One on One Webinar: Open Forum

This discussion will be a unique way to engage each other as we share best practices, reflect on the past year and prepare for the future. Everyone is welcome to share their thoughts as we collaboratively work our way out of this pandemic. Topics open for discussion include:

  • International student intake
  • Visa issuance
  • On-campus vs. online learning
  • Questions from attendees

CBIE Developing Training Program for International Student Advisors

Source: CBIE News Release via Academica

The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) has announced it is working to develop a professional development program for International Student Advisors (ISAs). The federal government requires that counsellors offering student-related immigration advice have the Regulated International Student Immigration Advisers (RISIAs) designation. ISAs that complete the new program will be eligible to write the RISIA qualifying exam. The program needs to be accredited by the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council, and CBIE hopes to submit its program design proposal by early fall. The design process has taken into consideration input from PSE institutions, such as being offered in English and French, having flexible delivery and scheduling options, and reflecting different provincial/territorial immigration legislation.

8th Annual ICEF Agent Barometer Survey Gathers Insights from 104 Countries

Source: ICEF Monitor | November 26, 2014

The results from the 2014 installment of the ICEF i-graduate Agent Barometer – the most comprehensive survey of education agents regarding their perspectives on the international education markets – are in. This is the eighth year in a row the survey has run, providing a wealth of multi-year trend data.

The 2014 survey ran for three weeks during October, with 1,065 agents from 104 countries responding.

For a full analysis of the 2014 i-graduate Agent Barometer, please visit the ICEF website.

CIEC would like to thank ICEF for their thought provoking presentation at the 2014 CBIE Conference in Ottawa and for making their presentation slides available here.

Use and Management of Agents by Canadian Institutions Highly Variable

Source: CMEC Report via Academica | June 18, 2014

A new report issued by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada outlines the use of education agents by Canadian schools. According to the report, the use of agents is common across Canada’s international education system except in Quebec, where administrators reported difficulties tapping into the demand for English-language education that typically drives international enrolment. The report also says that the recruitment and management of agents varies within Canada’s education systems. Institutions employ varying levels of regulation, with some using robust internal or provincial protocols and others relying on student complaints or feedback from peer institutions. Lesser-known institutions were more likely to depend on agents to build brand awareness than “super-league” institutions. Some respondents whose institutions depend on agents for enrolment expressed reluctance to terminate an agent’s contract even if misconduct occurred.

TCS Insights: The importance of education agents to post-secondary institutions in Canada continues to grow. Smaller schools are more likely to make use of agents but those who do enjoy many benefits. For information on CIEC Agent members, click here.