The Perfect Application: Minimizing the Risk of Refusals Through Strong Immigration Support and Proactive Cross-Campus Collaboration
08:30 to 12:00
Refusals of our international students’ study permit, visa or work permit applications are a reality that every advisor and institution encounters. Refusals impact students’ mental and physical well-being, academic progress and aspiration, and career goals. Refusals also impact institutional reputation, planning, budgets, programming and goals. How can we work together to best support students and minimize such refusals by presenting strong applications? Which stakeholders can contribute to helping make our students’ applications the best they can be? This workshop will explore these questions and provide attendees with opportunities to collaborate and share best practices to help students present strong applications to IRCC and how best to handle refusals when they occur.
Learning Outcomes
- By the end of this workshop, participants would expect to be able to:
- Be able to identify immigration officers’ concerns and students’ mistakes that often lead to refusals.
- Deepen understanding of the supporting documents and information that can help contribute to a strong application.
- Better support students through the impact of receiving a refusal and the re-application process.
- Understand the value of collaboration within their institutional community to help best handle refusals.
This workshop will be approved by CICC for 3.5 hours of RISIA/RCIC continuing professional development (CPD).
Facilitators
- Marisa Norona, RISIA
Graduate Academic & International Specialist, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of CalgaryMarisa Norona has over 20 years of experience in post-secondary international education. In addition to French and English language teaching in various countries, Marisa has worked extensively with student exchange programs and international student advising, where she has supported students in gaining international experience and competencies both in Canada and abroad, prepared students for safety and experiential learning abroad, guided students through cultural and academic transitions in their adjustment to Canada and enhanced international students’ immigration literacy through comprehensive immigration advising and programming. Marisa holds a bachelor’s degree in French and a master’s in French Linguistics from the University of British Columbia. She became a RISIA in July 2018 and has been working with CBIE as an International Students and Immigration Education Program (ISIEP) instructor since 2019.
- Abdelaziz El Mejdouby, RCIC
International Student Immigration Advisor, University of TorontoAbdelaziz El Mejdouby has been working in education for over 20 years, primarily dedicated to supporting international students in post-secondary institutions in the United States and Canada. Abdelaziz holds an MBA and a master’s degree in education (MED) with a concentration in adult education. He is one of the first Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCIC) hired by the University of Toronto. Abdelaziz is also an instructor for CBIE’s International Students and Immigration Education Program (ISIEP) and helped develop the RISIA competencies for the regulatory body of RISIAs and RCICs. (formally ICCRC) Of note, Abdelaziz has also gone through the experience of being an international student in the US, which has shaped his career goals and has always made him passionate about helping international students.
Getting Across the Finish Line: Navigating Student Non-Compliance for Best Immigration Outcomes
13:00 to 16:30
The immigration policy landscape has been rapidly changing, resulting in an observable increase in student non-compliance, which can potentially have negative impacts. This interactive session will use case studies to explore the intersection of academic, non-academic and immigration advising and their effects on an international student’s immigration status. The workshop will emphasize the disjunction between student academic and immigration goals that may be interconnected with student non-compliance.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this workshop, participants would expect to be able to:
- Navigate non-compliance as it relates to poor academic performance, enrolment status (including suspensions and unauthorized leaves), unauthorized work, financial constraints and student well-being.
- Understand the importance of collaboration within their institution and community.
- Deepen their knowledge of the relevant sections of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) related to student non-compliance.
- Understand IRCC policy changes and Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulation (IRPR) amendments.
Participants are required to bring an electronic device, such as a laptop or tablet for participation throughout the session.
This workshop will be approved by CICC for 3.5 hours of RISIA/RCIC continuing professional development (CPD).
Facilitators
- Sarah Edwards, RISIA
International Student Advisor, Durham CollegeSarah has dedicated over 20 years to international education at Durham College, serving in various roles from international admissions to post-graduation support. Since 2012, she has been an International Student Advisor, passionately assisting international students in navigating the challenges and successes of post-secondary education and securing their Post-Graduation Work Permits. A strong advocate for internationalization in the college sector, she has been a Regulated International Student Immigration Advisor (RISIA) since 2018 and part of CBIE’s Immigration Advisory Committee (IAC) since 2021.
- Diana Jamal-Samborski, RCIC-IRB
International Student Specialist, Immigration, University of CalgaryDiana has a wealth of experience in the Canadian immigration sector, having previously served as an Immigration Officer with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and as a Border Services Officer (BSO) with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Spanning over 15 years, her career has taken her to various ports of entry and local immigration processing offices, with a posting at the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi, India. After transitioning from the public sector, Diana worked at a law firm before establishing her immigration consulting practice in Calgary. She joined the University of Calgary in 2021 as an International Student Specialist and is a member of the CBIE Immigration Advisory Committee (IAC).
