A sign for students: ‘Canada admission guaranteed’

“Canada Admission Guaranteed” touts the banner promoting one of Satish Kumar’s latest ventures.

The intrepid entrepreneur, 46, started Royal International Abroad Study Consulting Services (RIAS) three-and-a-half years ago.

Mr. Kumar saw an opportunity to provide assistance in his booming hometown of Jaipur to middle-class parents who want to get their children into college and post-graduate programs in Britain, the United States, Australia and Canada. Hundreds have sought his counsel.

“Actually, we are a real estate company, but I thought this might be a good business also. Many want to study in Canada,” the RIAS founder says.

Mr. Kumar’s advertisement hangs prominently in one of India’s many shiny new shopping malls, in a space over a Subway, the U.S. sandwich chain that has nearly 200 branches in the subcontinent. In so many ways, the new India is highly aspirational, with a taste for the international.

As the country’s economy continues its impressive economic growth and competition to get into elite colleges increases, more and more Indian parents who can afford it are exploring the option of sending children abroad to study.

Two years ago, 160,000 Indian students – most heading to Britain – spent $4 billion (U.S.) on their education away from home. Only 2,500 were enrolled in Canada. Today that number has approximately doubled.

Canada welcomed 178,000 international students last year, according to government statistics, and contributed more than $6 billion (Canadian) to the economy.

With a large English-speaking population and a culture that prizes educational achievement, India has become a target for Canadian college and university recruiters, who see it as a potentially lucrative market.

Last fall, an official delegation travelled to key Indian cities to network and explore how to attract more of the country’s best and brightest to Canadian schools.

“Studying in Canada is so costly,” Mr. Kumar says, “but people want to go because everyone wants to try schools in other countries and parents want their children to have success in life.”

In India, foreign college and graduate degrees are considered prestigious. Companies have sprouted all over the country, pitching the kind of services Mr. Kumar offers. In the case of RIAS, its founder says students don’t pay him, the firm collects money from recruiting schools for every applicant.

At many other agencies, the student shoulders the costs. Fees range from a few hundred dollars for basic help with forms and visas, to the thousands of dollars for assistance that includes preparation for tests, school applications and immigration guidance.

Though he has employees, Mr. Kumar has long been familiar with the process of finding and settling into a school in Canada. His daughter, who is in her 20s, got into acting school in Vancouver.

“She likes it very much.”

Special to the Globe and Mail

Alexandra A. Seno has written about economics and business trends in Asia since 1994. She is a regular contributor to Newsweek, the International Herald Tribune and The Wall Street Journal Asia. She lives in Hong Kong.

Emigrate to Ontario under the Provincial Nominee Program

Since February 2009, the Ontario Pilot Provincial Nominee Program (Pilot PNP) has been known as Opportunities Ontario: Provincial Nominee Program.

As with other Canadian PNPs, Opportunities Ontario is employer driven. You may only apply if your employer is pre-screened, the position is approved and your employer provides you with a nominee application package from Opportunities Ontario.

You will need to submit your application to the province first and then apply for a permanent resident visa through Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) as a Provincial Nominee, once Ontario approves your application.
Applicants to the Opportunities Ontario program can apply under one of five categories:

Foreign Workers (General Category)
Investors
Students with a Job Offer
PhD Graduates
Masters Graduates

Foreign Workers (General Category)

Skilled workers may be able to apply to Opportunities Ontario under the general category if:

Their prospective employer has first applied for a pre-screening of a position
The position has been approved
Their prospective employer has sent an approval letter, a signed Joint Verification form and a Pre-screen Position form
However, the three points above are not a guarantee of approval. To be eligible, you also need to:
Have at least two years of work experience within the previous five years in the intended occupation, or have appropriate registration in Ontario (NB: Unpaid, unathorised or volunteer experience will not be accepted)
Have an approved, permanent full-time job offer in a skilled occupation (NOC 0, A or B)
Have been offered a wage that meets the prevailing wage level for the intended occupation
Have legal status if you are already residing in Canada

Please note that after the issue of your employer pre-screen approved position form, you have 60 days to submit your application to Opportunities Ontario.

For more information on how to apply under the Foreign Worker (General Category) stream, please review the Application Guide for Nominees.

Investors (General Category)

The Investors stream allows companies making an investment in Ontario to recruit or relocate key employees to ensure the long-term success of their investment.

Recruited or relocated employees under the Investors category must meet the same eligibility requirements as those under the Foreign Workers (General Category).

Review the brochure of information for investors for additional information on how to apply.

Students with a Job Offer (International Student Category)

Ontario employers can extend permanent, full-time job offers to international students who have completed their post-secondary education at a publicly-funded Canadian institution. These students can then be eligible to apply for an Ontario Provincial Nomination Certificate.

In order to apply under the International Student Category, you must:

Have completed at least half of your studies in Canada, and have graduated or will soon be graduating from an eligible publicly funded Canadian college or university (NB: You must send proof of graduation with their application)
Have completed a minimum of a two-year diploma or degree program, while studying on a full-time basis. One-year post-graduate degree programs and certificate programs, which require a previous degree or diploma (which may have been obtained abroad), are also eligible
Have a job offer in a managerial, professional or skilled trades occupation (NOC 0, A or B). The job offer does not have to be related to the field of study.
Have a job offer that is permanent and full-time and meets the entry level wage for the occupation, rather than the prevailing wage required for applicants in the General Category
Apply within two years of the date on which you received your degree or diploma, or in the alternative, during the last semester of completing your degree or diploma
Have legal status, if you are already residing in Canada
Have received your employer’s approval letter, signed Joint Verification and Pre-screen Position form

International student applicants do not need to have any previous work experience. You may apply for an approved position from within Canada or from overseas.

PhD Graduates (International Student Category)

Candidates under this part of the International Student Category must have obtained their PhDs from an Ontario publicly-funded university and do not need a job offer to be eligible for the Opportunities Ontario Program.

To apply under the PhD Graduates stream, you will not require a job offer.However, you will need to:

Have graduated from an existing PhD program at an eligible publicly funded university in Ontario, or
Have successfully completed all degree requirements for the program (i.e completion of course work and successfully defended your thesis and are awaiting the granting of your degree) and have completed at least two years of your PhD studies at an eligible publicly funded university in Ontario
Apply within two years of the date on which your PhD degree was granted
Have legal status, if you already are residing in Canada

Masters Graduates (International Student Category)

As with applicants under the PhD Graduates Stream, Masters Graduates do not require a job offer from an Ontarian employer.

However, to apply for the Opportunities Ontario PNP as a Masters Graduate, you must:

Intend to live and work in Ontario
Have graduated from an existing Masters program at an eligible publicly funded university in Ontario
Have completed a minimum of one academic year degree program, while studying on a full-time basis
Apply within two years of the date on which your Masters degree was granted, or in the alternative, during the last semester of completing your degree
Currently be residing in Ontario
Have legal status in Canada (i.e. study permit, work permit, temporary resident visa)
Demonstrate high official language proficiency (For English language proficiency – IELTS – General test with a minimum score of seven or higher) (For French language proficiency – TEF – with a minimum score of five or higher)
Demonstrate a minimum level of savings/income to support yourself and your dependants
Demonstrate at least one year of residence in Ontario in the past two years

If you plan to apply under the International Student Category, via the PhD Graduates stream or Masters Graduates stream, you should review the Application Guide for International Graduates (PhD and Masters.

Source: Muchmore Magazine

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Irish immigrants get helping hand

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MONTREAL - It's tough slogging to find work and friends in a new city, let alone a new country, so the St. Patrick's Society is offering a helping hand and a little fun for new Irish immigrants to Montreal.
On Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m., an evening of networking and integration will be held at the Irish Embassy, a pub on Bishop St. - not to be confused with the Embassy of Ireland in Ottawa.
With dire economic difficulties gripping much of Ireland along with large job losses, a program of working holiday visas has been established by the Canadian government.
An agreement between Canada and Ireland to allow 12-month open work permits has recently been extended from one to two terms, or from 12 to 24 months. Beyond that, those who wish to stay can ask an employer to sponsor them.
Applicants for this working holiday scheme must be between 18 and 35 years of age.
Last year, 4,000 allocations were given to Irish immigrants for these special visas; for this year, the number was increased to 5,000.
The purpose of this planned Irish evening is to give recent arrivals a warm welcome and some practical advice, including where to live, where to look for jobs and how to meet someone who will put their CV in the right hands.
"It's who you know and friends of friends who help in times of job searches," said Ruth Hanna, one of the organizers of the Feb. 3 event.
"The historical mission of the St. Patrick's Society was to care for new arrivals but there hasn't been much need for this in the recent past," Hanna said.
"When I arrived here in 1999, I looked for Irish organizations, and there were some, but none that catered to native-born Irish."
Hanna emphasized that while there will be some recruitment agents and potential employers invited to the event, this is by no means a job fair.
"It's comforting to meet others from where you come from," said Erin Matheson, office manager of theS t. Patrick's Society.
"This is our first event and we'll see what the needs are."
Registration before Friday is strongly recommended. Call 514-481-1346.
asutherland@montrealgazette.com

Immigration Canada

A sign for students: ‘Canada admission guaranteed’

Emigrate to Ontario under the Provincial Nominee Program