jessyp

Hi! I was wondering if somebody could help me.

I am currently an LLB Law with french language student and I am on my yer abroad studying at the University of Montreal in Quebec. I have fallen in love with this city and wish to come back. However, I must come go to the UK so I can finish my final year and get my Bacherlos degree.

I was wanting to apply for the IEC but unfortunately I am not a UK citizen and only hold Permanent Residency so I am not able to apply.

Is it easier for me to obtain a conversion of my degree and practice in Quebec if I become a qualified solicitor in the UK first or if I try and find a way to come back to Canada after graduating and study straight away to obtain the points in order to take the required exams and apply for the Bar over here? This stuff is really confusing and I am unsure which road to take!

Any advice on possible visas to enter would be very much appreciated too. So far I do not qualify for the skilled workers visa because I do not have adequate work experience obtained in Quebec.

Thanks!!

dreadsoc

Hi Jessy

Welcome to BE.

I recommend you check out our Canada forum where there are plenty of expats living and working there who may be able to advise you on your situation. There are plenty of folks on that forum who are living and working in Quebec so I am sure there will be someone who will either know the answer or be able to direct you to the right place to find it out.
You can this forum by clicking the 'forum index' tab on the top left of this page. Scroll down the list of countries and double cick on Canada and you're in.
Pop your question on there and someone will be along to help you out.

In the meantime I wish you all the best with your degree in law

Dread - x

Sue

Hi Jessy,

Welcome to BE, I hope you enjoy being part of our community. I've moved your thread in to the Canada forum for you. Unfortunately I can't help as I live in the US, but I'm sure some of our Canadian members will be along soon and will be able to point you in the right direction.

iaink

I dont think IEC is limited to just UK / EU citizens?

Where are you a citizen of?

There is at least one poster here who eventually converted from UK law to Cdn law practice, but it required exams and additional study. If you really want to practice law in Canada its probably easier to just come on a student visa and qualify here in the first place. Gonna cost for international student fees though...

jessyp

Hey!

Thanks so much for the help and for moving my thread to the Canadian forum I really appreciate how nice people are in this forum its usually difficult to get people to give quick responces so thank you!

And I am a Portuguese citizen iaink and there is no way i'll come back as a foreign student as I can't afford to pay tthe fees.

Thank you!

iaink

I see your problem then... no reciprocal agreement for the IEC. Any danger you might qualify for UK citizenship at some point in the future?

You best bet right now I think is to continue in the UK and then move to canada under the regular immigration chanels. That presents a few hurdles though Im afraid... getting in as a skilled worker for one, and then the hassle and expense of re-qualifying and passing the bar here. Its been done, but Im not sure how you would go about it now the immigration rules have been changed to target more specific jobs than before, I cant imagine lawyer will ever make "The List", or that canadian law firms are offering jobs to people that need to requalify.

You dont have a Canadian partner you want to marry by any chance....

Maybe someone else has some ideas?

jessyp

Hey!

Well the boyfriend marriage thing is out of the question, I'm too young to marry and he's not Canadian either

I've looked at the whole skilled worker immigration thing and I fail each assessment because I have no work experience. I did find out however, that I can apply for a British naturalisation (as I've been a permanent resident for 16 years) and I meet all the criteria. In this case I'd be able to apply for the IEC once I was to get a British passport.

Would coming in throught the IEC be easier for me to practice law in Canada or would it be the same as I still have to take extra classes? I wouldn't be a qualified UK solicitor yet as I wouldn't take the LPC and go to Canada straight away...

iaink

Im not sure to be honest, IEC is only a short term visa, not a surefire route to permanent residence. I suspect IEC might at least get you here and get you some valuable Cdn work experience and contacts, and that would help in the long run. Any route to practicing law in Canada is going to require retraining and exams. "Almost Canadian" is a poster here with direct experience of that.

Skilled worker would need work experience in the UK to be an option, as you say. It all seems a lot of effort to me. Montreal is OK, but are there other easier to get into places that might not offer a similar lifestyle?

Almost Canadian

Hi

As you are likely to be aware, Qeubec is a civil law jurisdication, as opposed to the rest of Canada which is common law. I don't know how much advanced standing your English LL.B. will give you.

I suggest you contact these people: Chambre des notaires du Quebec They will be able to advise you much better than I can.

jessyp

Thank you that was very helpful! Attending an information session next week so I hope it will be helpful