The minimum age requirement for students attending Heartland is 16 years old, however, we occasionally make exceptions for 14 or 15 year old students if they have local family support.
For maximum student participation the average is 15 students per class, maximum 25 students.
Winnipeg Nationality Mix:
Brazilian 24%
Chinese 23%
European 11%
Korean 6%
Indian 6%
Japanese 5%
Mexican 4%
Vietnamese 3%
Colombian 3%
Iranian 2%
Other (34 countries) 15%
Mississauga Nationality Mix:
Mexican 22%
Brazilian 14%
Chinese 8%
Colombian 7%
Japanese 5%
Indian 4%
Taiwanese 4%
Vietnamese 3%
Turkish 3%
Italian 3%
Other(34 countries) 29%
New Years’ Day – January 1
Louis Riel Day in Manitoba/
Family Day in Ontario – third Monday of February
Good Friday – Friday before Easter Sunday
Victoria Day – last Monday before May 25
Canada Day – July 1
Terry Fox Day in Manitoba/
Civic Holiday in Ontario – first Monday of August
Labour Day – first Monday of September
Thanksgiving Day – second Monday of October
Remembrance Day – Nov. 11
Winter holidays – Christmas Day (December 25)
Yes, group tours are available. Heartland is able to customize packages for small groups with special interests.
Heartland homestays provide food for 3 meals per day. Students will typically prepare their own breakfast and lunch, and homestay families typically prepare dinner.
The airport in Winnipeg is called the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.
The airport in Mississauga is called the Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Students will be greeted at the airport by the homestay coordinator, and possibly the homestay family. This is a free service provided by Heartland for students staying in a Heartland accommodation (homestay or residence). Students who have made their own accommodation arrangements can request an airport transfer at the cost of $65.
There is no minimum or maximum length of stay. You can study for any length of time from one week to one year or longer!
Yes, the Winnipeg and Mississauga bus systems are very easy to use. All homestays are within 40 minutes by bus to Heartland.
Arrive at Heartland by 8:45am on your first day of school. You will be introduced to students and staff and given a tour of the school. You will take a placement test to determine which level you will join. The placement test begins at 9am, and takes approximately 1.5-hours to complete. After the placement test, you will be given a school orientation, and have your photo taken for your school ID card. Lastly, you will be taken to find your classroom right before the lunch break from 12-1pm. In the afternoon, from 1-3pm, you join your level and meet your teacher and classmates for your first class. Please bring a pen or pencil, notebook, and dictionary (optional) to school. All other materials will be provided by the school. You can also bring a lunch to school, and use the kitchen facilities.
Heartland offers Medical Health Insurance through Guard.me. If you do not have another insurance provider or plan for while you are in Canada, it is important that you purchase insurance through Heartland. To find out more, please check here: Guard.me Medical Health Insurance
You can contact your country Embassy or Consulate should you require help while in Canada: List of Embassies and Consulates in Canada
Visitor Visa Students from most foreign countries may enter Canada for a period of up to six months without a visa, and may study for a period of up to six months. For some foreign countries a Visitor Visa is required for entry. Please check with the closest Canadian Embassy or Consulate.
Documents required at airport customs:
• Valid Passport
• Visitor Visa (if required for your country)
• Proof of sufficient funds
• Return airline ticket
If a student wishes to study for more than six months in Canada they must obtain a Student Authorization from the Immigration section of the Embassy or Consulate in their country.
Documents required at airport customs:
• Valid Passport
• Medical exam documents (if required)
• Proof of financial support
• Letter of Acceptance from school
• Letter of authorization from Canadian embassy
Note: A Student Authorization (Visa) may be extended within Canada.
Yes, both Heartland Winnipeg and Heartland Mississauga have DLI status. This means that students can use an acceptance letter from Heartland (which has our DLI number on it) to apply for a study permit if they plan to study for longer than 6 months.
Click here for more information about DLI
Students arriving from Visa exempt countries are now required to have an Electronic Travel Authorization when traveling to Canada.
For more information please look here:
Find out if you are eligible, and which options are available to you please check here: IEC options and eligibility
For further information please visit the IEC information page of the Immigration Canada website at www.cic.gc.ca.
