At the first look, she would be mistaken to be a sophomore at a local university but you are close to truth- bringing students to this country and making them pursue a successful career after their education is her profession.
Immigration is a jungle, dominated by male lions and tigers (there could be some jackals and foxes too) but over the years, the industry boasts of several successful women. Among them is Arunima Dhingra, Managing Director of the Auckland based Aims Global Education & Immigration Services Limited.
If immigration was a male-oriented profession, so were engineering and marketing for many years. She has qualifications and experience in both but her foray into immigration was prompted by the trials and tribulations that she underwent during her scholastic years.
“Life is tough for an international student. I struggled to settle down, missed my family, hated the solitude, lived on very little money and did not know how to cook. Years later, as I began processing student applications for Work or Resident Visa, I understood their predicament and anxiety,” she said.
International Education Consultancy has been her specialisation for several years, dating back to her formative years in her native Chandigarh in India, where she assisted her father in his boutique firm.
The Core Market
“Student market was our core business. We started with Australia and Canada as our main markets and the New Zealand market started growing rapidly. Currently we send students from our India office to Australia, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, Singapore, UK and the US,” she said.
Encouraged by the growing demand for ‘good, clean and honest immigration agents,’ she established Aims Global Education & Immigration Services Limited a few years ago. Her success rate generated impressive growth in business, prompting the typical ‘home based office’ to move to the corporate environment in New Market last year.
The desire to raise her professional standards and service her clients better, encouraged Arunima acquire additional qualifications (Certificate in Immigration Law & Practice) from Massey University. She was among the first to become a Licensed Immigration Advisor when the regime came into force three years ago.
She is justifiably proud of her specialisation in Skilled Migrant and Family categories of temporary and permanent applications.
Links to providers
“However, the student market forms a major part of our business, with our services ranging from obtaining admission to New Zealand institutions to successful processing of visa applications. We are an authorised representative of almost all tertiary institutes in New Zealand including Universities, Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics and Private Training Establishments,” she said.
Arunima is also a New Zealand Specialist Agent, an organisation of Education Agents recognised by the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Immigration New Zealand and Education New Zealand.
The most formidable challenge that this young woman faces currently is balancing her role as a professional Immigration Advisor at work and as a mother to her two-month old baby.
“I am grateful to my husband Dev (a banker) for his understanding and support. I have to look after clients in different time zones on weekdays. However, I spend my time with the family over weekends and holidays,” she said.
