and nondenominational school, offering kindergarten, elementary and secondary education.
French Languages Schools in Toronto and Mississauga
A list of public, private and Catholic French schools.

Link to Private Schools

Religious Schools:

Many private schools in the Greater Toronto Area approach their curriculum from a religious perspective. You can also link to the Government of Ontario's Private Elementary and Secondary Schools page and specify the appropriate faith.

If you would like further information about public education in Ontario, please click here.