Custodianship for Minor International Students

Custodianship is the core specialty of DingLu Education. If your child is under 18 and planning to study in Canada without a parent or legal guardian, IRCC requires a legally appointed custodian. We provide the full process — custodian appointment, document notarization, and ongoing daily support — across major cities in Canada.

What is a custodian?

A custodian is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, residing in Canada, who has reached the age of majority in their province (18 in Alberta, 19 in most other provinces). The custodian is formally authorized by the student’s parents to take legal responsibility for the minor’s care during their time in Canada.

A custodian is a required component of an IRCC study permit application for minors. Missing or incorrectly prepared custodianship documents are one of the most common reasons for study permit refusal.

Why custodianship is required

• Study Permit application: Minors applying for a study permit must include the Custodianship Declaration (Form IMM 5646)
• School admission: Canadian public and private schools require evidence of a legal custodianship arrangement before admitting a minor international student
• Medical decision-making: In medical emergencies, the custodian can make necessary decisions on behalf of the parents
• Day-to-day oversight: Schools liaise with the custodian for report cards, parent-teacher meetings, and behavioural matters
• Emergency contact: Local point of contact for host families, schools, and authorities

What our custodianship service includes

• Custodian appointment: Matching a compliant, experienced custodian based on the student’s city, school, and age
• IMM 5646 Custodianship Declaration: Notarized signing in Canada, formatted to IRCC requirements
• Parent declaration: Coordinating notarization in China (or other home country), including Hague apostille where applicable
• 24/7 emergency contact: Available to the student, school and host family at any time
• School liaison: Attending parent-teacher meetings, receiving report cards, communicating with homeroom teachers and international student offices
• Host family coordination: Assistance with host family matching or change, mediating issues
• Medical authorization: Signing on parents’ behalf in medical emergencies
• Airport transfers: Pickup and drop-off on arrival and departure (as needed)
• Local logistics support: SIN card, bank account, transit card, health insurance setup
• Timely communication: Timely Mandarin communication with parents on the student’s academic and life situation

Coverage

We have custodianship partners in major cities across Canada to provide local support for students nationwide:

Process

1. Consultation: We learn about the student (age, school, city) via WeChat or email and assess the right matching plan
2. Service agreement: Confirm scope, duration (typically by school year), fees; sign a formal service agreement
3. Documentation: Custodian notarizes IMM 5646 in Canada; parents notarize the parental authorization in their home country (overseas notary support provided)
4. Study permit submission: Custodianship documents submitted with the study permit application
5. Ongoing care: After approval and arrival, the custodian begins active duty — 24/7 contact, school liaison, timely communication
6. Renewal / progression: Custodianship continues until the student turns 18; school transfers, study permit extensions are coordinated in parallel

Pricing

Custodianship pricing is customized based on city, service duration (per term / school year), and depth of service (basic / standard / full). We do not publish a flat price list because every family’s situation is different — we want each plan to genuinely fit the family’s needs.

Please contact us for a tailored quote.