Agents & Counselors
Introduction
Canada Campus enthusiastically encourages international students who are considering studying in Canada to be part of this exciting opportunity. Our participants gain valuable insight into the Canadian post-secondary education system that will help them better prepare for their futures.
Our mission is to give our participants the ability to make an educated and knowledgeable choice of where they want to further their education. Our organization is focused on giving participants the opportunity to see and define the qualities they look for in a school, interact with fellow learners from all over the world, and explore fascinating places.
At Canada Campus, we are experts in providing first-class campus tour experiences. As a result, our tours provide not only a quality learning experience but also comfortable accommodations, meals, and local transportation. Our attention to detail helps participants focus on the amazing, educational, and fun experience of each tour.
Participants will be introduced to a wide range of colleges and universities so that by the end of the tour, they will have experienced unique aspects of each institution and gained an understanding of student life in Canada. Along the way, students will receive advice directly from admissions officers, current students, and Canada Campus counselors. And as a deserved break from mapping out futures, participants will also be treated to a variety of engaging activities across Canada’s beautiful landscapes while our counselors maintain a safe and scheduled environment.
Our goal is to strengthen our position as the leading campus organizer in Canada while providing a high-quality, fun, experiential service for students who want to pursue higher education in one of the top study abroad destinations the world has to offer.
The Objectives of the Council are:
- To promote education ties between Canada and India, including but not limited to increasing recruiting opportunities, affiliations, partnerships, joint ventures, programming, organizing trade delegations, and other areas of collaboration, and facilitating off-shore educational options.
- To be able to offer advice to governments with respect to policies and programs affecting Canada’s relations with India in the education sector and to serve as a forum for the exchange of information and views between education providers, academics, and associates from the education sector of Canada and India on issues of importance to both countries.
- To provide information and advice to institutions from both countries with respect to trade and investment matters in either country, and to conduct programs and carry out research designed to promote trade, investment, & economic relations in education between Canada and India.
- To improve conditions for Canadian education institutions in India and Indian institutions in Canada conducting or wishing to conduct academic linkages and exchange programs, and to organize targeted and timely seminars by alumni associations to inform potential students about the merits of an education or exchange program in either country.
- To regularly organize Indian counsellor tours that would give the counsellors an opportunity to attend key seminars in Canada and meet Canadian institutions to familiarize themselves with Canadian education. The Canadian institutions will benefit from receiving brand recognition amongst key academic influencers and from important ‘buying committee’ members.
- To mobilize resources and assets online via the Internet using social networking tools to foster awareness and the development of an ‘academic community’ for the sharing of information between academia, students, agents, high school counsellors, and other like-minded groups to ‘connect’ with each other.
- To create a ‘clearing house’ of information and develop a highly potent and interactive database that can be utilized within the academic community to benefit users in both countries and update users of key events and activities that may be of interest.
- To deliver value by personally visiting and/or meeting every member institution at least once a year to share sector updates, discuss membership benefits, solicit feedback, and share potential opportunities.
CARE Standards
The following CARE Standards are a code of ethics by which Agent Members (CARE) can measure the quality of their service and ultimately fulfill their goal of providing a level of service that is at par with the expectations of students and Canadian academic institutions.
Receive a Free Pre-Screening & find out if you are eligible for membership within 5 business days.
CARE Standards
Organization
- mission is reflected in all candidate agencies’s recruitment activities. It provides a framework for planning and management.
- Governance and ownership are transparent, and any changes are immediately reported to CIEC.
- Management is effective, as proven through the implementation of policies, procedures, and organizational structures that assist the recruitment agency in accomplishing its goals. Human Resources management is guided by principles of competency, reputation and ethics.
- Financial resources are optimized to provide quality services and meet goals.
Quality & Integrity
- The candidate agency demonstrates thorough familiarity with the Canadian education system. Students are consistently provided current information regarding: Marketing and advertising initiatives do not misrepresent the agency’s capabilities and past performance.
- Academic institutions, program offerings, academic prerequisites and admissions requirements such as language proficiency
- Scholarships and awards
- Tuition and fees
- Information regarding study permits, temporary visas & non-immigration laws
- Estimate cost of health insurance, accommodation, travel and personal expenses
- Information on National, Provincial and institutional support services available for international students
- Rate of graduation, market demand by field and employment prospects
- Other matters of concern to international students include transferability/portability.
- History of conducting business in a transparent and unbiased manner with students, organizations, and academic institutions. It is unacceptable for an agency to claim a special relationship with immigration services, represent their services as mandatory, or provide false information about academic institutions, national systems of education, immigration and other recruiting agencies.
- Candidate Agency accepts full responsibility for any actions of its staff and takes a proactive approach to preventing conflicts of interest. An effective and fair complaints processing mechanism ensures deficiencies can be isolated and corrected.
- Student services fees are transparent and fair. The recruitment agency has a transparent and publicized refund policy.
- Care is taken to make timely membership payments to CIEC and to avoid unauthorized use of CIEC/CARE material or any college or university collateral.
Engagement with Students and Families
- The candidate agency secures a written legal agreement with a potential student and their family regarding services expected and all fees. No unsupported guarantees or promises will be made.
- Student records and information is kept confidential unless written consent is obtained from the student, who has attained the age of majority.
- Parents will be included in all communications in cases where the student is a minor in that State or Provincial jurisdiction.
Engagement with Academic Institutions
- Candidate Agency will provide its services to accredited Canadian institutions, securing a written legal agreement encompassing roles and responsibilities as well as methods for assuring quality and contractual obligations.
- Relationship between the recruitment agency and institution will be characterized by transparency, regular communications, a high degree of professionalism, respect for confidentiality and attention to accuracy.
CARE is a simple, inclusive process that:
- Strategically positions agents in an increasingly fierce and competitive international environment
- Provides them a platform to demonstrate their expertise to Canadian academic institutions and succeed in the Canada-India education corridor
- Promotes ethical student recruitment by encouraging agents to evaluate their business practice and recognizes them for their efforts
As a CIEC Member, you will (read below for detailed benefits):
- Tap into the CIEC Network
- Gain access to valuable resources
- Promote ethical student recruitment
- Be recognized in the Canada-India education sector for your efforts
Receive a Free Pre-Screening & find out if you are eligible for membership within 5 business days
Detailed Membership Benefits
- New! Academic Reference Check – As of Jan 2015, Agent Members will be recognized on the CIEC website for their record of engagement with Canadian Academic Institutions. CIEC will conduct academic reference checks and publicize the agency’s average score in key areas. Canadian academic institutions seek education agencies with a proven track record of working within the Canadian education system. Reference checks allow Canadian institutions to conduct peer-reviews of education agents and help our agent members gain exposure & establish their reputations in the Canadian education sector.
- Use of CARE logo on website, business cards, letterheads, publications, as well as the goodwill of the ‘CIEC’ brand
- Display of CARE – Recognized Membership Certificate and Membership Statement on your publication/marketing initiatives
- A listing in the monthly CIEC online / email newsletter, ‘Disha,’ and continuous opportunities for marketing on the CIEC website, via partner initiatives, events and e-mail campaigns distributed to over 17,000 education stakeholders
- Listed as a recognized CARE agent on CIEC’s website (with a dynamic profile linking to your services) and social networking platforms
- Establish your presence in Canada by partaking in face-to-face meetings at our member institutions
- Exposure at our annual ‘Synergy’ blockbuster networking event and other CIEC networking events such as Ed-Mission & fundraising dinners. Members receive a reduced registration fee to all CIEC events as well as exposure through event collateral.
- Greater visibility and recognition by CIEC member colleges and universities as well as other academic and government institutions in both Canada and India
- CIEC supports & recommends training and testing by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAIT)
- Opportunity to establish your reputation and promote your business through an advisory position on our ‘Student Discussion’ Facebook group. Your answers will be archived on our website for future viewing
- Personalized consulting in areas of recruitment, brand & network development, partner filtering and selection as well as on-the-ground support
- Access to CIEC’s vast network to schedule meetings and establishing linkages
Need for CARE
Benefits of CARE for education institutions
Benefits of CARE for agents
The Case for regulation for the burgeoning education agency / consulting sector in India:
- Need for a consolidated database of ‘Agents & Consultants’
- Map the potential from different ‘Agents & Consultants’ to measure ROI from different referral sources
- Increase accountability and responsibility of ‘Agents & Consultants’ towards students and Institutions they represent
- Safeguard against deceptive and questionable activities. Help protect students
Benefits of Regulation / Consolidation of Education Agents for Canadian Academic Institutions
- Saves cost and valuable time by ‘pooling resources’ for Institutions
- Improve efficiency within the recruiting process
- Greater exposure of the Institution to the Indian market with quality Agents & Consultants
- Increased accountability and introduction of ‘new’ agents by providing web links & guidance
- Pan India database covering agents & counsellors in secondary and tertiary cities in India
- Increased awareness about the different types of courses and Institutions in Canada
- Empowering students to make informed decisions and a source of assurance for parents
- Canadian Institutions can better understand student trends and ability and adapt their marketing and promotional activities accordingly
- Better students = Better results = Better retention = Better reputation
New! CARE Agent Membership Academic Reference Check
CIEC will check academic references & publicize the agency’s average scores in key areas (CARE Standards) This allows CIEC Academic Members and academic institutions across Canada the means to conduct peer-reviews of education agents and solidifies & publicizes CIEC Agent Members’ commitment to ethical and quality student recruitment. CIEC does not verify the authenticity of Agent Members’ Application Form responses and makes no guarantees as to the quality of its Agent Members’ services (but does reserve the right to terminate agent memberships, see Terms & Conditions).
Benefits of CARE (Consolidation of Education Agents in Canada) for Agents
- Declare support for the promotion of ethical student recruitment in Canada as well as their their willingness & continual effort to improve their services and the role they play in guiding students in the right direction
- Enjoy networking and marketing opportunities in the burgeoning ‘Canada-India education corridor’ and remain informed about the latest developments as well as different education options as well as types of courses and Institutions in Canada
An update from ICCRC: How Bill C-35 Affects Agents, Citizenship and Immigration
ICCRC is the new regulatory body for immigration consultants. The Council came into effect on June 30, 2011 as announced by the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration, and Multiculturalism. The Council’s objective is to fairly and effectively regulate immigration consultants with accountability and transparency, to protect the public interest, to maintain a public list of registered consultants and to administer a stringent complaint and disciplines process to crack down on unauthorized providers of immigration services.
Click here for an advisory that outlines the changes in Bill C-35 and specifically addresses how these new rules affect Educational Agents/Institutions. It would be in your best interest to share this news with your membership as it directly affects how they should be doing business; industry standards have changed and charges may be levied. Learn more.
With regard to the SPP criteria in India, two important updates to inform about:
GIC has now become mandatory and this is effective immediately (for the May and September intakes). The educational loan option is not available for SPP applicants.
The prepayment of the first semester fee is now okay. The pre-payment of first year tuition is not mandatory. It is very important though that the amount requested on the letter of acceptance matches the fee receipt submitted.
Any students that received a letter of acceptance asking for the first year fee can request that we re-send an updated LOA asking for only the first semester fee for both May and September intakes. If a student submits an LOA that states first year tuition is required (but does not get an updated LOA from us) and only submits a receipt for the first semester fee, this may cause a problem for student.
New Regulations Proposed For Student Visa In Canada
As Canada rises up the ranks of leading destination countries for international students, the Federal government is planning some important changes to the Canadian student visa system, with the goals of establishing improved protections for students, greater accountability in the visa system, and preventing fraud.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has just announced that in January 2014, the following changes will take effect for student visas (also known within Canada as “Study Permits”):
- All Study Permit holders will be required to be enrolled and actively pursuing a course or program of study at a designated education institution after arrival in Canada, in order to maintain legal status;
- Provincial/territorial governments will designate institutions that are eligible to receive international students, and only students admitted to those institutions will be able to secure a Study Permit;
- Designated institutions will have to report to provinces/territories and CIC on international student enrolment and good standing status;
- Only those students attending designated education institutions will be granted access to Work Permit programs;
- Work Permit programs will also only be accessible by full-time students who are enrolled in and actively pursuing an academic, professional or vocational program leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate;
- Full-time international students with valid Study Permits will be allowed to work off-campus for a maximum of 20 hours per week without a Work Permit (that is, Off-Campus Work Permits would no longer be required for such students).
- Those institutions that do wish to be designated as eligible to host international students will have to minimally comply with a set of common standards:
- Be recognized by the Provincial/Territorial government as being in good standing;
- Have adopted policies and put procedures in place that protect international students including a transparent tuition-fee refund policy made available to all incoming students;
- Have clear and well-communicated policies re: language proficiency and credential assessment and recognition for international students;
- Have sufficient administrative capacity to provide services that meet the unique needs of international students;
- Undertake promotional activities authorized by the province/territory and in line with the Education Canada brand;
- Publish a policy that outlines what it takes to be a student in good standing (and this must be consistent with provincial/territorial requirements);
- Maintain enrolment-reporting requirements and have a designated individual responsible for confirming the initial enrolment of a student with a Study Permit and reporting on the ongoing enrolment status of all international students with Study Permits at the institution.
Who is eligible?
There are a number of questions arising from the proposed CIC changes but a key one is which institutions will be designated as eligible to receive international students.
If provinces are designating eligible institutions, it seems likely that most will emphasize institutions that are directly under their jurisdiction — that is, those that are regulated in one way or another by provincial or territorial governments in Canada.
This tendency is reflected in the official CIC release that anticipates eligibility for the following categories of institution:
- Public post-secondary learning institutions recognised by the province (as well as private post-secondary learning institutions in Quebec that operate under the same rules as public ones there);
- Private post-secondary learning institutions recognised by the province but only when students are enrolled in a study program that leads to a degree as authorized by the province;
- Learning institutions within a public school board or district that are funded by and accountable to the province;
- Independent or private learning institutions that deliver provincial curricula.
Canadian language institutes, which are not commonly regulated at the provincial level, do not appear on this list. This raises the question of how such programs would be recognized under the new regulations and what the implications may be for students engaged in longer-term studies, or any language program requiring a Work Permit, in 2014.
While language education is not recognized in the proposed regulations — the provinces have been asked to designate eligible institutions but they do not regulate language instruction — and a top priority is to have this recognition established before the regulations are implemented in January 2014.
To that end, Languages Canada has established cooperative agreements with the federal and provincial governments and will also be participating fully in CIC’s consultative process for the new regulations.”
Consultation before implementation
CIC is now entering into a consultation process with all stakeholders who will be affected by the changes, including provincial/territorial governments and education associations. The intent of the consultations will be to fully communicate the extent and intended interpretation of the changes as well as to refine the regulations further as required.
While questions around the implementation of the proposed changes remain, CIC’s goal of increasing the integrity and accountability of Canada’s International Student Program is being supported by most stakeholders.
An Update from ICEF: New content & assessment information for Canada Course
Important new content has been added to the Canada Course; Section H: Applying to Work, Study, and Stay in Canada. This section will help agents understand how to better respond to students’ questions about visa and immigration protocols in Canada.
If you wish to study the Canada Course and attain Graduate status please review all of the course material, including the new section. Before scheduling your exam, we recommend you undertake the Self-Assessment Test which is very similar in content and format to the final exam, and which can be found on the course home page.
Final testing will be available online, and at all ICEF Workshops (from May 9, 2013), at a cost of CAN$350. If you feel you are ready to take the exam please send us an email as soon as possible so that we can make testing arrangements.
Agents who successfully pass the exam will receive the official designation of ‘Canada Course Graduate’ as an acknowledgement of this achievement, and will be listed on the Canada Course website, along with their agency details.
Please contact the ICEF Agent Relations Team if you have any questions.
Updated: 12/30/15
Ahead Abroad
Abroad Ahead (Overseas Education) is one of the Eminent Study abroad organizations in India. We have been successfully helping students in getting admissions to high-ranked Universities around the globe. We have several years of experience in this industry and with the expertise of our proficient team, we have helped a large number of students to fulfill their dream of studying abroad at the Universities of their choice.
British Counselling & Educational Services
A growing number of international students are becoming aware of the fantastic options to study abroad. To pursue higher education abroad, our country’s young and aspiring students must be aware of the worldwide universities and educational institutions that offer courses and post-study options that best meet their needs and areas of interest.
Divya Joseph’s Consulting Group
Divya Joseph’s Consulting Group Pvt Ltd, is a leading overseas education consultant, with its reputation spanning across India. Within a short span of over 8 years, it has solid reputation of being one of the most reliable educational agencies, and is well known for its successful authenticity and professionalism. The vast variety of services at Divya Joseph’s, is not restricted to detailed information about the universities, visa guidance but also support services to students even after reaching their study destination. Our credentials: AAERI, Certified UK agents, PIER Qualified Education Agent Counselor.
We recruit students to Australia, New Zealand, UK, USA, Canada & Singapore.
Easyway Consultancy
Easyway Consultancy Pvt. Ltd. is an organization engaged in promoting various colleges and universities all across the globe. We recruit almost 1000 students every year to all countries from India and Nepal. We are a registered immigration firm and have all rights in India. Moreover, we have a wide network of agents in different parts of India as well as in Nepal. Nowadays with good fortune, our company has a team of 15 members in the staff along with best experience in overseas education.
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