Welcome to Conestoga College!
I hope you are excited for the upcoming semester as we are!
You may also be a little anxious about the new adventure
especially during the pandemic as we adjust to the new normal.
We want you to know that our international student support
services are here to support you along the way
of your journey at Conestoga and in Canada.
We have two teams at Conestoga to support the
unique needs of our International Students.
These are our International Transition team.
And our International Student Advisor Team.
Our International Transition Co-ordinators or ITC's
are dedicated to support you to make a successful
transition to Conestoga and Canada with a wide range
of initiatives and activities.
Our ITC's Janelle, Alicia, and Gao have
already been in touch with you to support
your safe arrival and quarantine in Canada
and we are here to continue to support you.
We host International Welcome Events
and start-up activities to help you navigate
college resources and learn about
tips and skills to help you be successful
in your time at Conestoga.
You can also find our weekly webinars, transition talks
and other events on the co-curricular portal
covering a wide variety of topics that are
essential to international students.
We provide advising,
coaching and support
through your transition, this includes
housing settlement and cultural adjustment
among many other transitional topics
and we are here to help you
find the right resources at Conestoga
and in the local community
If you have any questions related to your transition
and adjustment to Conestoga and
Canada, we are always here to support you.
You can email us to request
an appointment by Zoom or by phone.
Our email address is: InternationalTransition@conestogac.on.ca
We invite you to reach out to us,
we are here to help!
As an international student, you must maintain your
legal status in Canada at all times
and comply with the study permit conditions
At Conestoga, we have a team of experts
who can help you navigate and better understand
the rules and regulations of the
IRPA: Immigration and Refugees Protection Act,
and the policies from the IRCC
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Our International Student Advisors, or ISA's
are Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCIC)
Or, Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIA)
They provide professional immigration advising on many
aspects related to your legal status as
an international student in Canada
as well as that of your immediate family members.
The ISA's can help you
and your family members with IRCC
applications such as Study and Work Permits
Temporary Resident VISAs
and Electronic Travel Authorization.
They also help you understand your eligibility to work on
and off-campus and the requirements
to apply for a Co-op Work Permit
or a Post-Graduation Work Permit.
If you have and questions or concerns related to study
permits or immigration, our ISA
team is here to help you.
You can connect with ISA's
through e-mail and on one to one
meetings by Zoom.
You will know which ISA to reach out to
based on the campus you are assigned to.
Crystal provides support to our students at Doom and Cambridge campuses,
Alicia at Doon campus,
Willy at Brantford, Downtown Kitchener & Guelph campuses,
and Yi at Waterloo campus.
You can find the ISA email addresses on our
Conestoga International webpage
in the contact us section.
Our ISA team also
offers workshops and information sessions
on study and work permits.
You will receive e-mails about upcoming
workshops and sessions and these
events will also be posted on Conestoga
Internationals social media platforms
which will be posted at
the end of this video.
Again, don't forget to check your
Conestoga e-mail regularly for
upcoming events from ISA's and ITC's.
You can also connect with us by visiting
our international student support website
which is a great starting point as you
navigate information and resources at Conestoga
and in Canada.
You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Follow us for upcoming events and College updates.
Simply search for Conestoga College
International, and follow us!
We are thrilled to have you start your journey at Conestoga
and we are looking forward to connecting with you in the future.
Again, welcome to Conestoga College!