Navigating the Canadian Immigration Process: A Study of International Students' Experience and Interactions with the Student Services Provided by Their Host Universities

Canada views international students as potential skilled immigrants. The country has implemented multiple immigration streams to retain these students post-graduation in order to remain competitive in the global knowledge economy. However, research investigating these students' experiences holistically was lacking. This study addressed this gap in literature by looking at: (1) how international students decided on Canada as a study-abroad destination, (2) how they ultimately decided on seeking Canadian permanent residence, and (3) which on-campus services and resources they sought and/or utilized to help navigate the immigration process, and what their experiences with these services were. Six former international students who graduated from Canadian universities, and had since applied for or obtained Canadian permanent residence, were interviewed in this narrative inquiry. Bronfenbrenner's developmental ecology theory was used to situate interviewees' experiences in the broader contexts, and Schlossberg's transition theory was used as a framework to holistically study their experiences with transitions.M.A