Thompson Rivers University is teaming up with a company to try to help its international students navigate the often-tricky immigration process here in Canada.

TRU has teamed up with a firm called BorderPass provide prospective students with a year of legal and administrative immigration coaching through a system similar to tax software.

“The platform was designed in a very smart way,” said Ziping Feng, TRU’s Chief International Enrollment Officer.  “Not overwhelm students by tons of questions, but rather to help students navigate through a series of questions that’s in compliance with Canadian Immigration.”

Feng says this comes at no extra cost to international students trying to make it to Kamloops.

“TRU actually will cover the cost of the legal services offered by BorderPass, and subscription fees,” said Feng, who notes the immigration process can be a challenge to navigate.  “They only approve 60 percent of the applicants who are able to obtain a study permit. 40 percent are rejected.”

Around 4,000 students from abroad study at TRU at any given time.

That number is expected to start dropping somewhat, due to new federal immigration rules and a housing shortage on campus.

“Recent changes in Canadian immigration policies have prompted a need for enhanced support and transparency in the immigration process for international students,” said TRU in a release. “By offering this comprehensive support system, TRU is not only ensuring compliance with evolving immigration policies, but also prioritizing the welfare and success of its international student community from application to graduation and beyond.”