• The EMSB will accept international students only at the high school level.
• Student placement will be determined according to space availability in our schools and to the academic program which is most appropriate for the student.
• The EMSB takes into consideration your request for a particular school, however, the final decision on any placement is determined solely by the EMSB.
• It should also be noted that the school principal reserves the right to change the grade level or the program of the student if the English language skills are not at the appropriate level.

Secondary I to III (Grade 7 to 9)

Students applying to a high school for Secondary I to Secondary III (Grade 7 to 9) must be able to demonstrate a beginner  level  proficiency  in  English  (comprehension,  written  and spoken).

Secondary IV (Grade 10)

Students who register in Secondary IV (Grade 10) must be able to demonstrate an intermediate level proficiency in English (comprehension, written and spoken).

Secondary V (Grade 11)

In Quebec, in order to receive a High School Diploma, students must have successfully accumulated 54 credits in both Secondary IV and V. Students who would like to register as an International Student in this final year must be aware that they will not have earned enough credits to graduate from High School. The EMSB will accept only applications that have been approved by the school principal. If the application is retained, the student must be able to demonstrate an intermediate level proficiency in English (comprehension, written and spoken).

Please take note that to receive a Quebec Secondary School Diploma (Diplôme d'études secondaires in French) the student must have passed all of these following courses with a minimum of 60%. These courses are offered in both secondary IV (Grade 10) and secondary V (Grade 11).

• Students entering Secondary I to V (Grades 7 to 11) must arrive in Montreal by August 20th at the latest.
• All students must attend a mandatory Orientation Session at the end of August.
• Parents and/or the student’s legal guardian must attend a meeting during orientation session.
• Recruitment agents/agency must attend a meeting during the orientation session.

1. Full year of study (end of August to June 23rd)
2. 1/2 year - First semester only (August to January 31st)
   P.S. There will be no new students admitted in the second semester

• Students must submit their application between December 6^th to May 31^st for the upcoming school year
• Requests for admissions will only be accepted and processed during these dates

Please review our Admission Fees section for details

Admission Fees

1. Letter of Acceptance (LOA)
2. International Student Agreement (signed by student/ parent/ guardian)
3. Full tuition payment is required (Deadline is May 31st )
4. A notarized copy of the Custodian/Guardian document from immigration Canada
5. Original Birth Certificate including the name of the parents and a certified and notarized translated version in English or French
6. Certificate of Acceptance of Immigration Quebec (CAQ)
7. Study Permit from Immigration Canada
8. A certificate of English Eligibility (This document will be completed only upon your arrival in Montreal by EMSB representative)
9. An Inter-Board Agreement is needed, if the student will be living outside the EMSB territory

Please check our Admission Process page to learn when/how to receive/apply for above documents.

Admission Process

• The Certificate of Eligibility is issued by the Ministère de l'Éducation et de l'Enseignement supérieur (MEES) and gives the international student permission to attend English public schools in
• This certificate of English Eligibility will be completed upon your arrival in
• Once the certificate of eligibility is granted by the Ministère de l'Éducation et de l'Enseignement supérieur (MEES), the guardian/student will receive an email indicating that they can now start attending their selected school.
• As soon as the international student receives their certificate of eligibility in the mail, he/she must bring it to the school.  The school will make a copy for their file.

• In order to apply for the Certificate of Eligibility the agent or guardian is required under oath to solemnly declare that neither the family nor the student has received or applied for either “Refugee Status” or “Certificat de Sélection du Québec (CSQ).

Please refer to Step 4 on our Admission Process page.

EMSB does not provide Home Stay accommodation however we recommend using Canada Homestay Network for our International Students. Canada Homestay has successfully placed over 40,000 students in safe, loving, and caring homes.

• While studying at the EMSB, the student MUST be directly supervised by a legal (This guardian must be able to meet with the school administration whenever required).
• The student must live with this legal guardian, in the same residence unit (home/apartment), for the entire time that he/she is studying at an EMSB high school.
• The EMSB does not accept that students live in a dormitory.
• The EMSB requires that each student lives in an apartment/home with an adult guardian who is keenly and actively overseeing the student’s well-being, education and personal safety.
• No student must live outside his/her guardian’s home/apartment, even if they turn eighteen (18) during the school year.
• The EMSB reserves the right to verify the living situation of all its international students.
• If during the school year, there is a change of guardian or custodian, the student is responsible to inform their administrative technician of these changes.
• Students living in circumstances that do not meet the requirements set out by the board, will be reported to the authorities, and risk having their schooling contract cancelled.

Should you decide to find your own homestay families, you, as the parent/agency/agent, will be responsible:

• To ensure that the students have their own private room and reside with their guardian in the same apartment or home.
• To ensure that the students are NOT placed in a dormitory (building) with multiple students under the supervision of a manager.
• To inspect the home to ensure all safety codes are respected and in place (fire extinguisher, smoke detectors, etc.)
• To do a police check on each family member over the age of 18.
• To ensure that the student has a proper room with a bed, desk, lamp, chair, linens, and dresser.
• To verify that the student is happy, safe, and thriving in the new environment.
• To provide the EMSB with proof (i.e. pictures of the apartment/home, police check ) that the homestay family meets the criteria.

Emergency

• The tuition fee includes an emergency health insurance policy in case the student becomes ill or injured and NOT for a pre-existing illness or injury.
• Expenses will NOT be covered for an illness or sickness the student already had before the start of the policy.
• The insurance also includes Third Party. The key feature is that it provides $1,000,000 liability coverage for students against unintended events that cause damage to a third party, including homestay and elsewhere.

Mental Health

• The tuition fees also include an enhanced mental health support program in addition to emergency health insurance.
• The StudentVIP program (our health insurance provider) will provide services to students who may be faced with challenges such as culture shock, stress, anxiety, and loneliness.
• Students will have access to support services by professional counsellors 24/7, in their own language. These professionals will be available through mobile and web chat, telephone, or video.

The actual policy will provide all the details for exclusions and for additional information please visit www.StudentVIP.ca/EMSB.