There are many lawyers just like you immigrating to Canada every year. With the right approach and legal skills, Canada wants you!
Lawyers are in demand across Canada, and you may be able to secure a Canadian Permanent Residency (PR) visa with or without a job offer. If you are a lawyer and have been working as a lawyer in India, you will qualify to immigrate to Canada, provided you fulfil certain conditions.
Before you can practice law in Canada, you will need to evaluate your current qualifications and apply for conversion through the appropriate authority, which in this case is the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) which works in cohesion with the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, the national coordinating body of the country’s 13 law societies. To complete the conversion, you will also need to write the Canadian bar exam.
Do you want to clear this exam in one go? That is an obvious question, but before we go any further, let’s take a quick look at the key points of Canada’s PR policy.
Who is a permanent resident in Canada?
- A permanent resident is someone who has been given PR status by immigrating to Canada, but is not a Canadian citizen. Permanent residents are citizens of other countries.
- A person living in Canada temporarily, such as a student or foreign worker, is NOT a permanent resident.
- As a permanent resident, you have the right to most of the social benefits that Canadian citizens receive, including healthcare coverage; you can live, work or study anywhere in Canada; you can apply for Canadian citizenship; you are granted protection under Canadian law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
- You must pay taxes and respect all Canadian laws at the federal, provincial and municipal levels.
- You are not entitled to vote or run for political office, or hold selected jobs that need high-level security clearance.
- You need to live in Canada for at least 730 days over an unbroken five-year period. However, these 730 days need not be continuous, and some of your time abroad may count as part of the 730 days.
Lawyers are categorised under the National Occupation Classification (NOC) skill level A (skilled workers) and have many immigration pathways open to them. So, if living and working in one of the most developed societies in the world sounds like a dream you want to pursue, don’t hesitate to start the process, no matter where you are in life right now.
No time is too late
Let me tell you the story of Manu Jindal. This Jalandhar-based lawyer began practising in 1999 after getting his LLB from Guru Nanak Dev University, going on to become a member of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association.
In 2021, Jindal became a barrister in Canada at the age of 47.
Speaking to The Tribune, he said, “Becoming a lawyer in Canada is a tough job, that too while living in India. It seemed unrealistic, but time favoured me. Exams were held online. One needs to be at par with Canadian law graduates. The assessment is done by the NCA in Canada and then one needs to clear at least five core subjects, varying up to eight, and seven optional subjects.
“One can enrol in any of the 13 law societies in Canada. I opted for the Law Society of Ontario (LSO). The LSO’s lawyer licensing process is known to be the toughest after the New York Bar course.”
Just like Jindal, over the past few years, it has become clear that more and more Indian law graduates and practicing lawyers are looking to move jurisdictions or, at the very least, gain dual qualifications. Thus far, the US and the UK have been traditional favourites in this regard, but both Australia and Canada are slowly catching up.
Now you will have many questions about writing the NCA exam and migrating to Canada as a lawyer. There’s good news for you! You can prepare for this exam in six months by studying for 3-4 hours per day and LawSikho will guide you through every step.
We are here to help you at our Crack NCA – Canada Examination – Test Prep Course, where you will get a step-by-step roadmap to set yourself up for success as a lawyer in Canada. You can prepare for this exam along with your law school studies or existing job or law practice.
So register now if you want to know how to prepare for the NCA exam and clear it in the first attempt.
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