Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF
2nd Sep 2020

ICEF Podcast: Building safe student corridors: A case study from Canada

Our podcast series continues with a closer look at some comprehensive plans and protocols for safe student arrivals during the pandemic.

The Canadian example is an interesting one for a couple of reasons. Owing to a limited exception to a ban on international travellers, students that already had student visas in hand as of mid-March have been granted an exemption to travel to Canada to begin or continue studies this year.

But having a visa and having permission to enter the country is one thing. There are many more details to sort out when it comes to travel planning, pre-departure checks, safety while in transit, quarantine after arrival, and then transition to homestays or other longer-term housing.

We have seen a number of stakeholders step forward with detailed and comprehensive plans for safe student arrivals this year, and this episode features two guests who have really made important contributions in this respect.

Rachel Lindsay is the director of international affairs and operations for Languages Canada, the country’s peak body for the language teaching sector. And Karen Symonds is the director of international education for the Delta School District in Delta, British Columbia.

They join our host – Robin Garcha, ICEF's director for Canada – for a wide-ranging discussion around the practicalities of safely welcoming international students this year. 

You can listen to the episode in the player below, and we encourage you to subscribe via your favourite podcast app in order to receive future episodes automatically.

For additional background, please see: 

Most Recent

  • Australia: With ELICOS under pressure, peak bodies push for reduction in “extortionate” visa fees Read More
  • Mystery shopping study finds broad improvement in student enquiry handling this year Read More
  • South Korea hits its 300,000 student target two years ahead of schedule Read More

Most Popular

  • Which countries will contribute the most to global student mobility in 2030? Read More
  • Research shows link between study abroad and poverty alleviation  Read More
  • Beyond the Big Four: How demand for study abroad is shifting to destinations in Asia and Europe Read More

Because you found this article interesting

Australia: With ELICOS under pressure, peak bodies push for reduction in “extortionate” visa fees The latest data from the Department of Education reveals that enrolments in Australia’s ELICOS sector (English Language Intensive...
Read more
South Korea hits its 300,000 student target two years ahead of schedule In 2023, the South Korean government announced a plan to attract 300,000 international students by 2027: 220,000 in...
Read more
Canada: Study permit numbers are in steep decline in 2025 In 2024, the first year under Canada’s current cap on new international student enrolments, the total number of...
Read more
UK confirms levy on international student fees as new analysis argues that government is “drastically underestimating” the impact of the move Updated for 30 September 2025: On 29 September, the Department of Education announced that it would reinstate “means-tested...
Read more
ICEF Podcast: From ‘policy focused’ to ‘student centred’: A new era in international education? Listen in as ICEF’s Craig Riggs and Martijn van de Veen recap some of the key takeaways from...
Read more
US administration’s new H-1B policies create uncertainty around post-study work rights The H-1B programme is a key policy mechanism for international students in the United States. Aside from the...
Read more
China leverages higher education capacity with expanded TNE partnerships As with most statistics about China, the latest higher education figures are a little dizzying. Enrolment in the...
Read more
France reports more than 443,000 international students in higher education for 2024/25 The latest data release from Campus France reports a record-high foreign enrolment in the country. There were 443,500...
Read more
What are you looking for?
Quick Links