Immigration Consultant

at  University of Waterloo

TERM: 12 MONTHS

The Immigration Consultant is accountable to the Manager, Immigration Consulting, for the delivery of professional legal advising with a focus on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)’s International Student Program (ISP) for international students and their spouses, partners, and dependents. The primary role is to assist students in the understanding of immigration requirements to maintain legal status while studying and/or working in Canada as a student and while transitioning to a worker. The incumbent will provide individual consultations to guide students in navigating immigration processes which include application preparation/review and when needed, intervention with internal and external partners.
This position requires a high level of professionalism and competent application of appropriate advising procedures in a confidential and ethical manner in accordance with standards as set by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC).
Responsibilities:

Immigration Consulting Service to Students

• Demonstrate a high level of knowledge in immigration law, policies, regulations, procedures and keep up to date with current and emerging immigration legislation and interpretations
• Be well informed on all areas of immigration trends, federal court case decisions, policies and regulatory changes to provide accurate advice to mitigate risk and reduce vulnerability in the face of rapidly evolving immigration policies
• Provide timely, accurate, efficient, and comprehensive immigration advice in all areas of temporary residence applications, processes, and general guidance on permanent residence
• Embrace a holistic approach by creating a safe space and by ensuring sensitivity to cultural differences, student life transition adjustment, and unique needs of individuals
• Provide individual in-person or virtual consultation and respond to inquiries through emails within the service standard response time
• Co-consult with other on-staff Immigration Consultant(s) on complex cases when required to uphold CICC’s regulation with respect to competency in advising
• Bring attention to high risk or complex cases during team discussion and escalate to Senior Immigration Consultant(s) for intervention, as appropriate
• Ensure consultation case management practices adhere to CICC’s regulation by maintaining and purging documents, individual consultation notes, and copies of immigration documents. Also ensuring any related immigration documents are kept in strict confidentiality and secured storage

Immigration Expertise and Team Support

• Remain current on the needs of all international students at the University, relevant University policies and procedures, best practices in immigration consulting. Based on findings, and in consultation with the Manager, identify possible projects that will enhance the immigration experience of all international students
• Report feedback from students, share observations, recommend, and implement best practices
• Contribute during daily case discussion to ensure consistency in the team’s advising approach. Reporting lessons learned from Continuing Professional Development (CPD) sessions and share research relevant to consulting services
• Contribute to the development of polices and procedures as needed to improve immigration consulting services
• Contribute to co-mentorship, promote, and maintain a high level of work ethic within the team
• Implement assessment methods to measure achievement in all areas of responsibility including service goals and objectives and determination of service success on a termly basis
• Working as a member of a team of consultants, the incumbent will plan, deliver, and coordinate immigration presentations and perform other related duties including, but not limited to, communications in various forms, website content creation and maintenance, recordkeeping and administrative responsibilities as assigned

Strategic Liaison

• Initiative is paramount in acquiring knowledge of institution structures, systems, and processes. One should be capable of liaising and collaborating with campus partners to provide seamless and knowledgeable services to the students, including triaging student referrals for non-immigration matters
• Proactively build and maintain strong relationships with academic advisors and their departments to provide seamless academic and immigration support to international students, while seeking collaboration opportunities, such as specialized immigration presentations or information sessions
• Liaise/collaborate with internal and external partners, government organizations and agencies as appropriate to support immigration consulting outreach initiatives
• Proactively build and maintain strong relationships with colleagues from other Canadian universities for continuous improvement in knowledge expertise and service standard. Strategically build a network of resources that can assist with immigration matters –lawyers, RCICs, CBSA office and MP office
• Manage the University’s reputation in all interactions with IRCC, CBSA, Provincial governments, Service Canada, local MP’s office, and other government entities as well as CBIE, CICC, CAPIC and related organizations
• Participate in certain department-wide or campus-wide activities including special events, special projects, committee participation etc.

Compliance

• Adhere to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), Immigration Protection Regulations (IRPR) and its Regulations, and CICC policies, which includes:
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of and changes to IRPA and IRPR as it pertains to the Universitynand its regulatory policies to ensure competency to perform the duty of a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC)
• Ensure that any changes to the IRPA and IRPR, policy or procedures, are documented, implemented, and communicated to appropriate areas affected
• Protect the confidentiality and privacy of the students by holding in strict confidence all information concerning their personal affairs unless consent for disclosure is authorized. In addition, all records shall be stored for a period of 6 years in a secure manner to safeguard confidentiality and to protect against loss or damage

Qualifications:

• An undergraduate degree
• Graduate Diploma in Immigration and Citizenship Law or equivalent
• Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant in good standing with CICC
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in immigration consulting as an RCIC and 3+ years of experience advising international students or,
• 5+ years of experience in immigration related experience and direct experience working with international students at the post-secondary level
• Highly knowledgeable on IRPA and IRPR, including policies and procedures pertaining to IRCC’s ISP and permanent residence program, in particular, Express Entry and the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program
• Understanding of university policy and procedures as they relate to international students
• Demonstrate ability to work within a framework of multiple principles and guidelines and the ability to apply professional judgement in situations where clear direction is unavailable and/or interpretation is required
• Strong organizational skills with an ability to handle heavy caseloads, handle multiple tasks, manage crisis, meet deadlines, and excel in a fast-paced environment characterized by changing priorities
• Evidence of a service-oriented perspective with awareness of and sensitivity to cultural, racial, language, political, and socio-economic diversity
• Superior research skills, verbal and written communication skills, exceptional analytical thinking, excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills, and the ability to communicate to a diverse audience through various mediums
• Proven strong advocacy skills as evidenced by experience in assisting clients (international students)
• Demonstrate ability to thrive in and contribute to an integrated and collaborative team environment and to apply a positive team approach to working with colleagues within an individual department and across a larger institution
• Proven ability to provide a mature, competent, and professional presence while working with external government and immigration officials, current and prospective students, and university administrators and staff
• Beneficial: international experience and second language skills

Equity Statement:
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.
The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935

Please refer the Job description for details