IT’S been over 12 years since lead immigration consultant Kay Wilson has lived in Jamaica but her connection to her home country is as strong as ever as she continues to provide new opportunities for Jamaicans seeking to live, work and study in Canada. Through her company, Northern Connections Canada Immigration (NCCI), Wilson has spent the last 10 years supporting the immigration efforts of families and workers as well as tertiary students in the Caribbean. She continues this work through activities across the Caribbean — such as her Canadian immigration expo and college fair in Jamaica.

Held March 25 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre and on March 26 at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel, Wilson reflects on her company’s growth and the passion for helping other Jamaicans to successfully immigrate to Canada.

According to Wilson, her business was initially created out of a need to help as many people as possible.

“My passion was never for immigration but to help others, and I was able to do that by providing support at very critical junctures in their lives where immigration is concerned. This assistance to various individuals started as a selfless volunteer effort but the requests for assistance increased along with the successful outcomes for those assisted. As a result, my business was birthed out of necessity in order to increase my capacity to help more people,” she shared.

Her business offers expert advice on immigration matters, facilitates applications, and advocates on the behalf of clients with immigration, refugees and citizenship Canada. She notes that this provides a smoother experience for many persons who would have otherwise not been prepared to undertake the immigration process on their own.

“Immigrating to a new country or moving abroad to study is a big undertaking; it certainly comes with challenges that many don’t anticipate when embarking on that journey. The challenges vary from inability to find accurate and trusted sources of information and proper representation, to finding the financial resources to meet programme eligibility, to government delays and bureaucracy,” she said.

Wilson says her team is committed to making the process as hassle-free as possible while also advocating for clients to the full extent of the law.

“We don’t provide a cookie-cutter approach, and we cater to clients based on their needs and what their goals are — and we work with them to find a solution that will enable them to reach their desired goals. We stay honest and transparent with our clients about their immigration options and possibilities that may exist for them, and we will only work with a client that we genuinely believe we can assist as we try not to provide false hopes or expectations. We have come to see that clients appreciate that,” she noted.

She adds that her team also works to prepare successful applicants for settlement in Canada.

“I always tell my clients, immigrating to another country is a marathon and not a sprint so we encourage them to plan and set realistic expectations throughout the process. It’s always good to have someone to guide you as so many things could go wrong, and a lot of stress and heartache can be avoided that way. Community will also be important as well and there are many government settlement services available to assist newcomers settle successfully,” she stated.

She hopes to continue building her business and to one day become a recognisable brand across the Caribbean for trusted, reliable, one-stop immigration solutions.