Hosts

1. Application
Please begin the process by completing our Online Host Application. All information provided on the application and during the interview is protected by Canada's Protection of Personal Information Act. Our policies are available on our website or by written request.

2. Interview
After we have reviewed your application, we may contact you to arrange an interview. Not all hosts are contacted for an interview. Selection is made primarily based on current demand for host families, and may also include criteria such as proximity to a particular school.

If you are contacted, please register for our Host Portal to download the forms and documents you will need to prepare for the interview.

3. Next Steps
We will contact your two character references and request your criminal records checks. Note: all our host families must obtain the appropriate criminal background check for all members of the household over the age of 18 (19 in British Columbia).

For hosts of minors, a Police Record Check or Vulnerable Sector Search (VSS) is required. This check can only be done in person at your local police or RCMP station.

For hosts who will only host adults the standard Criminal Records Check is required. This can be done at your local police or RCMP station. You may be required to pay a fee (which varies by community, but can be up to $50 per person) for this documentation.

Upon request, Canada Homestay International can initiate a Criminal Records Check online for just $30. Please discuss this with your local C.H.I. Relationship Manager after completing the online application.

Note: if another organization (such as your employer) has already obtained a Criminal Records Check on your behalf, a copy of that document or a letter from your supervisor confirming the status of the check will suffice. All background checks must be current (ie. completed within the last three years.)

4. Registration
Once we have received all of your documentation, your application is considered complete and your family is registered and 'active' in our database. We will include you in our searches when we receive student applications.

You may not be contacted immediately. Our Relationship Managers do their best to match students with host families that are most suitable according to their (and your!) individual requests. Please recognise that we use many criteria when making these matches. Our volume of student applications also fluctuate throughout the year, and we notice that our peak season is usually in the summer months.

Having said that, we are always happy to hear from you and hope that you will update us periodically with your availability and interest in hosting. We also endeavour to stay in touch with our hosts through our newsletter and annual social events.


Hosts FAQs

Complete Our Online Host Application