In our first episode, we talk to Olga Gagarina, a veteran in the international Ed sector of over 10 years. She is a licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) advising international students in a public institution. She talks of how she started her journey in this sector as a custodian a recruiter and an expert advisor.

Hello and welcome fellow adventurers

to Edu Talks Canada.

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I'm thrilled to embark on this journey

with you.

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Whether you're a student

exploring the world of higher education

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and educator,

shaping the minds of tomorrow,

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or simply someone curious

about the diverse experiences

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within university campuses,

you've come to the right place.

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In this podcast series,

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we'll be your guides

as we venture beyond Borders and dive

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deep into the vibrant tapestry

of campus life

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from navigating cultural nuances

and embracing diversity

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to celebrating academic achievements

and sharing inspiring stories.

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Edu Talks.

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Canada is your passport

to a global learning experience.

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And hi everyone,

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and thanks for joining

our very first episode.

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I have Olga here with me as my first guest

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and we are both regulated

Canadian immigration consultants.

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She's an immigrant herself

and she's worked in

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the international edu sector

for over ten years.

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Olga,

thanks so much for joining this podcast.

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It's really lovely to have you here. And

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can you tell our listeners a

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little bit about yourself, you know,

what excites you about this industry?

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Tell us a bit about your journey

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to Canada and coming into this sector.

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All right.

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Yes, Hello, everybody.

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I am excited to be here.

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First of all, I think

it's a great initiatives and thank Achuth

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for inviting me.

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There's so much to speak about

and this industry is exciting now.

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It used to be exciting

when I started ten years ago,

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but with what we are getting from

immigration refugees, Citizenship Canada

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on a weekly or monthly basis,

that means that

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if you want to have an interesting life,

you could probably join the sector

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because there's so much exciting news,

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so much complex situations,

and that is life is always interesting.

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That's what drives me towards this.

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But when I started ten years ago,

that was mostly driven by

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a curiosity

that driven by a personal case.

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Then when my sister, who wanted to visit

Canada, was not able to

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because she was refused

her first study permit and she was coming

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to study English and immigration

and if just Citizenship Canada

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didn't really believe

she was a good temporary resident.

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So that was sort of like, why not?

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Because she had, in my opinion,

now, ten years later and ten years later,

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when she just now received her visa

to come to Canada,

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I believe that

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her case was good then

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her case of great now

and she's finally coming.

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So this is a little bit of a personal

start and I apologize for that, I guess.

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No, no, no, that's fine.

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Did she get a study permit

or if you're coming in as a visitor.

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You know, coming as a visitor,

because I was fighting for that approval.

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When I mentioned

when I was submitting for application,

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I basically said that, look, dear

Immigration

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and Refugee processing,

I am the immigration consultant.

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My sister was is a good applicant.

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She's coming with her daughter,

who I didn't see and I would be more

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excited to host her in Canada.

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And there is so much more

that ties her back to her home country.

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And she's a legitimate temporary resident.

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She will be coming back

because it's just a family visit.

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So to many

who is listening here, probably will.

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And that will mean

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that would be very close

to what they have,

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like maybe international students

who have family who wanted to visit them

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for graduation

or for just their holiday break.

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But it's probably not possible.

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Somebody get lucky.

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And what is important in the application,

we will probably will cover that,

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maybe not in the first episode,

but later.

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Yeah, because I think as a general,

this podcast, as we wanted to explore

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international education sector

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in Canada, let's say our for listeners

who are interested

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in international education and Canada

and it's like we have indicated earlier,

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what like we have mentioned in the

in the intro, it's

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not just about immigration, but yes,

being immigration consultants ourselves,

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we invariably always land up

into the immigration

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or having conversations

about immigration side of things

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when international education

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or a life as an international student

is much more than just immigration.

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It's about the academics,

it's about housing, it's about finances,

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finances, etc..

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Yeah, So and here's another thing

I wanted to let

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our listeners know about Olga.

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I will be posting your LinkedIn

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within our bio, so hopefully people

can find you there. But

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it's nice that

you advocate for international students

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and future immigrants through leadership

and accessible

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immigration advisory

and ethical recruitment

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slash immigration policy.

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Analyst So could you

could you tell our listeners a little bit

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about your background in terms

of recruiting students for Canada

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and what, what what's your perspective

when it comes to recruiting?

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Because being and being in our CIC,

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we have our ethical

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regulations to follow.

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I guess.

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And so, you know,

how do you view recruiting or how the

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what is your perspective with recruiting

and what do you tell students or clients

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who are interested in studying in Canada?

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It's a great

and very much loaded question.

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So recruitment is the beginning of any

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student's journey to study abroad,

not only in Canada.

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So recruitment happens when

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a student thinks or a family

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thinks that their child potentially

could be going to study abroad.

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And then they select the country

based on what they hear about the country.

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So that that's the very interesting area.

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When what you hear about the country

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and what you hear about the prospects

that that investment in education

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abroad could give to a child

or to the client like to the prospect.

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This is where I find is the corner.

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This is the cornerstone

of the entire industry.

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So this in my belief

and I am a true believer on in

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an ethical recruitment,

it has to be coming from the point

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of a best interests of the client

and it's corporate in our code of conduct.

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Any client for immigration consultants

or regulated immigration

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consultants, we should watch out

for the best interests of the client.

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So when combining recruitment

and combining immigration,

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I think it's just a seamless

transition from you.

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Tell the

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prospective

students everything that they need

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to know about the country,

and not only how much

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it's going to cost them.

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What are the potential strategic pathways

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from once in their

when you just study and come back?

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And that's possible.

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Some students don't need to stand

on, plan to stay,

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and some just see the education

as a ticket.

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If I'm blank blunt, I'm as a ticket

to permanent residency and that's fine.

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That's one of the key strategies.

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We know we're in the industry.

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The industry is being very active

with the news and the media covering

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international students.

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So immigration through education

is a very sort of straightforward

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or should be straightforward pathway.

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However,

there are many sort of undercurrents

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there that prospective students

may not realize.

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That's where I see

the recruitment is the beginning.

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The recruitment is there

where all should be clarified before

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the student

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sales form studying abroad, be

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it Canada, UK, United States.

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I'm speaking of English

speaking countries, not necessarily them,

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like many Asian countries,

are also pretty active in the field, but

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you just need to know where you're going.

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And that's that's

the job of the ethical recruiter, I think.

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Yeah.

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And your previous experience

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in recruiting students,

was it a particular country?

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Now, I should inform our listeners

that you are from Russia

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and I think you moved to Canada

20 years ago.

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I think you know more than 20.

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That to 20 years ago.

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I would assume your primary

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source country was Russia.

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Was it Russia and others, this region.

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CIS region.

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So it's a it's called

Commonwealth of independent states.

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So Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan,

Uzbekistan, like most stance,

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it could be Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran,

Moldova, Belarus, Belarus, Belorussia.

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So all those states that basically

sort of became independent states

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as a result of Soviet Union collapse,

not many actually.

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For example, Ukraine didn't join it.

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So right now, for obvious reasons,

and I think they're more obvious now,

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what's a why and why

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there was a tension that Ukraine didn't

decide to actually join it.

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But it's the market

that's the Russian speaking market.

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Most of Central Asia, let's say

the biggest than Kazakhstan,

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they may not have been

the recruits have the prospective students

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don't even speak Russian

because now that mandate

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of Russian language being imposed on

them is removed.

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So they're more in the

they have their own languages.

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And I actually like that.

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I don't there's a lot of political

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themes I can cover

because I'm very much into this.

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And global politics, global trade in

comics as what kind of close to my heart.

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Because by my training I'm

the economist first

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and then the business owner then,

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and the business owner,

I was in corporate finance and it's

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kind of injecting what I

what I bring to the table.

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There's a lot of history.

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So but past ten years,

immigration sort of, in my opinion,

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it summarizes

everything like a kind of becomes

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the sector when I can apply everything

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like I take a client's case

and it's it's everything.

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It's an investment.

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You know, in terms of this regions

and Russia, particularly

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now that you mentioned,

as I mentioned that,

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what are. The.

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Challenges

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for students,

if they're considering Canada,

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are particularly students

coming from that region?

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What are the challenges

they face coming to Canada?

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Is that language primarily,

is that other factors and

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is immigration

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top of their mind or are they just coming

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to, you know, kind of get an experience

living abroad in Canada?

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It used to be less so, Right?

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Right

now, education is becoming more and more.

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Like I said, there main channel, main

reason the students will come to study.

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But when I started studying in Canada

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was just for the reason of a better

education.

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An international recognized

diplomas and certifications credential.

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So in our market used to be

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selecting in

Canada was very much competing

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with u k with Europe actually,

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and the United States less

so Australia and New Zealand.

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It was far

and forever was adventurous enough.

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They will go to Australia

that was also there.

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The destination very much so.

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But English speaking countries

and they're let's say top five.

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So Russians

speaking market or serious markets

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and Central Asia and Middle East

like we do have some,

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we used to have some flights from

there as well.

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So it's, it was for education.

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So ten years ago, let's say I would

get a client they would be coming to study

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so the family

and they will join us for a call.

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Mom will be

the parents will be there in the child

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and they will be selecting the program

for the sake of the program.

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They will be comparing the credential

they would be will like.

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They will be curious to know how,

let's say, advanced education, advanced

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diploma at the college will be different

from a bachelor at the university.

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So those things will be on the table on

Edu discussed during first consultations.

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So and just to maybe

a little bit of fact there.

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So we started in 2013

as a custodianship agency

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and then just servicing minor students

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for for the reason that Immigration

or Refugee citizenship

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calendar requires all under each student

to have a custodian.

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So we would just Russian

speaking custodians

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who would take take care of children

coming to study at the college.

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And our first exclusive contract

with the Seneca College

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and then we've

we've been doing a great job there.

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And they said, well,

why don't you start recruiting?

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Because, well, ladies,

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pretty much mother figures for

many students were just doing great job.

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So we did

of course jumped on the offer and started.

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And this is is this custodianship

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particularly for minor students

because if they're coming to college.

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So they was 17 perhaps, I guess.

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Yes, they would be late 16, but mostly 17,

not even a full year.

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But the suggestion like basically

the college was looking for someone

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who would would be willing to take sort

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of to become an extended hand of a parent

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to represent and sign

on, let's say, medical insurance.

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If there is a hospital admission

or if there is anything

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that a parent would sign

for the underage child.

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That was their responsibility

and it was a subscription

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based record, was a charge per month.

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So if you know what to

if you want to know economics of it.

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But we did have

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complex cases.

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We had a student, we had clients

who would we had

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clients

who would call us every other week.

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But in general, pretty,

pretty happy client base.

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And most of them were converted

to recruits eventually.

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This is something I didn't know

about. You.

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Yeah, especially with the custodianship,

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and that's great to kind of

have that information.

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Now, if we do have listeners for minors

or parents

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for listening into this conversation to

perhaps

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get an idea about

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studying in Canada from professionals

such as yourself

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and kind of getting the right information,

for sure.

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I believe, and every student

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having a potential to become a future

immigrants future permanent resident.

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But it depends on how prepared they are

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and the more they know

about what's involved in this project.

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And do consider that like to listen us to

consider about immigration as a project.

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That's how I explain it to my clients.

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I, I, I, that's my title.

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And I would say

immigration is like an investment project.

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You invest your energy, your resources,

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financial time and your future.

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Yes, it's you're waiting for the outcome.

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So if it let's say

you were investing a hundred

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of your currency interbank

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you would into anything

you would want to have an outcome.

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You want to know what the outcome was,

what the likelihood of it,

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how long you need to wait

when you want to have this payback.

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So consider immigration as that

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project.

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Then it will be easier for you

to sort of deal with certain

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setbacks, certain time frame corrections.

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That's exactly what sometimes

I tell students that I'm advising is

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that you need and if you're looking

at an ROI return on investment

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into your education, whatever that be,

whether it's the work permit that you

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you are investing quite a lot of money

and of course we see students day

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in, day out that exhale

that are in academic suspension.

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So it's kind of impacts

their immigration as well

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and which I mean it's easy to say.

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But we do ask students, you know,

you really don't how I mean,

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you are investing so much money you don't

you can't afford to fail.

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Failing, failing,

becoming a very much a risk factor

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if, let's say,

can't afford to fail academically.

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Again, if there is,

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I see students

I believe in students potential.

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Yes, there might be some lack

of preparation

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or misunderstanding

of how vigorous or non vigorous their

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their studying abroad is in specifically

in Canada.

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As as as you know, we see students

sometimes are very well-equipped.

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They studied in in high school.

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Their rigor of their programs

was was sort of incomparable

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to what they have to study right now

in the year one of the Canadian college.

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However, with that sort of laxed

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approach, students now seeing that working

math has not what they used

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to study in Iran,

for example, or Singapore or Russia.

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It's way higher.

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For example, for a particular

a level of education, but doesn't mean

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that you can actually go places,

relax, work and just sort of wing it.

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It's not going to happen.

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And that's a very

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interesting point

because I know we will be having

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academic advisors on the podcast

in the future, hopefully to kind of talk

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about that,

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the academic aspect

of being a successful student in Canada.

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Right.

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So but I know you have the experience

do with

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given the number of years that you've

spent in this industry too, specifically

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because you have that experience

with recruitment and immigration, you

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you can specifically talk about, okay,

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if math is going to be,

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you know, point one in Russia, in Canada,

it's going to be point five.

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So there's that difference.

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Know, I'm

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assuming the Russian level of mathematics

is a little bit more competitive.

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Yes. Than one,

but I'm not sure that's correct. Yes.

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Russia prides

itself on being the European country

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or it thinks it is,

but it's very much an Asian country, too.

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So and there is there is a half of it.

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I was born in the middle of Russia.

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When I explain it to Canadians.

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I was born in the middle of Russia,

self of it.

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So from from that place where I left

Russia till this Pacific

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Ocean, that's where say, well, that's

where Siberia starts just to give an idea.

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So it's very much an Asian country

and very much rooted

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in this drill, sound math.

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It's very important for them.

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They call it exact science

as being physics.

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Chemistry by your bio can not be an exact,

but it's called

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those sciences are very much

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appreciated as opposed to humanities.

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So but still I find of if I speak

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of of students from our market,

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they are very well prepared.

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Like they come,

they know like academically

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they can totally study in Canada.

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And to those if

if you are from that market in many other

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I see that academically many students

are very well prepared English being

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in fact that you may

or may not be prepared enough in their

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in the level of English or French,

but mostly English,

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that all we see, it's English speaking

and they need to pass those tests.

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But academically

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they will prepare may be different system,

but they know their numbers.

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For example,

just given given of our example. But

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the the rest of the preparedness,

that's where they

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there is a lack of information

or there is an excess of disinformation.

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So it's it's what it means to be student

what it means to study abroad.

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I would I would think

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twice I would actually like right now

as a parent,

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my second son is in grade

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11, you can say, and then he's

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going to be choosing his last

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subjects or last year subjects

in the high school in preparation

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of where he's going to go to study

after the high school to post-secondary.

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And we have a lot of conversations around

will it be broad

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and will it be what country?

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What's important,

what is going to be the career,

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how you can pivot if,

let's say, your investment in one stream

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or will be different

from what it turns out to be?

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Because we have a complicated case of

I love technology business,

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but I'll I my

my favorite subject is chemistry.

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This is I'm talking about myself.

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I'm glad you brought this up

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because it's a great example

and it's a personal example.

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And that's why I believe

it's a great example, because as a parent

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yourself, with a child

approaching that university college age

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or in 11th grade and kind of looking

and you mentioned something very critical

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that I picked up on, is that

who is he going

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to study abroad? Yes,

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I want him to I honestly want him to.

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But there is

because I am this in this field,

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I think education abroad is just broadens

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your horizons like I would I would

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encourage anybody who even considers

and there is some possibility

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there is opportunity

if the parents can finance it.

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Maybe they've been

setting some funding aside.

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Maybe it's

just what always been the consideration.

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Do consider that more seriously,

but do consider it

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like it's it's

and it's an an incredible opportunity.

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I think that I would be

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like I may being but

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it's my hypothesis maybe that

I'm interested in international education

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pivoting from corporate

finance ten years ago

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after the 2008

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mortgage crisis in the states

that affected Canada,

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but that crash and how we pivoted.

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I had two children during that break,

but that's beside the point.

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How I ended up in this area,

in this sector, and I'm loving it.

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We started recruiting custodianship

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15, two years later, I realize

how connected education immigration are.

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And then that's how I went to study form

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for their program

to become an international story,

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to become the regulated immigration

consultant and

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studying abroad.

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I think despite the challenges

that we have now,

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despite the news that may be putting

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that idea of studying abroad

under scrutiny

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for some for some listeners,

for example, it's still a great

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consideration, but just

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my my advice

and that comes with experience.

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We advise a lot. That's what we do.

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My advice to consider it

even more carefully

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and listen to the sources

that you can quote.

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Because let's say again, a quick example.

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If somebody comes to me and say, well,

I heard or a friend

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told me and I say, show me the source,

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even if it's posted online,

show me the source.

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Let's just read that paragraph

and let's read it carefully.

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What does it say?

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Who is the authority behind that?

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Say, yeah, absolutely.

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And I always tell students, okay,

go to the original source,

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whether it's Irish, go to Canada, dot C

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and kind of find information for yourself

to be accurate.

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But again, let me come back

to that personal point of your

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of your kids studying abroad

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as a family and as a family.

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What is the expectation of

what is the goal

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of studying abroad for your son

being a Canadian citizen?

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You know, he has the opportunity to study

in some of the top universities

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in Canada or in North America

or in the world even.

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Right.

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So let's

is he planning to go to the states?

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Is he planning to go to UK?

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Is he planning to go and study

in Russia for a bit? Don't come back.

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Yes. Yes. Let let me unpack that.

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Let me start with what he's thinking,

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because when it's me being a parent,

being very open minded parent,

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very much the parent who is aware of

what's potentially

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go will be happening

when my son goes abroad.

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He is not that adventurous.

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He's not that open minded,

but he still accepts the value because,

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well, there's a lot to like

probably another podcast

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and we'll come back to this, how

you prepare your children for the career

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choice.

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My husband, by the way,

just recently because of deadline

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for applying for universities,

let's say for Canadian universities,

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January, end of January is the deadline

to apply for Canadian universities.

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So right now is the last two days, this

probably the last weekend that everybody's

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like rushing to submit their final pieces

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for their applications

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for fall 2024 in the window in January.

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Yes. So this year, so let's say

two years later when he will be either

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finalizing it or maybe already getting

some interviews and letters of acceptance

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because applications open in October,

November.

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So a year in advance of the admission

for next September, which is the main

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intake, the universities, that's

when admissions started.

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That's prior to that September,

August, September, like a year in advance,

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American universities

will want to see you taking SATs.

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Those admission tests are done

a year in advance, pretty much.

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So the preparation for someone

who wants to go

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abroad,

let's see if you're planning the states.

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Then you start early,

like a year in advance.

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Canada is a little bit more relaxed.

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There is no formal test.

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It's only your academic credentials

and your language testing results.

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If you're a native

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and the English is your native language,

how let's say your Nigerian students,

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they don't need to pass it, so they just

submit whatever the high school finish.

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And so it starts in advance

and they can see how

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in how early a student

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wants to think about career choices,

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how in advance they need to start about

start thinking about subjects

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they want to take now in preparation

so they can show that they have,

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let's say, math, physics and chemistry

in order to go into bio

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life sciences, for example.

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So it's it's a long process,

starts in advance.

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I advise anybody who is considering

studying in Canada and coming from abroad,

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they should do the same.

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Yes, you may be

have some relaxed requirements, but well,

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I ask immigration, refugees, Citizenship

Canada will compensate.

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So there will be a lot of requirements

on the visa or study permit side.

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So again, don't consider don't don't think

Canada now as a light in terms

487

of paperwork destination

anyway going back to my son

488

he is not yet decided.

489

He doesn't seem to be keen

on leaving away from the family

490

because well, life is very comfortable

to go home.

491

That's what he said.

492

Why would I change that?

That's what he said.

493

But it was still me

494

maybe keeping this door open

because I am very much excited to,

495

I don't know, visit him in Paris

if he goes to serve one.

496

And I would love that.

497

I mean, I would love I would love to study

in suborned and if I could.

498

Yeah.

499

But I don't know if I'm.

500

Yeah,

I mean yeah, different circumstances.

501

Different circumstances.

502

But this is how I actually initially

503

when I immigrated like

just let me bring you back a little bit

504

my whole idea of changing the country

like it's we're talking

505

education now, but immigration is very

much a part of conversation.

506

So when I started back

507

when I started thinking,

when we together started thinking about

508

my husband and I about immigration,

it just sounded like a great idea.

509

But what I told to myself, like,

that was my idea.

510

I ran with it.

511

I was a principle

applicant as a financial analyst.

512

I immigrated based on this profession

because the doctors

513

are not given points for work experience

because the doctors.

514

And I should I should let listeners

know that all this happened as a doctor.

515

Yes, it's an that's.

516

Another yeah, that's another conversation

because it's definitely

517

worthwhile attending and listening in to

because there is a lot of.

518

And this is this is this will probably be

a very interesting point

519

where someone listening in will say,

wait a minute, if your spouse is a doctor

520

and a new immigrant, you immigrated

being the principal consultant.

521

That's that's

you know, that's part of our job.

522

That's what.

523

Yeah, exactly right.

524

You don't understand

sometimes this aspect of our job where

525

we have to say, well, you being the doctor

might not be the best candidate.

526

And that's so weird. Yes. Yes.

527

Interest

528

you bring the

529

very good point when we and well,

it was an interesting story.

530

And let me just quickly tell you that

531

I was the only the only option.

532

We couldn't immigrate

because my husband was not given points

533

for his work experience as a doctor.

534

Without a Canadian license,

he would not be considered

535

because his work experience

was not even counted.

536

So that's the twist.

537

And it's not even that's how system works.

538

Until it three is recognized,

it's not going to happen.

539

So that was my my project

and I love all things new.

540

This is one I am basically the perpetual

541

novelty seeker and I loved it.

542

I loved the idea and then I ran with it.

543

And I think we will talk

more about immigration as

544

the episodes

545

go on and to this podcast,

546

and we are hoping we can connect

with professionals from across Canada

547

and give our listeners

kind of idea of not just

548

people like us who are based in Ontario

549

and GTA, etc.,

but it's to kind of give an idea

550

of what it means to study

anywhere in Canada, because we do.

551

And I mean, that's

552

what I'm hoping to do out of this

podcast is get more professionals in from

553

across Canada. So

554

moving on, I know we are, you know,

555

we have kind of started this podcast

in the cycle of a news blitz.

556

So let me just let

557

you know,

our listeners know that we're recording

558

at the end of January 2024,

and it's been a week,

559

I guess, since the big news

or the current big news has come up.

560

So whenever you're listening to this,

I don't know

561

if there's going to be another big news.

562

Maybe you're listening in June,

563

big news and you're deciding,

which big news are they talking about?

564

So we are talking about the cap

on international students in Canada.

565

And of course, you know this.

566

I wanted to bring you in to kind of talk

about international education

567

from your perspective,

being ex Russian national

568

or growing up as a Russian national

and now Canadian.

569

And that recruitment piece from Russia

570

and of course, globally,

571

clients or students

having accessibility to

572

Canada is now going to be limited

for the next two years.

573

Right.

574

And at this time,

all we can do is speculate.

575

I'm sure there's a lot of professionals,

consultants,

576

advisors, etc., all speculating on

every other form of media,

577

just like we are going to do.

578

But that's the best we can do, right?

579

Do you do you view an impact

580

immediately in Canada

or do you think, okay,

581

because there's already 1 million

international students in Canada,

582

we won't see the impact for another year

perhaps?

583

Yes, I think the impact will be bold,

584

immediate and long term, long lasting.

585

I would say

if my first reaction to the news

586

when I assessing announced today 5%

587

cut for the current year, 2024

588

and then more more cuts

or same same level

589

of of reduction of number of study

590

So this temporary Paul is same in LA

just the key word being temporary.

591

But as we know it may not be

592

if anything temporary may be long lasting.

593

So this reduction is clearly affecting

the intake.

594

September 2024.

595

Clearly, the impact is immediate.

596

Students who applied for school

submitted applications to the

597

colleges and universities in Canada.

598

We haven't got them.

599

They may be impatiently waiting

if if whoever didn't get the letter

600

of acceptance L or A in short,

may be very much in panic.

601

And we've had a fair share

last week of students saying what to do.

602

I haven't gotten it yet, but

I want to apply right away because news.

603

Because news.

604

So it will affect

605

the intake of 2024 significantly.

606

And I believe some

some provinces in Canada

607

and we are staying in Toronto, Ontario

we will see a huge shift.

608

In my opinion.

609

Some colleges

should probably brace themselves.

610

Some colleges already

got the cultural meaning.

611

Those colleges who are heavily dependent

on international enrollment,

612

some partnerships, public

private partnerships, public colleges

613

that have campuses

in the center of Toronto

614

and offer that opportunity for students,

sort of enjoy them

615

the surrounding land,

enjoying the big city but studying and

616

at a maybe

a smaller setting may be negative.

617

It will be in the mall.

618

But you studying at a public college

that will be given you an opportunity,

619

the credential of a public college

and opportunity to apply for AWP,

620

those are cut

and they're not going to be eligible.

621

So that's an immediate impact for sure.

622

So there will be reshuffle

like I see that in my opinion.

623

We will notice our

we working with international students,

624

not even agents

who are now in the origin countries,

625

that they may not even realize the

the significance right now.

626

Like, okay, we're waiting for for them.

627

Yeah but I think

I think a lot of agents abroad

628

work or at least work on recruiting

629

students from multiple countries

so they might be okay.

630

All right.

631

But yes, going back to the impact on tier,

we'll definitely see.

632

The the immediate immediate meaning, short

term impact will be noticeable. Why?

633

Because given the news, given

634

that AOC wants to regionalize enrollment

635

and in in the wording of the announcement,

it says in a spirit of fairness

636

and the spirit of fairness, it's a

very like I like seeing that

637

because it's a recognition of fair

to students having an option, fair

638

to all the provinces

that may experience a shortage of,

639

let's say, labor shortages.

640

And and as we know and let's not be

641

and let's not be let's be honest,

international students do feel fill

642

the labor shortages when they have

an opportunity to to work off campus.

643

And they they're very much needed.

644

But there may be more

needed in northern Ontario or in Manitoba,

645

Saskatchewan or Atlantic Canada,

so that fairness piece as well, like

646

I think I appreciate the idea

647

of making immigration regional.

648

I'm sure there's the citizens

or residents of Toronto, for example,

649

Greater Toronto area or Greater Vancouver

area will probably see that

650

the impact that the less

651

the housing prices are being stabilizing,

not necessarily

652

because students are coming in

in fewer numbers.

653

It's because or in lower numbers, it's

because that pressure is removed.

654

There is a little bit

more manageable absorption

655

by the big city

of all this influx of newcomers,

656

newcomers who need support, newcomers

still may know they may not know better.

657

They may not know

that they need the landlords.

658

What are the rights, where to go?

659

Like all that volume,

it will likely be dispersed

660

across the Canada across the country,

and that's a good thing

661

economically.

662

Some the sector educational institutions

will definitely the pinch.

663

It will, in my opinion.

664

It's a good wake up call.

665

I actually want that to happen

as an ethical recruiting.

666

In the past, I, I never saw like I,

667

I want the agents to realize

that I want the educational institutions

668

to realize how much services

they may have underinvested

669

in while accepting

that international revenue.

670

I do believe, frankly,

that it's the services and invest it

671

into the services to international

students are not are there.

672

But there may be

in the very nominal value,

673

there may be not enough

international student advisors

674

who are equipped to service

complex cases and whatnot.

675

So I am it's just getting very close

to what we do on daily basis.

676

But it's it's it's important news.

677

And again,

we can have a separate podcast next week

678

when we probably will seek clarification

on what it means

679

and we can not even speculate

or maybe put, put some numbers.

680

Yeah, and that's exactly that's what

I did not want to do because, yeah,

681

I mean, as this news came out

and as I was just browsing through YouTube

682

and Instagram, like any other individual,

I do it as well.

683

But yes,

684

I always tell students, especially,

you know,

685

if you're going to listen to YouTube

or Instagram,

686

it might be sometimes

entertainment value only.

687

But yes,

688

there might be license professionals

who are also providing this information.

689

But at the moment it's all speculation.

690

And that's not

that's exactly what I want to avoid,

691

because we really have no idea

at this moment,

692

you know,

at this particular point of time, like I

693

said, yes, we can have one of the podcast

once things have clarity

694

and I don't want to speculate

and create among students.

695

And that's not the purpose

of this podcast.

696

This is more to talk about

studying in Canada

697

and kind of giving value to listeners

on why they should come here

698

and maybe also helping them

get prepared to be here.

699

And it kind of takes me back

700

to when I also worked as

an independent consultant and recruiter.

701

Being an

702

individual consultant,

I've never taken on more of,

703

you know, more cases than I can

than I can handle, right?

704

So when I used to go on recruitment

drives or something, I would tell clients,

705

listen, if there's 50 of you here,

I may only take two of us clients

706

because really,

I need you to fulfill certain criteria

707

for you to become my client,

because that's the capacity I have

708

and that's the service level

I want to achieve for my clients,

709

whether it's providing them information

about housing, providing them information

710

about driver's license,

about banking, about this in.

711

And by the time

712

they get their study permit approved,

they come to Canada.

713

I wanted them to be at least 80% ready

714

with me.

715

With with with this information.

716

Exactly. Yes. Right.

717

So some basic understanding. Yeah.

718

I would never take on more than two

or three cases a month for study permits,

719

I should say. Right.

For studying in Canada.

720

So, of course, there are other cases

that we worked on, any of us so good.

721

I just to echo that, in your case,

722

it was a little bit different

from what I my experience has.

723

So if you have 50 interested prospects

724

to come to study,

can I come and I service the market.

725

I used to do seminars the in India so.

726

I can so

but that would be not my experience.

727

But just to add a little bit of color

to this, I would probably have three

728

those three or two clients

that you would say you would take

729

similar to me,

I would taken in the beginning,

730

same number,

but those will be the very motivated,

731

the only one who had to stand

at the educational fair

732

when we will

I would either represent a college or

733

a language

734

school, because that's

what we used to do in the beginning.

735

When we started recruiting,

I would probably go

736

to Russian speaking to represent

Sheridan College or Seneca College

737

when they needed or Hansen School.

738

I thought that's

when the language mostly was appreciated.

739

So we would speak to

at the educational fairs.

740

So we would have

I would typically have like around

741

five four very motivated students

742

listening to what I have to say,

and then they will stay and linger.

743

If there is another question,

they will be very shy to ask the question

744

because not in the culture

745

they would listen, absorb

and then only ask the smart question.

746

That's how ethnic cultural thing works.

747

They are.

748

So, Don, don't sound dumb basically,

749

or don't ask the question at all anyway.

750

So those are the clients

who would stand the and ask

751

that those specific questions.

752

They become clients.

753

And that was a good fair

would be if I come out of it

754

with probably 1 to 3 solid prospects

755

from that region for that institution

756

and then the institution

and will typically take them.

757

So my job was basically to represent

the institution, explain everything.

758

That's why I know all the programs

for most of the colleges in GTA,

759

this is the top five,

I call them, and it just comes easy to me.

760

I know.

761

Let's see if there is someone who wasn't

given a seat at a particular college.

762

That program may be offered.

763

They're in there or maybe nowhere

and that's why you need to.

764

The advice changes according to that.

765

So that's knowledge.

766

Like from the early days, early years,

he would say just can't get rid of it.

767

So sometimes when I talk, I just

768

I just feel

I just know too much and it's it's it's a

769

professional hazard.

770

And yeah, sure enough,

I think I think knowing too much

771

is not necessarily a bad thing,

especially given the work that we do.

772

And given that and again,

I should tell my listeners, I do work very

773

I mean, all Olga and I are colleagues

at the same place,

774

so I do see how she advises students

and the kind of service

775

that she's amazing though

you are, in case you have a contact,

776

in case you ever come across the place

where we work

777

and you come across, all the rest assured

you're in safe hands.

778

Likewise.

779

No, no, no.

780

And I'm I'm I know exactly where I stand

in terms of my knowledge and experience.

781

So, yeah, again,

782

yeah, I think.

783

Student and student

just let's just put it this way.

784

It's I enjoy it

and thank you for the compliment.

785

I will take it because

786

Yeah,

well it's, it's, it's an interesting

787

but not an easy, not an easy job

because we absorb a lot of.

788

Yes. Not only curiosity and motivation

to study abroad in Canada specifically,

789

but we absorb a lot of heartache,

a lot of

790

confusion and often quite often

or maybe too

791

often, some broken dreams

and expectations not met.

792

So this is not an easy job.

793

And yeah, the fact

that we're still standing after both of us

794

being at least five years colleagues

form for quite a while.

795

We should be. Yeah.

796

We should. We should.

We pride ourselves in what we do.

797

I honestly believe our we do a good job.

798

Yeah, very modest of me to say, but

799

just.

800

No, no,

I totally agree with that, honestly.

801

But here's the thing.

802

I mean, I agree with that point.

803

And I do tell students

sometimes, you know,

804

and it's coming back to our point

on return on investment.

805

Right.

806

You're going to be spending a lot of money

to study in Canada.

807

If work permit is your goal, then yes,

we advise you

808

on, as you know, based on your situation,

what you need to do.

809

But if

810

you how if you're in a situation

where you know

811

you can get your work permit,

you can't stay in Canada anymore.

812

I do tell students that,

813

you know, it's not the end of the world

or it's not end of the world, right?

814

You study in Canada,

you get your degree diploma certificate.

815

You perhaps go back home

wherever you're from.

816

The world is big enough

817

to kind of forge your own path somewhere.

818

Right.

819

And it really depends

what you want out of life.

820

If you want to make money,

you can make money anywhere,

821

I assume, because I mean,

there are careers everywhere in the world.

822

Depends how much money you want to make.

823

You know, there's

824

there's a lot of questions

you need to answer for yourself right now.

825

Personally, I was an international student

826

in UK, U.S.,

and of course, finally Canada, But

827

I was already kind of approved for

Canadian migration when I came to Canada.

828

So you cannot really call me

an international student in Canada.

829

But yes, I did have a study permit,

forget that.

830

So I never thought of

831

remaining in the UK or U.S.

832

I just went back home.

833

And then finally Canada

is the place where I settled because

834

I kind of matured a little bit more.

835

I started seriously

thinking, okay, where do I want to go

836

compared to where I was at that moment?

837

Right?

838

So I do tell students,

you know, it's not the end of the world

839

if you don't get a work permit in Canada,

the world is much larger than it is.

840

So let's close out this podcast.

841

Olga, thank you so much for joining us.

842

Thanks for inviting for Yeah, no, no

and for sharing your experience.

843

I know we have been trying to get this

844

launched and I can't have a better guest

for the first episode,

845

So thank you so much, Olga,

sharing your experiences.

846

It's amazing.

847

Any final thoughts for our listeners

who are interested in Canada?

848

I am excited to be here

and thanks for having me,

849

obviously,

and I will want to be invited again

850

because I think that this podcast

is just an amazing outlet for me to,

851

you know, share all this wisdom

and all my experiences because it's

852

it's easier

853

for me to actually do that

in this sort of free flowing conversation.

854

So podcast is an amazing format

because when we present to, let's say,

855

hundreds of students or dozens of students

or we go one on one,

856

it's it's still on the point.

857

It's typically you answer the question

or you stick to the presentation

858

this way, like the podcast

where I think it's

859

just an easier

860

channel for for us to share,

861

and that's to share the story.

862

And when whoever is considering education

863

in Canada or education abroad in general,

consider this as a story like this is

864

you're sort of writing your own chapter,

like this is a one chapter.

865

It's it doesn't need to be the only one

in that book of life.

866

So I would say

867

I would

868

say that it's it's an amazing opportunity

for for for you, for students,

869

for parents to enrich your life

culturally and otherwise.

870

And Canada is one of the key places

that is still accepting

871

and very much open

to new people and new immigrants.

872

And it's likely to stay this way

with some modifications

873

of some limitations

that are now being imposed.

874

There will be just a better place.

875

I as a as a perennial optimist,

I would say that's going to be the case.

876

Like it's not stopping.

877

Don't take them.

Take recent news seriously.

878

And if your listeners two years later,

you can have a life of how panicky or

879

how worried everybody was back

880

in 2024, in the beginning,

the best is yet to come.

881

So it goes for both immigration

882

in Canada, education in Canada

and this particular podcast.

883

I'm going to I'm happy

to be the first guest.

884

Thank you.

885

That is it for

886

this episode of Edu Talks Canada.

887

All episodes are produced by at Achuth

888

Kesavan and Tigi kuttamperoor.

889

Opening Theme Song by Rex Banner Goals.

890

Be sure you subscribe to your favorite

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