The Homestay Program

As a Homestay Host, you will open your home to students from other cultures and help them adapt to the Canadian lifestyle.

Students from around the world will choose the beautiful and pristine northwestern BC as a study destination with Coast Mountains School District 82.

Students will experience a personalized high-quality education while enjoying the local culture, a true Canadian experience, discovering the great outdoors, hands-on natural resources, and the safety and friendliness of smaller communities that will enhance their learning and development of the English language.

As a Homestay Host, you will not only give a student the chance to experience daily life in Canada, but you will also provide yourself and your family with an opportunity to learn about another culture without leaving your home.

We would like to welcome you as part of the Homestay Program!

The Homestay Program is a key component of the school district's International Student Program.

The Homestay Program is run under Coast Mountains School District 82 and is not a private business. CMSD 82 International Student Program staff are committed to providing a safe, quality homestay for each visiting international student.

Homestay Host Expectations

All Homestay Hosts and their families will be screened with a criminal record check and their homes will have been inspected to ensure high-quality, safe, and welcoming environments.

Most students are leaving their families for the first time when they study abroad. Hosts welcome them with an open heart, treating the student as a member of the family while supporting their academic progress. English must be the language spoken at home.

As a Homestay host you are responsible for providing International students with:

A welcoming and friendly environment.
Caring host parents.
A private bedroom, which includes a comfortable bed, study table, and lamp
Bathroom and laundry facilities
Three substantial meals a day plus healthy snacks
Transportation to and from school if required
Airport pick up and drop off if required

Once a person or family is selected, we will email a profile with pictures and contact numbers/email addresses, so that new students will have more information about their host family and will be able to make initial contact prior to arrival if desired.

By inviting a student into their lives, a host family experiences new and exciting family dynamics. They also learn about other cultures and traditions.

Hosting often leads to the development of long-term relationships, with the host family visiting their student in their home country.

Reasons to become a Homestay Host include:

Experience new and exciting family dynamics
Help a student adapt to the Canadian lifestyle
Connect your family to the world
Learn about other cultures and traditions
Build lasting friendships
Be involved in your community

Who Should Be a Homestay Host?

Families, couples, empty nesters, and singles can become a host.

Host families will receive a $1,000 honorarium, per student, every month.

Your Homestay Coordinator will provide orientation and ongoing support for students participating in the Homestay Program.

The Ministry of Education of British Columbia published guidelines regarding homestay for Kindergarten to Grade 12 international students.

International student parents/legal guardians, international students, agencies, current host families, and potential host families can learn more about these guidelines and their responsibilities by accessing the K-12 International Student Homestay Guidelines, downloading, or printing.

Help us share our true regional hospitality by becoming a Homestay Family. You can play an important role in making the international student's experience one they will never forget!

I want to learn more about the Homestay Process

You are in the right place! Welcome local families, couples and individuals interested in learning more about the Homestay Program Application Process. The link below will take you to our process and how to get started right away:

Homestay Host Program