CBIC
Consultoria Brasileira de Interc�mbio CulturalFrequently Asked Questions:
01 - Since the head office is in Canada, how are the financial
arrangements made?
02 - Are there any financing options?
03 - How can a visa be obtained without a CBIC office in my country?
04 - Is it possible to take exchange courses in Toronto, Vancouver
or Montreal?
05 - Why is there such a large price difference between CBIC and
other companies?
06 - May I know which Homestay family will receive me before I
leave my country?
07 - Do I need to arrange transportation for my arrival in Canada?
08 - Do I have to advise CBIC of my arrival day so someone can look
for me at the airport?
09 - What time are the courses and also the coffee breaks?
10 - How many daily meals are included in the price that I pay for
the course?
11 - What are the initial start dates of the courses?
12 - What are the features of the schools?
13 - Are the teachers Canadian?
14 - Are there people from my country in Hamilton?
15 - Could you provide details about the city of Hamilton?
16 - Does CBIC provide any references from students who have already studied in Canada?
17 - How many students are there in each classroom?
18 - Is there any difference between the Canadian dollar and the
American dollar?
19 - Do I get a private room in my Homestay?
20 - What is the geography and climate of Hamilton?
21 - How much does the student spend per month approximately?
22 - How much is the airline ticket, are there student discounts?
23 - Does CBIC offer internet access?
24 - May I have the name of the school where I will take the
immersion course?
01 - Since the head office is in Canada, how are the financial arrangements made?
Our objective is to maintain an attractive price for the courses so we do not have representatives outside Canada. CBIC is aware of the nature of internet transactions and therefore all the financial transactions take place when the students arrive in Canada.
02 - Are there any financing options?
Yes, our objective is the well-being, comfort and safety of our clients, therefore CBIC has the following payment plan:
$400.00USD on arrival of the student in Canada;
Pay the school directly on the day the student starts;
Pay the host family monthly. In this manner it is easier for the student to ask to change Homestays if they would prefer.
03 - How can a visa be obtained without a CBIC office in my country?
The student is responsible for interacting with the Canadian consulate which is located in major cities, in order to obtain the visa.
A visitor visa will enable a foreigner to stay in Canada for as long as six months. However if they wish to study for any longer than 3 months a student visa is required. For this a "Letter of Acceptance" from the school must be provided.
04 - Is it possible to take exchange courses in Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal?
CBIC doesn't operate in large urban centres, that is why we are able to keep our costs down, the cost of living is much higher in the major cities. For example, it costs at least $700.00CAD monthly to rent a room in Toronto. If we were to operate in the large centres our prices would be as high as or higher than our competitors.
05 - Why is there such a large price difference between CBIC and other companies?
As referred to in #4, and because we have no representatives abroad.
06 - May I know which Homestay family will host me before I leave my country?
It is difficult to provide this information in advance, it depends on the arrivals and departures of the students and also on the families' availability.
07 - Do I need to arrange transportation for my arrival in Canada?
It is not necessary to arrange transportation for your arrival in Canada as it is included in the package.
08 - Do I have to advise CBIC of my arrival day so someone can look for me at the airport?
Please advise CBIC of your arrival date in advance. To minimize the risk of not being able to find you, CBIC asks for the name of the airport, flight number, date and time of departure from your country and arrival in Canada. For your peace of mind, CBIC will provide you with a telephone number in Canada, as noted on the website.
09 - What time are the courses and also the coffee breaks?
All of the courses begin at 9:00 am and there is a 15 minute coffee break at 10:00. Courses over 3 hours long have another break of 30 to 45 minutes at midday.
10 - How many daily meals are included in the price that I pay for the course?
Meals include breakfast and supper. Canadian people don't have a typical lunch. Regardless of social class, it's common to bring a packed lunch ie: sandwich, fruit, cookies, soup in a thermos, or even raw carrots or other vegetables.
11 - What are the initial start dates of the courses?
When the students arrive they are tested for English skills to ascertain which level they should be in. According to the test results the student is placed in a class that is already in progress. So there are no official starting dates for the English immersion course.
12 - What are the features of the schools?
The school offers traditional classes. Teachers provide photocopied selections from English grammar books so that purchasing textbooks is not required. There are also multimedia labs with computers.
13 - Are the teachers Canadian?
There are Canadian and British teachers.
14 - Are there people from my country in Hamilton?
Email us this question followed by your nationality and CBIC will let you know as soon as possible.
15 - Could you provide details about the city of Hamilton?
Hamilton is located in the province of Ontario, 45 minutes by car from the city of Toronto, which is where your flight will arrive;
Hamilton is situated � hour by car from one of the most famous and beautiful tourist attractions in the world: Niagara Falls. Another attraction of Niagara Falls is that it is on the border with the USA, New York state. If the student has an American visa, they can go shopping in Buffalo (NY) on the direct courtesy bus from Hamilton;
If you wish to visit New York City, it is a 30-45 minute flight from Toronto;
Hamilton has its own international airport;
Bathed by Lake Ontario Hamilton has a beach with a boardwalk where in summer especially the Canadians enjoy walking, riding bikes, and rollerblading. In the lake you can enjoy water sports such as windsurfing, skiing, sailing etc.
Hamilton has it's own hockey team (Bulldogs) and American football team (Tiger Cats). At the end of 1999 Hamilton became the centre of Canadian sports attractions because the Tiger Cats won the national championship.
16 - Does CBIC provide any references from students who have already studied in Canada?
CBIC asks which country/city/state you live in so they may send you a reference from someone as close to your area as possible.
17 - How many students are there in each classroom?
It's difficult to say precisely how many students will be in a classroom, but generally about 10.
18 - Is there any difference between the Canadian dollar and the American dollar?
Yes, there is a large difference between the CAD and USD. Currently the exchange rate is about 1.5CAD to the USD. CBIC quotes in USD, as USD is a more recognized currency worldwide.
19 - Do I get a private room in my Homestay?
We try to find individual rooms, but we cannot guarantee this. Sometimes you may need to share with a Canadian roommate, but of the same sex. Booking well in advance of your arrival date will increase the likelihood of your receiving a private room.
20 - What is the geography and climate of Hamilton?
Hamilton is in the province of Ontario, 70 KM from Toronto, and also near the American state of New York. In winter (Dec. to Mar.) the temperature is as low as 30- C. In the summer it can be as high as 30+ C.
21 - How much does the student spend per month approximately?
This is dependant on the student. If they stay in Hamilton the cost is very little. However as was mentioned before there are many interesting sights nearby such as Toronto, Niagara, N.Y etc. Naturally you will want to visit places if you are spending some time abroad, so your costs will vary depending on how much you want to do.
22 - How much is the airline ticket to Canada; are there student discounts?
CBIC does not assist in airline travel arrangements, the student will have to check about this in their own country. You may find out about the International Student Card for a possible discount.
You might also consider 'high' and 'low' season as this affects prices considerably.
23 - Does CBIC offer internet access?
CBIC provides each student with a city map of Hamilton which has been marked with places providing public internet access.
24 - May I have the name of the school where I will take the immersion course?
Unfortunately CBIC does not reveal the names of its' schools as situations have arisen whereby the school was contacted directly. CBIC reserves the right to not reveal the names of the schools until the appropriate time.
We hope this policy will be understood because it is not CBIC's intention to limit the information available to the student and it would not be in our best interest to deal with a possible future client in this manner.
