HUMBER STUDENTS LAUNCH BUSINESS POST EDUCATION
After completing the majority of the Humber College immigration consultant certificate program online, as part of the curriculum Julia Salgueiro and Tara Lee had to attend a hearing at the immigration appeal division. This chance meeting sparked a friendship that resulted in the marketing manager and immigration assistant launching a business together.
“In summer 2013, we opened Connect CA Business Immigration to advise investors, entrepreneurs and self-employed individuals on immigrating to Canada,” says Salgueiro who, along with Lee, completed the program in 2012 and wrote the Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council licensing exam shortly after.
“We provide specialized services like legal representation for immigration with Citizenship Immigration Canada and customized services according to each client’s needs.”
Thanks to Humber’s offering, which consists of seven compulsory courses, the women gained essential knowledge in administrative tribunals, business planning for immigration, immigration and refugee law and procedures, legal research for immigration, professional conduct and workplace writing skills. They were also, says Lee, given the know-how to confidently pursue self-employment.
“One of the most beneficial aspect of the program for me was working on a business plan for one of the courses,” says Lee. “It wasn’t just, read the book, never use it and forget about it. It was very practical and made you think about the kind of person you are, the kind of business you would like to run and how to be your own manager.”
The option to complete courses online or in-class, Lee says, allows for f lexibility that makes program completion manageable. While for Salgueiro, who often f lies overseas, online worked best, for Lee attending some classes on campus proved valuable.
“For some of the assignments we were put into groups and that prepared us for real life situations in a number of ways, from deciding who would delegate to figuring out how we would sort our schedules,” says Lee. “Also, education is not only about learning something, it is also about networking.”
Today, says Lee, as Connect CA Business Immigration expands its services to include study and work permits, she and Salgueiro continue to network with their Humber peers who have ventured into different aspects of immigration consultation.