By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
The Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC), in partnership with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), is calling for former international students in Sherbrooke to participate in a research study aimed at understanding the transition to permanent residency in Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs).
In a recent interview, Marthe Folka, a representative from SRDC, explained that while the initial phase of the study successfully engaged current international students at Bishop’s University and Champlain College, the team now specifically seeks former students who have settled in Sherbrooke. “We are hoping to connect with those who completed their studies and have either obtained a work permit or transitioned to permanent residency,” she said, noting they hope to recruit 10 to 15 individuals for this phase.
The purpose of the study is to document the experiences of international students transitioning to permanent residency and identify both the resources available and the challenges encountered along the way. “We want to find out what difficulties they encountered, what resources were available to them, and how policies can be improved to ease their transition,” Folka stated.
The data collected will remain anonymous, with only aggregate information being reported to protect participants’ identities. The study aims to provide the IRCC with insights that could lead to policy adjustments, making the path to permanent residency smoother for future international students.
Folka emphasized that the research parameters remain the same as when the study was first announced. Participants are still offered a $50 gift card for their time. However, the process has been simplified: instead of filling out a survey, former students can now directly contact SRDC to express their interest. “We’ve removed the survey step to make it easier for participants,” she noted.
The interviews, which are expected to take around 60 to 90 minutes, are primarily conducted over Zoom or Teams, though SRDC is willing to accommodate phone interviews if necessary. To accommodate participants’ schedules, SRDC is flexible with interview times, including weekends. Folka mentioned that while they are open to weekend interviews, they will be held at reasonable hours, such as Saturday or Sunday mornings.
For those interested in participating, they can complete a short survey via the link: https://ca1se.voxco.com/SE/99/Transition/ or reach out directly by emailing jrodier@srdc.org
