Workshop on International Students as Future Permanent Residents

Pathways to Prosperity and Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria
Workshop on International Students as Future Permanent Residents

April 20, 2018 | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Delta Hotel, Victoria, BC
Location: Arbutus Ballroom

 

Description of the Workshop:
This full-day workshop will discuss the role of international students in Canada’s immigration program. The sessions will include research on the characteristics of international students who come to Canada, where they are going, and why. They will also consider how well international students are doing in Canada and research on the factors that affect their attraction to, and their motivations for studying and remaining in, Canada. The workshop will provide opportunities to discuss innovative services and supports for international students, and employer and municipal perspectives on hiring and retaining international students. We will also discuss barriers that international students face in seeking permanent residency in Canada and strategies for overcoming these barriers. The final session will involve an open discussion of strategies for sharing best practices in supporting international students, and future research needs in this area.

 

9:00 AM – 9:15 AM
Welcome and Introduction
Jean McRae and Victoria Esses, Co-Chairs, Pathways to Prosperity Partnership

 

9:15 AM – 10:40 AM
Session 1: Who Comes to Canada, Who Stays, and Why
Chair: Daniela dos Santos Pinto, University of Victoria

This session focuses on the characteristics of international students who are coming to Canada, those who are choosing to stay in Canada and become permanent residents, motivations for transitioning to permanent residency, and where these potential permanent residents are choosing to live. The role of successful employment in this process will also be discussed.

 

11:00 AM – 12:20 PM
Session 2: Innovative Services and Supports for International Students
Chair: Winnie Lee, Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria

This session focuses on innovative services and supports for international students, including those designed to increase understanding of the Canadian cultural context and facilitate connections to the local community so that international students are retained as permanent residents in communities that need them most.

 

12:20 PM – 1:30 PM
Student Performance: The Lived Experiences of International Students Navigating the Canadian System (Video)
Produced by: Anne Cirillo, International Student Services, University of Victoria
Presentation Team: Ambar Abrar; Bushra AlQudayr; Yamila Franco; Nicolas Lopez Garcia; Priyanka Sharma; Varun Sharma; Tianyang Zhang

 

1:30 PM – 2:50 PM
Session 3: Employer and Municipal Perspectives on International Students
Chair: Herbert Schuetze, Department of Economics, University of Victoria

This session focuses on employers’ perspectives on hiring international students, including challenges and perceived benefits, and the role that municipalities can play in the attraction and retention of international students.

 

3:10 PM – 4:30 PM
Session 4: Facilitating the Transition from International Student to Permanent Resident
Chair: Jean McRae, Co-Chair, Pathways to Prosperity Partnership

This session focuses on policies and programs designed to facilitate international students’ transition to permanent residents, including how these policies and programs are being used to encourage international students to stay in Canada and seek permanent residency, and their effectiveness.

  • Alexandra Bozheva, Department of Geography, University of Western Ontario (Download Presentation) (Video)
  • Carling Helander, BC Ministry of Jobs, Trade, and Technology (Video)
  • Enayat Aminzadah, International Qualification Services Manager, The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) (Download Presentation) (Video)

 

4:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Session 5: Next Steps and Plans for Collaboration, Closing Remarks
Jean McRae and Victoria Esses, Co-Chairs, Pathways to Prosperity Partnership

In this session we will discuss strategies for continuing this conversation and for sharing promising practices, particularly with respect to supporting the retention of international students and their transition to permanent residents in Canada. We will also discuss specific research needs in this area and how researchers within the Pathways to Prosperity Partnership can step up to play a leading role in filling these needs.

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