Canada welcomes thousands of skilled workers every year. Like other occupations, you can also migrate to Canada as a lawyer. Many professional lawyers want to build their careers and future in Canada. However, most law practitioners cannot do that because of a lack of information.
So, if in your home country you are working as a lawyer. You will need to meet the qualification criteria set by Canadian immigration. You cannot get a job from overseas in Canada if your occupation is a lawyer.
So, qualified foreign lawyers need to do a licensing exam of the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) Canada. However, some administrative occupations do not require licensing. Thus, you must choose your occupational code smartly.
Thus, there is a very simple way. You need to follow a few simple steps, and after the completion of these steps, you will be ready to apply for Canadian permanent residency as a lawyer. So, let’s go through the details.
Best option for Canadian PR for Lawyers
First, there are many permanent residence programs to migrate to Canada as a lawyer. However, according to the experts, the federal express entry program is the best pathway for lawyers. So, it does not require a job offer from any Canadian employer.
Second, they can move to Canada through provincial nominee programs (PNP). Third, lawyers can also immigrate via sponsorship. Such as from a spouse or relative who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Lawyer’s Occupation code NOC in Canada
So, according to the Canadian national occupational classification (NOC). The title of the lawyer occupation falls under NOC 4112 & Skill type A.
However, the title of that profession may vary with their job profiles such as;
- Administrative lawyer
- Advisory counsel
- law student
- corporate counsel assistant
- Assistant Crown attorney
- general solicitor assistant
- Assistant legal advisor
- Assistant regional counsel
- Associate counsel
- lawyer Associate
- Associate legal advisor
- Associate legal counsel
- Attorney
- Attorney-at-law
- Attorney’s assistant chief agent
- Barrister
- Barrister and solicitor
- City attorney
- City solicitor
- Civil lawyer
- Claim attorney
- Commercial law notary
- Commercial lawyer
- Contract counsel
- Corporate counsel
- Corporate notary (Quebec)
- Corporation lawyer
- Counsel
- Counsellor-at-law
- Counsellor-lawyer
- County attorney
- Criminal lawyer
- Crown attorney
- corporation counsel Crown
- Crown counsel
- Crown prosecutor
- Defence counsel
- Departmental solicitor
- Deputy city solicitor
- Family and estates lawyer
- General counsel
- General solicitor
- Immigration lawyer
- Industrial lawyer
- In-house legal counsel
- Insurance lawyer
- Intellectual-property lawyer
- Judicial assistant – Supreme Court
- Labour lawyer
- Law and corporate affairs adviser
- Law partner
- Lawyer
- Legal advisor
- advocate Legal
- Legal aid lawyer
- attaché Legal
- Legal counsel
- officer Legal
- Legislative adviser
- Legislative counsel
- Litigator
- Municipal solicitor
- Notary (Quebec)
- Patent counsel
- lawyer Patent
- Patent solicitor
- Prosecuting attorney
- Prosecutor
- Quebec notary
- Queen’s Counsel
- Real estate lawyer
- Regional attorney
- Regional Crown prosecutors
- Review lawyer
- Solicitor
- Special prosecutor
- Staff-counsel
- Staff lawyer
- Staff-solicitor
- Student-at-law
- Tariff counsel
- Tax attorney
- Tax lawyer
- Title lawyer
- Trademark lawyer
License requirement for migrate to Canada as a lawyer
The occupation of a lawyer is a regulated profession in Canada. Therefore, if you have completed a law degree outside Canada, you will need to get a license from Canada’s provincial or territorial law society.
However, licensing process is straightforward. Thus, you need to send an application to the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA). so, the NCA assesses your qualification as a law practitioner, and then you have to take a bar exam. Certainly, anyone who has completed education from outside Canada needs an NCA evaluation.
So, before you apply to NCA, also, you can check your qualification online with just one click. Besides, it is a self-assessment that will give you clear guidelines on what to do and how to do it. Therefore, fill up an online form by answering some questions.
That is all about your present training and education. In addition, you can easily find the self-assessment tab on the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) website.
Who can apply?
Regardless of country, all international law graduates can apply for the NCA assessment. Such as;
- A legal degree holder from outside Canada.
- A Canadian resident with another country’s legal degree.
If you are a law student and want to study and practice law in Canada, then you do not need to take any NCA assessment.
Next Step after a Self-Assessment
Once you complete a self-assessment process, you will know the result, either you qualify to apply for the NCA or not.
Suppose you complete the online assessment. You will see the guidelines. Generally, the NCA gives five mandatory common law subjects to all candidates who want to migrate to Canada as a lawyer.
So, the subjects are;
- Canadian Criminal Law
- Foundations of Canadian Law
- Canadian Constitutional Law
- Administrative Law Canada
- Canadian Professional Responsibility
Remember, based on your qualification, such as professional experience and education. The NCA may additionally assign you some subjects.
The NCA Assessment Process
Indeed, you will learn how the NCA gauges your law education and professional experience.
Hence, the NCA assessment is compulsory for aspirants who want to enter the law society bar in Canada. Such as Canadian common law jurisdiction.
So, after the online assessment, the NCA, you will give some assignments to complete to understand Canadian laws.
The benefit of knowledge is. It is like the Canadian law school programs. Once you complete all the assignments thus, your knowledge will be the same as someone with a degree from a Canadian law school.
Now discuss the process.
There are five steps of an NCA assessment, such as;
Step 01:
Application submission with fees and documents
Step 02:
The NCA will assess your qualification against the Canadian standard and policies
Step 03:
You get assignments. So completing the assignment you will have to write NCA exam (s). Otherwise, attend courses at a Canadian law school. If you cannot do that, you will have some other options.
Step 04:
You must complete the NCA assignments
Step 05:
The NCA will award you a Certification of Qualification. So you successfully meet the requirements. So, if you understand the criteria and the process. Then, you can start your application process for the NCA assessment on the official website.
In short, the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) assessment is a first step to migrate to Canada as a lawyer.
With an L.L.B. degree, can you practice law in Canada?
If you have done L.L.B. and aspiring to do legal practice in Canada, you can’t. Because to practice law in Canada, you must be certified by Canada’s National Committee on Accreditation. Therefore, after L.L.B., you will need to pass the N.C.A. bar exam.
So, you must pass 5-exams to become licensed to practice law in Canada. It aims to recognize the U.K. law degree earned from Sussex as equivalent to the Canadian law degree.
Is Indian L.L.M. valid in Canada?
Indian L.L.M. degree is valid in Canada to write Canada’s N.C.A. exam to practice there. So, in Canada, the N.C.A. (National Committee on Accreditation) evaluates your credentials.
Furthermore, Canada’s N.C.A. considers Indian’s 3-year law degrees equivalent to the U.K. and Australia. Alongside India, the equivalency rule also applies to Canada’s common law countries, such as
- Nigeria,
- Pakistan,
- Bangladesh,
- New Zealand,
- Ireland,
- Hong Kong,
- Singapore,
- West Indies, also
- The United States.
In Canada, is there a demand for lawyers?
Of course, lawyers are highly in demand in Canada. Therefore, you can see vacant positions for lawyers, assistants, advisers, etc. So, lawyers can join business establishments, law firms, or be self-employed.
Certified lawyers make handsome money because the median wage in Canada for lawyers is CAD 116,940/year. Even foreign-trained lawyers can migrate to Canada after getting a bar license from N.C.A.
FAQs
Yes, a United Kingdom’s law degree of J.D. or L.L.B. is valid in Canada. However, you will need to pass the bar exam and be certified with the N.C.A. Canada (National Committee on Accreditation). Furthermore, the requirements for becoming a foreign-trained lawyers vary from one province to another in Canada.
The education arrangement in Canada is undoubtedly one of the most affordable globally, both for domestic and international students. Even with a low budget, you can do legal studies in Canada.
For example, many international students consider Saskatchewan College of law the cheapest in Canada because the law graduation tuition fee at USASK is CAD 8,096.13.
The Law field in Canada is huge, and several occupations fall under this category in Canada. Generally, insurance, immigration, taxation lawyers easily secure positions. However, the demand for lawyers depends on the labor market requirement of Canadian provinces and territories.
To some extent, yes, Canadian immigration law experts can accelerate your case by guiding you in the right way. For instance, Canadian immigration experts can suggest to you what residency program suits your profile.
Furthermore, they can help you out with the documentation preparation for your Canadian PR application. However, Canadian lawyers cannot kick the legal immigration process neither they nor else can manipulate it.
Final Words
Above all, in this blog, it drives all pieces of information from internet research and the official website of Canadian immigration.
Hence, you can check the latest updates and changes on the IRCC’s website. So, do not consider it a legal opinion, it is only for educational purposes. Keep yourself up-to-date.
Also Read: SINP Occupation in Demand for Immigration to Canada
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