Tunde Omotoye’s “Insider Tips” for International Students Considering Canada
The year is 2014. Tunde Omotoye is on top of the world.
At work, he has recently been promoted from officer to associate. There is speculation that his boss is considering him for the assistant manager position.
Meanwhile, Tunde's company, Food Concepts PLC, the powerhouse behind Chicken Republic and the creamy, soft Butterfield Bread, is on a meteoric rise, and Tunde’s professional life is soaring along with it.
His love life is also experiencing a similar growth. Tunde and his then-girlfriend, now his wife, are in love and are probably thinking that with all their good fortune, it might be time to take the next step — marriage.
Life is good, and it’s only about to get better.
One fine Sunday evening in February, on a day as idle as a painted ship on a painted sea, Tunde visits his fiancee.
He pulls up to her house in Mende, Maryland1, with the meanest-looking Honda Evil Spirit2 car. She welcomes him into the house, all smiles and happiness like the lovebirds that they are. They talk, gist, and bond over shared memories in the house.
After a few hours, Tunde is ready to leave, and they both emerge from the house. As is typical with people in love, they linger a bit more to chat and talk about everything and nothing in particular, each looking for an excuse to spend more time with the other. All this happens beside Tunde’s car, which his uncle owns.
In the middle of their conversation, a seemingly lost stranger approaches the love birds for directions. Tunde, always helpful, moves closer to listen and assist. But like a magician’s trick, the stranger pulls a gun from thin air and says, “Give me your key.”
Time stops. Everything happens in slow motion.
Tunde—slowly—hands over the key to the armed stranger. For the first time that evening, he notices a vehicle parked in front of them. From that car, two men appear and force the previous lovebirds into the backseat. The armed robbers quickly dispossess them of their belongings — wristwatches and phones — and cover their faces with pillowcases. Then the questions start to flow:
“Who owns the car?” “Does the car have security?” “What do you do for a living?”
The questions go on for a long time, or is it a few minutes? They have no way of knowing which because time seems to come to a standstill when you’re held against your will.
Thankfully, the robbers find their answers satisfactory, and after driving around, they drop the couple at a random bus stop in Maryland before zooming off.
“I never saw that car again,” Tunde shares.
Between the Nigerian police's incompetence in dealing with the incident and the trauma of the experience, “I was done with Nigeria,” Tunde says.
Once, where he had harbored dreams of rising at work, the only thing on his mind now was how to get out. The system — the one he believed in, the one he fought for and was building in — had failed him.
One serendipitous conversation with his mother-in-law later, and Tunde’s journey to Canada began.
All of this happened in 2014.
Fast forward to 2024, and Tunde Omotoye’s journey has come full circle. He’s now a licensed immigration consultant and business owner who helps people migrate to Canada.
Still perennially helpful, Tunde gave us some “insider information” for international students looking to move to Canada.
General Tips
1) Align your background
As Tunde reveals, one foundational mistake most international students make is having a scattered background.
For example, it can be a red flag if you studied human resources as an undergrad but are currently working in tech and want to study nursing in Canada. So, the first thing to do is ensure that your background [Human Resources] or current experience [tech] aligns with what you want to study in Canada.
2) Calculate your proof of funds properly
Another mistake international students make is not correctly calculating their proof of funds.
If you have outstanding tuition, you must show more than just the standard proof of funds. This means you need to show proof of funds plus the outstanding tuition because that makes up the entire proof of funds.
3) Show ties to home
As an international student, Canada sees you as a temporary resident, meaning you must show that you have a lot going back home for yourself. These things typically revolve around family ties, assets like land and business, or a job, pension, or something tangible.
Anything that proves you have something going on at home.
A common mistake some students make is emphasizing their family in Canada—whether it’s an aunt or sibling—and how exciting it is to reunite them. That can be a red flag. It’s crucial to demonstrate stronger ties back home than in Canada to improve the chances of getting your student visa.
4) Plan, plan, plan
For most people, landing in Canada is the final bus stop. But it shouldn’t be so; as Tunde explains, you should put effort and time into school.
Plan for good grades because they affect the outcome of your job search and job match—and these things determine your post-study visa and opportunities after school.
2024 IRCC Policy Changes to Note
Here are the most significant changes to Canadian immigration policies in the past six months:
Proof of funds: Starting from 2024, a single applicant must show they have 20,635 Canadian dollars plus their first year of tuition and travel costs. Previously, as Tunde reflected, you didn’t need to have paid full tuition or show that you could pay full tuition to stand a better chance of getting your visa issued.
Postgraduate Work Permit:
Previously, college students in Canada were eligible for a postgraduate work permit [PGWP]. But IRCC [Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada] changed the rules, restricting PGWP to only people doing a Master’s or a PhD program.
Also, only spouses and common-law partners of international students enrolled in a Master's or PhD are now eligible for an open work permit. Previously, spouses of international students enrolled in colleges could also get an open work permit.
Finally, graduates of master’s degree programs that are less than two years in length at PGWP-eligible learning institutions are now eligible for a three-year PGWP. This is a significant change from the old policy, under which only graduates with at least two years' length of study from PGWP-eligible institutions were eligible for the three-year PGWP.
Approval rates: “The approval rate was drastically low for Nigerians before,” Tunde shares. But now, he expands, “the approval rates are improving.” Thanks to many conversations and pushback calling out Canada on its preference for certain types of people, usually people who fit particular phenotypical aesthetics.
Common Reasons For Visa Denial
If you got the dreaded visa denial email, here are some reasons why this might have happened and how to fix them when reapplying.
1) Misrepresentation
“The immigration space in Nigeria is quite polarised,” Tunde reveals. Plenty of unqualified people are doing whatever they like without any oversight.
Because of the lack of consequences, people—usually immigration agents—do dubious things [like adding a stranger to your profile or changing your marital status] that can get you banned. In other cases, they collect your money and disappear.
Tunde’s antidote to avoiding stories that touch is to either “Do it yourself” or contact licensed agencies for help.
2) Lack of convincing supporting documents
Every application has a checklist of documents you must submit, and each needs to convince IRCC to let you into Canada. Unfortunately, most people “just do the bare[st] minimum and submit to IRCC.”
If you’re trying to convince someone that you’re changing your life by moving to another country, Tunde explains that you need to talk convincingly about why you are coming to the country, why you chose the program, and how it affects your career.
You should also break down your proof of funds and emphasize your home ties.
Tunde’s pro tip: Rather than submitting a scant one-pager, write a detailed explanation that convinces the visa officer beyond doubt that you’ve thought critically about your decision.
Why Canada…Still?
Tunde is bullish on Canada because:
“There is still no country in the world where you come as an international student, spend an average of 6-7 years, and become a citizen. There’s still no other country where you come as a Permanent Resident and become a citizen in 3 years.” It’s still the dream destination for immigrants despite its challenges, which Tunde says every country has.
“Whatever challenges Canada faces are a temporary bump in the road that will stabilize.” When stability comes, Canada will have a diverse pool of immigrants, especially people who look like him, who will spearhead critical changes in the country.
He is returning to school for further studies this year, and he hopes that with the knowledge from his program and his professional network, he can one day make a difference and give back to Canada, the country that welcomed him with open arms.
The year is 2024, and Tunde Omotoye is on top of the world.
Evil Spirit is the nickname Nigerians gave the Honda Accord 2009 and 2012 car models