Hi, My name is Veronica, i'm from Sudan but i'm doing my LLB in India, which i will be completing by March 2009, i'm planning on doing my LLM in Canada, i'm thinking of specializing in corporate law or business and finance, i would like to know which universities offer the best LLM programmes and when should i apply, and if i go on a student visa will it be possilble for me to obtain permenant residence and subsequently the citizenship?

Hi Veronica,

Most canadian LLM programs have good faculty members in the area of Corporate/Business law - U of T, McGill, UBC, Queens, UWO, Dalhousie, etc... As most programs are thesis based, you'll want to look at the faculty at each university to see who might be an appropriate supervisor for you...

As for permanent residence/citizenship afterwards, this depends on a number of factors - and it might be a long time before you would get either. You can learn more about immigration to Canada at www.cic.gc.ca.

Just because you complete the LLM degree, it is not going to help you very much in getting permanent residence/citizenship in Canada.

If you were to come to Canada on a student visa (which by the way is a temporary residence permit which you need to have an intention to be in Canada temporarily to get) there are possibilities to get a temporary post-graduation work permit after completing the degree But you would need a job offer in your field (ie law) and the work permit would only last a year or two (there may be possibilities for extensions). See the CIC website for more info.

Without a Canadian LLB you will not be able to practice law in any province so you are unlikely to be hired by any law firm. You might find a research job or something, but it will be difficult. Meanwhile you also would need to apply for PERMANENT residence at some point and depending on your work experience/etc you may or may not qualify. If you apply in the skilled worker category it will take years for your application to get approved (assuming you qualify refer to the CIC website). If you were to meet some nice Canadian man or woman and get married, then he or she might be able to sponsor you for permanent residence in the family class or if you were hired as a faculty member right out of the LLM program (rare) you might get a regular work permit and then apply for permanent residence, etc. etc. either way, Citizenship would only happen AFTER you get permanent residence and you live in Canada for 3 or 4 years (again refer to the CIC website for details).

There are other posts on this website from people who are (rightly) frustrated at how difficult it is for foreign trained lawyers (ie those who completed their LLB outside of Canada) to get qualified to practice law in Canada let alone immigration issues. On the other hand, many of the faculty hired to teach law at Canadian law schools have lots of international experience/foreign degrees.

Hope this is helpful!

did you decide on where you will be going for your llm yet?...got thru U of T ....im really confused about this...

HI everybody! I`m Oleg from Ukraine! I`m doing my Master degree of law now (I will be Master of Law in June 2010) in Kiev National University. I decide to doing my second L.L.M. in Canada and I have 2 questions:
1) what is the difference between LLM and postgraduate diploma in Canada? (postgaraduate diploma is not so prestigious...?)
2) Its "normal" to doing LLM in college? for example Seneca college? (in my country for example you can be a Master only if you finished University)

Hi Veronica,

i am a Sudanese i had also finished my LLB from India, it is good to hear that Sudanese are coming to India for LLB, when i was in Law school there were very few students from Sudan... r u doing the 5 years program ro the 3 years ? and which school!

warm regards