Canadian Students

Each student will need a passport that is valid for at least 6 months from the end date of the school. This is vital in order to participate in the outreach. Most countries will not admit visitors whose passport expires within six months. Please bring this valid passport with you to the school.

US Students

In order to enter Canada, US students will need to have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months from the end date of the school. The School of Ministry is considered a short term program by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and therefore students do not need to apply for a study permit or visitors visa. Once accepted, students will be sent an SOM letter of acceptance and SOM travel package explaining the program, this can be helpful to present when landing at the border* to explain the nature of the School of Ministry (SOM) program.

International Students

Each student will need a passport that is valid for at least 6 months from the end date of the school. This is vital in order to participate in the outreach. Most countries will not admit visitors whose passport expires within six months. Once accepted students will be sent an SOM letter of acceptance and SOM travel package explaining the program, this can be helpful to present when landing at the border* to explain the nature of the School of Ministry (SOM) program.

Starting in March 2016, visa-exempt foreign nationals who fly to Canada will need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). Exceptions include U.S. citizens and travellers with a valid visa. To apply for an eTA, please visit http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/eta.asp

Please unsure you have researched and understand all requirements needed to enter Canada. To help you determine whether you need a visa to enter Canada or not, you can find a link to the Canadian government website here: https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp
If you do need a visa, please ensure you request a 'Multiple Entry Visa' in order to enable you to re-enter Canada when you return from outreach.

PLEASE NOTE: the Catch The Fire Toronto School Of Ministry (SOM) is not a Designated Learning Institute (DLI), and is therefor not recognized by Canadian Immigration as an official school. This means:

  • If you need a visa to enter Canada, the SOM letter of acceptance and SOM travel package or any other document/letter from SOM will not help you attain a Canadian visa. For this reason we do not give out any documents/letters expressly for the purpose of obtaining a Canadian visa. We also strongly recommend that you wait to pay any further fees to SOM until after you have obtained a Canadian visa and are sure you can enter Canada as not all fees are refundable. ($50 application fee and 3% of all other fees are non-refundable, see financial information package for further details)

  • *no matter what your citizenship, for the purpose of attending SOM, you are entering Canada as a visitor not as a student, since SOM is not a DLI (a student visa is only needed if you are attending a DLI). It will be helpful for you to keep this in mind when you land at the Canadian border.

One Module

For students taking one 5-month Heart Module or the 3-week Leaders School (LSOM), Citizenship and Immigration Canada document you as a visitor to Canada and typically give you permission to stay 6 months in Canada. This is enough to complete either the Heart Module or LSOM.

Multiple Modules

Students from outside of Canada who want to take multiple modules will need to extend their visitor's visa after their first module. The Citizenship and Immigration website for Canada has more details on this. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/extend-stay.asp


Catch The Fire School of Ministry does not take any responsibility for a student's immigration status. The obtainment of the appropriate visa or permit is the individual student's responsibility. If you have any questions please contact us at som.toronto@catchthefire.com.

 

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