Queen's University International Centre (QUIC)

What Queen's University International Centre (QUIC) does

Queen's University International Centre (QUIC) is a service department within Student Affairs at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It provides integrated support to international students, staff, and faculty through International Student Advisors (ISAs) who are Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIA) certified to advise on Canadian immigration matters including study permits, work permits, visitor visas, and permanent residency pathways. The centre operates from a physical hub in Mitchell Hall room 208, supplemented by Zoom-based virtual drop-in advising and Microsoft Bookings for appointments.

QUIC's core service portfolio spans immigration advising, health insurance navigation (UHIP via Alumo), academic transition support delivered in partnership with Student Academic Success Services (SASS), career drop-in advising delivered jointly with Career Services, and cultural integration programs including the English Conversation Program, World Link Program, International Wellness Leaders, and the International Voices at Queen's podcast (launched 2021, now in Season 5). It also produces a Pre-Arrival Guide and runs International Student Summer Orientation plus Welcome Week activities. The centre collaborates with Service Canada, Immigrant Services Kingston and Area (ISKA), the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, and the Centre for Teaching and Learning to extend its service surface.

QUIC does not operate as a commercial enterprise. All services are provided free of charge to Queen's students, staff, and faculty, funded through the university's operational budget and student fees. The unit has approximately 5 staff members and engages roughly 80 student volunteers annually. It has no proprietary technology products, no independent revenue model, no external customers, and no fundraising or investor base; it is structurally embedded within a public Canadian university and is not an investable entity in the conventional PE/VC/M&A sense.

Name

Queen's University International Centre (QUIC)

Legal name

Queen's University International Centre

Website

https://quic.queensu.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

QUIC is a service department within Queen's University Student Affairs that provides immigration advising (RISIA-certified), academic transition support, health insurance guidance, career services, and cultural integration programs free of charge to Queen's international students, staff, and faculty.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Student Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

International Student Advising & Compliance (SEVIS/UKVI/IRCC) (EDALANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Student Orientation & Transition Programs (EDALANAC), Immigration Legal Advisory & Representation (Student Visas) (EDAIADAB), Student Visa Application Preparation & Filing Services (EDAIADAA)

Keywords

• International student services
• Immigration advising
• Cross-cultural support
• Student transition programs
• International education support

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. University-funded services: QUIC operates as a department of Queen's University Student Affairs. Academic and other types of support available at Queen's are covered by student fees. No direct revenue generation - services are funded through the university's operational budget and student fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

QUIC delivers free, confidential immigration advising (study permits, co-op work permits, post-graduation work permits, temporary resident visas, and permanent residence pathways) alongside cross-cultural transition workshops, orientation programming, and community events. Its services are aimed at Queen's University's international students, exchange students, and visiting scholars from application stage through graduation and post-graduation work.

Product overview

Queen's University International Centre (QUIC) is a student support service center that provides a unified suite of services for international students, staff, and faculty at Queen's University. The center operates as a single integrated service platform offering immigration advising (through RISIA-certified International Student Advisors), cultural transition support (English Conversation Program, World Link Program), academic transition resources, health insurance guidance (UHIP), career services, orientation programs, and wellness support. QUIC also maintains a physical space in Mitchell Hall for drop-in advising, studying, and community building. The center does not operate as a technology product company but rather as a service organization facilitating international student success through human advising, workshops, volunteer programs, and the International Voices at Queen's podcast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Immigration Advising for International Students One-on-one and group advising on study permits, co-op work permits, post-graduation work permits, temporary resident visas, and permanent residence pathways, delivered by RISIA/RCIC-certified advisors to Queen's University's international students and scholars.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, support and occasional.

• Student Academic Success Services (SASS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQUIC has created a partnership with Student Academic Success Services (SASS) so that international students can easily understand and access academic supports on campus. SASS provides individualized support, academic skills development, and EAL (English as an Additional Language) appointments. QUIC and SASS co-produce the International Voices at Queen's podcast.
• Career ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCareer Services partners with QUIC to provide dedicated International Student Career Educator and Coach support. Joint workshops and drop-in career advising available at QUIC location.
• Alumo (Healthcare Provider)supportOthersAlumo provides undergraduate and graduate student healthcare coverage (UHIP). QUIC sessions on health insurance include a representative from Alumo to explain coverage details.
• Service CanadaoccasionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerService Canada staff visit QUIC to issue Social Insurance Numbers (SIN) to international students. SIN Card Clinics are held periodically (e.g., August 31, 2023 from 9am-3pm).
• Immigrant Services Kingston and Area (ISKA)occasionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerSettlement Advisors from ISKA partner with QUIC for sessions on school/daycare registration, finding childcare, and supporting spouses/partners of international students.
• School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (SGSPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSGSPA works with QUIC to provide graduate-specific resources including graduate supervision resources, workshops, and professional development. QUIC connects graduate students to SGSPA services.
• Centre for Teaching and LearningsupportStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Centre for Teaching and Learning offers workshops, consultations, and teaching skills development that QUIC refers graduate students to for professional growth.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• University of Toronto International Student Centre: U of T's International Student Centre supports international students with immigration advising, settlement support, and community programs on the St. George, Mississauga, and Scarborough campuses. It is a direct peer because it delivers essentially the same integrated advising-and-programming model to a comparable population of international students in Canada.
• York University International Student Services: York University's international office supports international and exchange students with immigration, settlement, and cross-cultural programming. It is a direct peer because it operates the same institutional service bundle at another large Ontario university with a sizable international cohort.
• Western University International Student Services: Western International provides immigration advising, pre-arrival support, and intercultural programming for international students at Western. It is a direct peer because it is a peer Ontario university with an essentially identical international student support mandate.
• Centennial College International Student Services: Centennial College's international office provides immigration and settlement support to international students across its campuses. It is a direct peer at the college level (versus Queen's university level), serving the same population with the same advising-plus-programming model.
• UBC International Student Services: UBC's International Student Services provides immigration advising, orientation, and cross-cultural support to international students at UBC Vancouver and Okanagan. It is a direct peer because it offers the same core mix of RISIA-equivalent immigration advising, orientation programs, and intercultural programming as QUIC, serving the same Canadian university international student segment.
• McGill International Student Services: McGill's International Student Services offers immigration documentation, pre-arrival guidance, and cross-cultural programming for international students. It is a direct peer because it operates the same institutional model (in-house immigration advising, orientation, and intercultural programs) at another major Canadian research university.

Others

• Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE): CBIE is a national membership organization that advances international education in Canada through research, advocacy, and programming. It is an adjacent peer because it sets the policy and best-practice environment in which QUIC's immigration and intercultural work operates, rather than delivering services directly to students.
• International Student Identity Card (ISIC): ISIC is a globally recognized student identification and benefits card used by international students. It is an adjacent peer because it serves the same international student population with complementary support services (benefits, discounts, travel) rather than immigration advising.

Regional players

• University of British Columbia Go Global: UBC Go Global manages study abroad and international exchange programming for UBC students. It is a partial peer because it overlaps with QUIC on outbound and inbound international student mobility, though its primary focus is exchange rather than the immigration and settlement advising that anchors QUIC.

Emerging players

• ApplyBoard: ApplyBoard is a technology platform that helps international students apply to study at institutions in North America and abroad. It is a partial peer because it competes for the same international student journey and is increasingly relevant to the recruitment side of QUIC's value chain, though it does not provide in-person immigration advising.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/quic
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@quicatqueens
• Facebookfacebook.com/quic.queensu.ca
• Instagraminstagram.com/quic.queensu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/queen-s-university-international-centre-quic-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Queen's University International Centre (QUIC)