A Vancouver lawyer will delve into some of the challenges of Canadian immigration law at an ICEF Vancouver seminar for agents on April 23.
Thinking Beyond Simple – Advanced Issues for International Students and their Advisors Under Canadian Immigration Law, will be presented by Will Tao, a lawyer with Larlee Rosenberg, Barristers & Solicitors, Canada.
“Increasingly, I’ve seen agents getting into trouble,” said Tao. “They can try to do too much and end up facing liability for providing unauthorized legal advice.”
He said it’s tough to stay on top of all the changes in rules and regulations.
“Even for someone like myself who does this every day, it can be a challenge to keep up to date. This is complicated by the fact there are so many unnavigated grey areas in Canadian student immigration,” he said.
He said a key to giving good advice as a student agent or recruiter is to have a good working knowledge about Canadian immigration laws, but to use it to inform their own business development rather than to purport to add value to a student’s immigration decision. “It is important to know when to approach an authorized representative for help and immigration advice.” Tao added.
Tao said that right now some Canadian immigration legislation around student compliance is worded very broadly, leaving it open to interpretation and Officer discretion. A set of program delivery instructions from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada should make things clearer when they are released.
“It’s a time of uncertainty and change,” Tao said.
He added that agents and others could also benefit from understanding the pathway to permanent residence established by Express Entry and Provincial Nomination Programs and how that may influence international student decisions on which institutions to attend.
At the ICEF Vancouver seminar, Tao will guide participants through the initial study permit application by introducing a mock scenario. He will outline the people and regulatory agencies involved with these applications.
He will also discuss some common issues and misconceptions associated with the applications, such as concerns about an institution, concerns about funding, misrepresentation as an inadmissibility and offense, and more.
Tao will touch on the most common reasons for study permit refusals as well as highlight some Federal Court of Canada cases related to international students studying in Canada.
What happens after graduation is also on the agenda. Tao will describe some of the immigration pathways available after students finish their studies.
“I hope the agents that leave my presentation will be both optimistic to the potential of international student immigration, but also cautious in how they position their own services in a professional and ethical manner.” Tao summed up.
Thinking Beyond Simple – Advanced Issues for International Students and their Advisors Under Canadian Immigration Law seminar is sponsored by University Canada West and is taking place from 4:15 pm to 5 pm on Sunday, April 23 at the Hyatt Regency, Vancouver.
ICEF Vancouver runs from April 23 – 25, 2017.
