Are you a lawyer and are willing to immigrate to Canada? If yes, this guide is specifically created for legal professionals to ease the transition. Lawyers are valued across the world, including in Canada, as they can provide legal advice in a range of professional fields, helping businesses and individuals grow uninterruptedly. If you are skilled in advocacy and legal negotiation, this guide to moving to Canada as a lawyer can help you ease your journey. Find the various available Canadian immigration pathways for lawyers and additional relevant details. 

Immigration pathways for moving to Canada as a Lawyer

IRCC invites candidates skilled in in-demand professions from time to time. Also, there are various immigration pathways that you can use to move to Canada as a lawyer.  

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP)

Canadian provinces and territories have provincial nominee programs to invite candidates, except for Quebec and Nunavut. Provinces and territories consider candidates who can help the province address labor demands in the regional market.

If you intend to move to any specific Canadian province or territory as a lawyer, you can directly apply for PNP or under the Express Entry program. 

Some Canadian provinces use CRS scores to select potential candidates; however, some consider candidates under the NOC codes that have a high demand for skilled professionals.

Provinces may seek professional lawyers with a code NOC 41101, so you may have the opportunity to move to Canada as a lawyer. 

Express Entry Federal Skilled Worker Program

In Canada, the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) is an economic immigration program under Express Entry that invites skilled workers from overseas.

If you are a qualified professional lawyer, FSWP can be an effective pathway for immigrating to Canada.

Express Entry evaluates candidates based on their CRS score instead of their occupation. However, work experience and occupation are considered among the factors in the CRS to assess candidates’ eligibility.

In addition, if you have a Canadian job offer, a provincial nomination, or Canadian work experience, you can secure additional points.  

Regular Skilled Worker Program of Quebec.

If you are willing to immigrate to Quebec, you can apply under Quebec’s Regular Skilled Worker Program (RSWP).

Quebec considers candidates with skills, experience, training, age, French language abilities, and more to select candidates.

Under the RSWP, all interested applicants skilled in all occupations can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI).

If the province selects you, you will be issued a Quebec Selection Certificate. After that, you can apply for PR with the IRCC.

Canada’s Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)

Canada also has an Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) that enables skilled workers and students from overseas to settle permanently in Canada’s Atlantic provinces. As a lawyer, you can immigrate to Canada under the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP). The Atlantic provinces of Canada include Prince Edward Island (PEI), Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Nova Scotia, New Brunswick (NB), and New Brunswick (NB).

Notably, candidates under AIP are not selected on the basis of occupation. Instead, it considers candidates if they meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • have at least one year of full-time paid work experience (1,560 hours) during the last five years,
  • satisfy language requirements, 
  • have a full-time job offer from an Atlantic Canada employer.

Why is moving to Canada as a lawyer a good opportunity?

Moving to Canada as a lawyer opens up various opportunities. The most notable ones are high salaries and good job opportunities.

High salaries

Lawyers in Canada typically earn high salaries. However, the salary may vary depending on the province and experience. The average income for Lawyers and notaries in Canada is $116,940 annually.

Good job prospects

As per Canada’s job bank, the job opportunities for lawyers and notaries are pleasing and can open up a range of possibilities. Over the coming years, it is anticipated that the supply and demand for lawyers in Canada will balance. This is because the government is fairly distributing employment opportunities among eligible candidates, including recent immigrants.

How can you become a licensed lawyer in Canada?

If you graduated as a lawyer outside of Canada, you must become a member of Canada’s law society to practice in Canada.

For this, you first have to get a Certificate of Qualification, which is allocated by the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA).

Once you get a Certificate of Qualification, you become eligible for the bar admissions program. This is valid for all provinces and territories other than Quebec. This is because Quebec practices civil law instead of common law.

Note that the time required to become a licensed lawyer in Canada varies depending on the education, work experience, and other individual skills.