Darren Jamieson:
On this episode of The Engaging Marketeer, I’m speaking with Oleg Schindler, who is an immigration practitioner in Canada. He helps people immigrate to Canada, work legally and become Canadian citizens.
I’m going to be speaking to Oleg about how he does this and his thoughts on immigration, not just in Canada but also in the UK, as it’s a bit of a contentious topic at the moment. Oleg is also an immigrant in Canada himself, being from Ukraine, so naturally we’re going to talk about the Ukraine war with Russia.
I obviously don’t know anything about your industry and what you do. Can you give me a brief overview of what you do to help people within immigration?
Oleg Schindler:
Very briefly, it all started in approximately 2018. I landed a job as a business development manager in a large Toronto-based immigration law firm. My goal was simple: increase our sales, do whatever is necessary, we want to grow.
I started digging deeper and realised that regular marketing agencies simply have no idea how immigration to Canada works, how clients can actually become clients. Compared to any other industry, it’s very different. If you produce aluminium pipes, you advertise that you sell aluminium pipes, someone who needs them comes and buys them. That’s it.
In immigration to Canada, we have a huge filter called eligibility. You can pour hundreds of thousands into marketing and get trashy leads, but if they are not eligible, they will not come to Canada. Even if they are very rich and say they can pay whatever you want, it is still often not enough.
Slowly but surely, I realised the niche was empty. There was no one in the field who understood immigration from the practitioner’s side, how eligibility works, how procedures work.
At first, I asked my bosses for a raise. They refused. I told them thank you and opened my own company.
In our industry, content is everything. When people say Canada has over 100 immigration programs, it’s not an exaggeration. We indeed have over 100 immigration programs. All of them constantly change. There is new legislation at all levels of governance, federal to municipal. There are regional programs, local programs, even tiny programs for small villages.
To stay up to date with everything is impossible. So we started monitoring everything. Based on that monitoring, we collected information and converted it into social media-friendly posts that we sell to immigration practitioners.
Imagine you’re an immigration practitioner. You start your day with coffee and already have three or four ready-made social media posts in your inbox. Copy, paste, start marketing. You can create videos from the news. You can publish on LinkedIn, Instagram, wherever.
That’s how it started to grow. At some point, I realised that since I already knew so much about this, why not get my own licence and become an immigration consultant? I did that in 2019, just before COVID. I got licensed, started my own immigration practice and began testing everything on my own practice.
Today, I have two immigration practices, one Toronto-based and one Ottawa-based
I do A/B testing with my own companies. One has one website, the other has two websites in different languages. One website is in five languages. We do live testing and see what works, then sell what has already proven itself.
We started with immigration news services. At some point, it covered my mortgage. That was the moment I quit all other jobs and concentrated fully on that.
Today, I work three days a week as an immigration consultant, one day as a marketer and one day for paperwork and other projects.
What makes us different from any other marketing company is that we understand the industry from inside and outside. We test it and we practise immigration law ourselves.
Darren Jamieson:
Immigration in the UK is a volatile topic right now. The media tries to get people angry, saying millions are arriving and stealing jobs. What’s the situation in Canada?
Oleg Schindler:
It’s pretty similar. Populists on both the right and the left attack immigration for different reasons.
Immigration is currently under attack
I personally don’t blame immigrants. I am an immigrant from Ukraine. I blame the government because their planning and implementation of immigration policy over the last decade under the Liberal Party was very poor.
Take international students. Politicians blame them for skyrocketing real estate prices. There are around 1.5 million students in Canada. They rent, so prices rise.
But who advertised in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan saying, “Come to Canada, study here, this will guarantee permanent residence”? Who poured taxpayers’ money into that advertising? The federal government did. Now they prefer not to mention it.
It’s easy for the government to say, “We miscalculated, we’re sorry.”
We need immigration. Let’s be clear. But we need to manage it well. Controlled immigration, checked immigration, security first, economic reasons first.
I am thankful to Canada for helping Ukrainians fleeing war. Canada admitted around 300,000 Ukrainians. But we need to check thoroughly who we are admitting and what values they share.
Darren Jamieson:
In the UK, people fear there won’t be a distinction between illegal immigrants and refugees. Is it as bad in Canada?
Oleg Schindler:
It’s growing, especially on the right side. I hope the government will educate people to distinguish between bad apples and good apples.
Canada will not stop accepting immigrants. They are essential for our economy. Our fertility rate is very low. The average Canadian family has one child. The population is ageing rapidly. Baby boomers are retiring and there are not enough workers to replace them.
Historically, immigration was quota-based. About 60% economic class, 30–35% family class, the rest refugees.
The problem in the last decade was uncontrolled temporary immigration, mainly international students.
In 2015, there were about 250,000 students total. In 2023 alone, 730,000 students were accepted in one year. That created a huge temporary population. Canada has 40 million people. The temporary population is between 3 and 5 million.
That’s what caused the issue to become hotter. Historically, there was political consensus that immigration is good. The question was how many and how to distribute quotas.
But when you accept without control, problems emerge.
Darren Jamieson:
Surely educated students benefit the country?
Oleg Schindler:
Yes, when managed correctly. Talented young people who speak the language and integrate into the labour market are good for Canada.
But if you need 50 software developers and you have 500 candidates, that’s too much. Locals struggle to compete.
Also, many colleges expanded rapidly and did not care about quality. It became a huge industry, around $22 billion annually.
If students end up working in Starbucks or Tim Hortons instead of their profession, that’s a problem.
I came to Canada for my master’s degree. I was prepared for the labour market and started working immediately. That’s good absorption. But when everything flows without control, problems emerge.
Darren Jamieson:
If someone wants to move to Canada for work or business, what do they need?
Oleg Schindler:
There are four regular approaches.
First, permanent residence programs like Express Entry. It’s point-based. You declare age, education, work experience, language. French is currently a major advantage, even outside Quebec.
French is promoted politically to keep Quebec within Canada and preserve bilingualism.
If you have higher education, English at B2 to C1 and French at B2, plus skilled work experience, you have strong chances.
[French segment omitted]
Second, provincial programs. If an employer needs you, for example three carpenters, they can support your relocation.
Third, education. Study, graduate, get a post-graduate work permit, gain Canadian experience and qualify.
Fourth, Start-Up Visa. If your innovative business idea is supported by an incubator or investor, you can apply for permanent residence.
Every case is individual.
Darren Jamieson:
What about healthcare and cost of living?
Oleg Schindler:
Officially we have universal free healthcare, but it’s funded through high taxes. It’s not completely free.
We have long wait times, shortages of doctors and specialists. If you’re not dying, you might wait 10 to 15 hours in emergency.
The government resists having two parallel systems, one public and one private. Private healthcare is very limited.
Housing in Canada is generally larger than in the UK because we have more land. In terms of cost of living, it’s broadly similar. Salaries in the UK may be slightly higher, Canada slightly cheaper in some areas.
Many wealthy Canadians travel abroad for private treatment, to the US, Europe, Mexico or Cuba.
Darren Jamieson:
What skills are in demand?
Oleg Schindler:
Canada introduced targeted Express Entry categories: French, healthcare, trades, STEM, agriculture and education.
The idea is good. Implementation is weak.
To qualify under a category, you need six months of relevant experience in the last three years.
But once someone becomes a permanent resident or citizen, you cannot legally force them to stay in that occupation.
Sometimes clients qualify through one occupation and then return to their original profession. The idea is good, but implementation is poor.
Permanent residence to citizenship takes three years. Time as a student counts partially. It’s one of the fastest pathways in the West.
Darren Jamieson:
What are your views on the war in Ukraine?
Oleg Schindler:
Very tragic. The West is not doing enough. Appeasement will not stop Russia.
It’s not just one person. It’s a system. Propaganda shapes public opinion there.
Ukraine needs weapons and technology. If Ukraine falls, this may not stop.
We lack leadership. Modern politicians promise easy solutions instead of telling hard truths.
Darren Jamieson:
Tell me about your marketing for immigration consultants.
Oleg Schindler:
Our niche is about 15,000 professionals in Canada.
Success is measured by two things: paid consultations and signed retainers. Not likes or followers.
In my own practice, I average around 20 paid consultations per week.
The market is large enough for collaboration. I divide practitioners into competitors and collaborators.
We have clients who now have 40,000 followers and close 200 contracts a year. Businesses with over $1 million revenue.
There’s enough space for everyone.
Darren Jamieson:
Do you limit geographically?
Oleg Schindler:
No. Immigration is global. Some companies operate overseas but serve Canada.
We only work ethically, with licensed practitioners. Ghost consultants are dangerous.
If someone works with an unlicensed consultant and misrepresents their application, they can be banned from Canada for five years under Article 40 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
Darren Jamieson:
How can people reach you?
Oleg Schindler:
Visit my website or social media and book a consultation. We analyse your case, present options and, if retained, act as your representative.
Immigration specialists seeking marketing can book a free consultation through our marketing website.
Darren Jamieson:
Oleg, thank you very much for being on the podcast. It’s been absolutely fascinating.
Oleg Schindler:
Thank you for having me today. Good luck to everyone in the UK. We in Canada love you and value our friendship a lot.
More about Oleg
Oleg Schindler is a licensed Canadian immigration consultant and the founder of two immigration practices based in Toronto and Ottawa. Originally from Ukraine, Oleg immigrated to Canada himself, giving him first-hand experience of the immigration process and the challenges faced by newcomers.
He specialises in helping individuals and families secure permanent residence, work permits and study pathways, as well as guiding entrepreneurs through Canada’s Start-Up Visa programme. Alongside his consultancy work, Oleg runs a specialist marketing service for immigration law firms and regulated consultants, helping them grow their practices through industry-specific content strategies built on real-world testing.
With a background in history and political science, Oleg combines practical immigration expertise with a deep understanding of policy, economics and global affairs, offering clients clear, strategic advice tailored to their individual circumstances.
You can connect with Oleg here:
Website: https://schindlervisa.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oleg.v.schindler/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/schindlervisa/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oleg-schindler/
About your host:
Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/
Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com
Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk
