Canadian institution Centennial College has partnered with BorderPass to allow access to legal services for current international students.
The platform will be fully online, with students being able to get “transparent and realistic” guidance on immigration and safeguarding “against bad actors”.
Trusted immigration lawyers will also be listed on the platform.
“Our partnership with BorderPass will help minimise the stresses and strains international students experience when preparing for and transitioning to study here with us in Canada and beyond.
“Smoothing the path to post-graduation employment and permanent residency, for those who wish to pursue it, is just one more way Centennial is demonstrating its devotion to all things student ─ a key institutional goal,” said Centennial’s CEO Craig Stephenson.
Elements of the new platform will include key dates for immigration and visa deadlines, management of visa documents, and ongoing tracking to “ensure compliance” and keep students informed of the rules.
The immigration lawyers, meanwhile, will be available for one-to-one sessions as well as group workshops on legal issues, and a chat support function will also be made available.
Centennial recently opened its doors to students who had their admissions suddenly revoked to a partner institution of Northern College, Pures College of Technology, after it was found that the college had gone over capacity, with “too many visas” issued.
“The traditional [Canadian] immigration journey is manual, fragmented, and rife with fraud”
Borderpass, which won the 2023 PIEoneer Award for digital innovation of the year in technology, works on immigration solutions for international students in Canada.
“The traditional [Canadian] immigration journey is manual, fragmented, and rife with fraud, which unfavourably affects students, learning institutions, and Canada’s reputation and economy.
“BorderPass was built to help people from around the world with aspirations of studying and working in Canada, as well as the governments and institutions that play such a vital role in their journey,” said the company’s co-founder Josh Green.
The platform is due to be rolled out “this fall”, the announcement said.
It comes as immigration minister Marc Miller is due to announce big changes to help fight international student fraud in the immigration system.
