KPU partners with immigration service to support international students
The collaboration with BorderPass aims to support prospective, current, and graduating international students
KPU is collaborating with BorderPass, an immigration platform that assists international students towards the start of their time in post-secondary and after. (Submitted)
Kwantlen Polytechnic University is partnering with immigration service BorderPass to assist international students with the study permit application process, providing free immigration services through the digital platform.
KPU International Associate Vice-President Carole St. Laurent says the university decided to collaborate with BorderPass due to recent changes in immigration policies and to improve its enrolment conversion strategy.
“[BorderPass has] a good reputation,” St. Laurent says. “They fit the checklist of everything we were looking for. Nobody else really offers this comprehensive service to students.”
BorderPass is a platform designed to provide students with access to professional immigration lawyers from the beginning of their university career to post-graduation. The digital platform also offers real-time updates on student application statuses.
BorderPass also offers free judicial reviews to help applicants attempt to overturn denied applications, assisting international students in challenging denied study permit applications through the judicial review process.
“Eight out of 10 study permit denials provided by BorderPass were overturned because the students have access to judicial reviews,” St. Laurent says.
She says the goal of the partnership is to address the decline in study permit approval rates, while also ensuring international students are well cared for throughout the entire process.
“We’ve been in conversation with BorderPass over the years. It’s a company that’s really expanded and grown,” she says. “The timing was right. We’re finding that we need to provide even more support to our students.”
St. Laurent says KPU is training its representatives on how to use BorderPass, so they can effectively represent and assist international students with the platform and the services it offers.
Services provided by BorderPass are free to KPU international students. Complimentary services include applications for social insurance numbers, study permit extensions, co-op work permit filings, and post-graduation work permit applications. Despite these free services, international students are still required to pay fees to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
St. Laurent adds that some post-secondary institutions have a $50 administrative fee, but KPU recovers the cost of the fee so students do not have to pay it.
BorderPass will give free support to students throughout their entire educational journey at KPU.
“We welcome international students and continue to do so,” St. Laurent says. “We want to make sure they’re supported every step of the way. By partnering with BorderPass, we feel that’s one more way they feel confident, prepared, and cared for.”
St. Laurent says KPU is always open to future partnerships to help international students, specifically on collaborations to create student housing.
“There are different services we’re looking at right now on the recruitment side,” St. Laurent says. “We’re always open to looking at how best to support students.”
For more information about the partnership, visit www.kpu.ca/international/borderpass.
