Immigration Advisory Committee (IAC)

For more than a decade, Lisa Griffin Ndour has dedicated her career to helping international students and newcomers to make New Brunswick their home. Fully bilingual, she’s worked at all levels to help immigrants navigate the immigration world and help them settle into her community. This has included working and volunteering with local immigrants’ settlement agencies, as a provincial immigration officer, as an international student advisor, and, most recently, as Manager of International Mobility and Student Services at the Université de Moncton. As an RCIC, she is also the CEO of LGN Services where she manages a series of immigration-related projects with numerous post-secondary institutions as well as the ISIEP-PEIEI program at CBIE. In addition to her professional expertise, Lisa brings her insight and perspective to several regional and national volunteer boards, including CBIE, and the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council.

With over a decade of experience in international education, Jean has a keen interest in the interplay between immigration policy, institutional policy, and international students’ daily realities. Her passion for international education stems from her experience as an international graduate student in Ireland, and she has since had the privilege to work with students and educators at both the college and university levels. In her current role as Manager, International Student Advising at the University of Victoria, Jean leads a team of professionals helping international students and their families navigate the complexities of immigration policy and supporting them with settlement resources.

Jean holds a BA from the University of Victoria and an MA from University College Cork. She has been an RCIC since 2014.

Kay Balite is the International Student Advisor at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and she has over a decade of experience supporting and advising international students and permanent residents. Kay holds a BA in Psychology, a Master of Education, and a RISIA license. In addition to being the primary immigration advisor, Kay has worked in recruitment, exchange student advising, as well as academic advising. Kay immigrated from the Philippines with her family and has been living in Canada for the past 17 years. Since her arrival as a student, Kay has dedicated herself to the world of international education through volunteering and professional work. She uses her own lived experience to support students in settlement and career development. She is a strong advocate for international student settlement in Halifax and participates in various initiatives to build communities for newcomers.

Imarú (Ima) Baquero has worked in international education for over 10 years, in both college and university environments, and currently works as the Manager, International Student Services at the University of Lethbridge. Her responsibilities have included international strategic planning, international student support and advising, education abroad, partnership development, and international student enrolment management. Imarú is a Regulated International Student Immigration Advisor since 2017, she is one of the instructors of the CBIE International Students and Immigration Education Program, and she has served as a co-champion of CBIE’s Student Services Professional Learning Community.

Danai Bélanger is a trilingual (Shona, English, and French) Vice-Principal Student Affairs and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Bishop’s University. She has a master’s degree from The University of British Columbia-Okanagan in Diversity Education and obtained her RCIC designation in 2015. She has spent the last 17 years navigating Canada’s many immigration systems for various institutions that span four of Canada’s provinces.

She has first-hand experience as a user and educator of Canada’s immigration programs – experiences that have enabled her to provide the highest service to some of the most vulnerable people in post-secondary institutions. This experience has informed her research in community building and public policy, as well as her inherent desire to advocate for improved immigration systems in the post-secondary sector.

She has educated Royal Newfoundland Constabulary police recruits about racial bias amongst Black people and has worked with local government in New Brunswick to create an employment preparation program for international students. She has also worked with Focus for Ethnic Women (FEW) in Ontario to develop employment programming and sourcing federal and provincial funding for initiatives for racialized women.

Danai has worked as a consultant for the ISIEP-PEIEI, creating and editing course content and currently sits on the Student Advising/Conseiller aux étudiants (SACE) committee.

Patrick is an International Student Advisor at Université Laval since 2006 and he is also since 2017 one of the instructors of the Programme d’études sur l’immigration et les étudiants internationaux (PEIEI). He holds the RCIC designation since 2021 as well as a bachelor in Social Work (Université Laval, 2004). He has a lifelong interest in International Education and is fluent in French, English and Spanish.

Ms. Casanovas Michel holds a BA in political science and administration from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (2002) and a graduate diploma in international studies from the Université de Montréal (2005). In February 2016, she became a certified Regulated Immigration Counsellor for International Students (RISIA) and has since been collaborating with the Canadian Bureau for International Education on a number of education projects, including the International Students and Immigration Education Program (ISIEP) and “Immigration Policy and Law in Practice” – a continuing education workshop.

Ms.  Casanovas Michel is the International Recruitment and Immigration Advisor at the Fédération des cégeps, an organization that represents 48 public CEGEPS in Quebec. Its mandate is to promote them, defend their interests, support their development, facilitate collaborative work and provide services and advice so they can carry out their educational mission.

Previously, Ms. Casanovas Michel was the person in charge of international students and the international exchange program at Polytechnique Montréal. In her role, she coordinated welcome services, as well as transition and integration services for international students and offered advice on federal and provincial immigration to this group. She also coordinated the 2010 and 2011 editions of Accueil Plus, a welcome service that allows international students arriving at the airport in Montreal in the summer to enjoy a more simplified entry process with the Canada Border Services Agency.

Manar has been working in international education for the last ten years.  She is an international student coordinator (ISC) at Langara College as well as the lead immigration consultant for the institution.  She is the first point of contact for new international students and assists them with their transition to Canadian post-secondary.  Since 2018, Manar has been a Regulated Immigration Consultant. As the immigration lead, she is responsible for educating and supporting the college community on immigration policies.

She is committed to fostering strong relationships while advocating for equity, diversity, and inclusion. Manar has a Bachelor’s from Simon Fraser University and is currently pursuing Master’s degree from Royal Roads University.

Diana is an experienced, trilingual Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) with the additional qualification to represent persons before the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB).

She has worked as a former Immigration Officer with the department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and a former Border Services Officer (BSO) with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). She has worked at Canada’s ports of entry (airport and land-border), local processing offices and abroad at the Canadian High Commission to India in New Delhi. She transitioned out of the public sector and worked for a law firm prior to starting her own immigration consulting practice in Calgary. Diana is an International Student Specialist at the University of Calgary (UCalgary) and is a UCalgary Alumni.

With over 15 years of immigration experience across the public, private and academic sectors; she possesses a wide breadth and depth of knowledge and expertise.
When she’s not working, she’s an avid hiker, backpacker and K-Drama lover!

Kimberly Jean Pharuns is a recognized leader within Canada’s Francophone and Acadian communities, with more than 10 years of experience in agile management, strategic leadership and immigration. She holds an MBA from the Australian Institute of Business and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) at Athabasca University.

In March 2025, Kimberly joined the Observatoire en immigration francophone du Canada (OIFC) as its Executive Director. Kimberly is forward-thinking and ambitious, and always ready to take on new challenges and explore new collaborations. She knows how to seize opportunities to help advance projects, whether it involves developing partnerships, promoting initiatives, innovating or creating new tools.

As editor-in-chief of Symposium+ magazine, she demonstrated her ability for making complex topics accessible, and for promoting community initiatives. Kimberly sees herself as a leader driven by passion for inclusion and diversity. Her collaborative approach and her determination are qualities that have helped her achieve meaningful results throughout her career.

As a reminder, the Observatoire en immigration francophone du Canada serves as an interdisciplinary and multisectoral platform for the exchange and sharing of knowledge and promising practices in the area of francophone immigration.

Boon Khoo is an experienced Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) with a Master’s degree in Peace and Conflict and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She brings a wealth of experience, enriched by a multicultural background and proficiency in multiple languages. With over a decade of expertise in immigration consulting and international student education, Boon excels at simplifying complex immigration regulations and providing personalized guidance to students, along with expert advice to the campus community.

As the Manager of Immigration Consulting Services at the University of Waterloo, Boon spearheads strategic initiatives and guides a team of RCICs in the development and implementation of a comprehensive and proactive immigration consulting service for international students. Previously, at Global Networks Immigrations (GNI), Boon held the role as the Principal Immigration Consultant, where she was instrumental in business development, consultation, and client advocacy.

She enjoys spending time with colleagues and meeting with students, but she also finds solace and pleasure in taking solitary walks.

Shawna has spent 20 years developing her immigration, intercultural, and people leadership skills through successive roles at Niagara College. Shawna is a graduate of Niagara College and Brock University and holds her Regulated International Student Immigration Advisor (RISIA) designation. She has been supporting CBIE learning and advocacy throughout the years as an ISIEP and Agent Training Instructor and through a previous term of service on the IAC from 2018 to 2020.  Shawna has a passion for empowering students with knowledge and skills that help them grow and succeed in whatever path they choose.

Mirjana works as a Coordinator of Immigration and Settlement and acts as a principal immigration specialist at the University of Saskatchewan (USask). She also manages the international student advising and services portfolio and leads the RISIA Community of Practice. She has over 15 years of combined professional experience in international education and the newcomer/settlement sector. Her goal is to increase the retention and diversity of international students with careful attention to students’ well-being, success and sense of belonging.

Mirjana earned a Master’s Degree in Immigration and Settlement Studies from the Toronto Metropolitan University and a High Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in Comparative Literature and Languages from USask. She holds the RISIA designation from 2017 and is multilingual.

Mirjana spent most of her childhood and teenage years as a refugee, at times stateless or internally displaced. In addition, she has a rich lived experience of a first-generation immigrant and an international exchange student.

Mirjana resides in Saskatoon on Treaty 6 territory, traditional lands of several First Nations and the Homeland of the Métis. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors and exploring Canada’s natural wonders with her family.

Christa has been working in the field of international education for over 16 years. Christa has served as International Student Advisor at Mount Allison University since 2012. Before her work in the post-secondary sector, Christa worked in international schools in South Korea and Hong Kong.

Christa is a Regulated International Student Immigration Advisor and also holds a Bachelor of Science degree (Mount Allison University, 2004) and Bachelor of Education degree (Saint Thomas University, 2007).

Bonnie McKie has provided leadership in international education within the K-12 public school sector for 19 years. She has been the Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Public Schools International (CAPS-I) since the not-for-profit association’s incorporation in 2008.

Prior to joining CAPS-I, as Manager of International Education for the Surrey School District, Bonnie developed the International Student Program for the largest public school district in British Columbia.

She also served on the Executive Committee of IPSEA (International Public School Education Association of BC) as Vice-President and as Co-Convenor of the Global Alliance of Education and Language Associations.

Melissa is an immigration advisor at McGill University’s International Student Services office. Prior to working at McGill, she worked as an immigration lawyer at a Montreal based firm that specialized in immigration law. She holds a Bachelor of Laws from the Université de Montréal and a Bachelor of Science from McGill University. She is a member of the Barreau du Québec.

Zuzana has been working in international education sector for 12+ years, supporting international learners at institutions in three countries and on two continents.

In addition to her two master’s degrees (Master in North American History and Politics and Master in Management of Non Profit Organizations), Zuzana is also a Regulated International Student Immigration Advisor (RISIA) since 2017, graduating as a part of the the first ever cohort of the program.

An immigrant to Canada herself, she understands the deep impact services tailored directly to international students’ needs can have on their whole journey.

Zuzana is working as a Manager, International Student Support as Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) creating support strategies and services for international learners as well as overseeing the intercultural strategy implementation.

Jintu is an experienced International Student Advisor and Registered Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) with a proven track record of guiding students through the complexities of academic transitions, cultural adjustment, and immigration matters. With over six years in the international education field in various capacities at Lakehead University’s Thunder Bay campus, she combines her expertise in advising, background in Human Resources, and student advocacy to create supportive, inclusive, and student-focused services. Jintu is deeply passionate and committed to empowering international learners to thrive academically, personally, and professionally. Jintu has served on CBIE’s INTL Committee since 2022, including as Co-Lead of the Bursary Committee.

Lana (Svetlana) Volkova has worked in international education for over 14 years. She has experience in international student recruitment, international partnerships and projects, international student services and programming, including immigration advising. She is a Ph.D. candidate at the NOVA University of Lisbon (Education for Global Citizenship). She currently holds the position of Associated Director Center for International Experience at the University of Toronto. Lana speaks several languages and has worked and studied in multiple countries.