How to Study Law in Canada for International Students

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How to Study Law in Canada
How to Study Law in Canada

If you are thinking of studying law in Canada as a student and you don’t know how to go about it, then this article is for you. To know how to study law in Canada as an international student can be a little overwhelming if not properly guided.

In Canada, law colleges have other specific requirements for international students aside from the general requirements for studying as an international student in Canada. 

Canada is a safe, well-conditioned place to study, it is equally one of the top places to study Law in the world. Educational institutions in Canada requirement varies, general language requirement is an example of such varying requirements.

Law Program for International Students in Canada.

It takes approximately three years to finish a law program in Canadian colleges. Before you can be accepted to study law in most colleges in Canada, you must have at least 2  years of undergraduate study proof.

In Canada you can be certified with a law degree of either:

  • Bachelor of Law degree in Civil law
  • Juris Doctor degree in common law.

Juris Doctor degree in Common Law is the easiest and recommended law degree for international students with English as their first language.

Most schools in Quebec only offer a Bachelor of Law degree in Civil law. Law students with this degree were taught French civil law.

Some other schools in Canada offer both law degrees.

Requirements to Study Law in Canada as an International Student

Law Schools administration requirements in Canada varies among colleges due to the nation having a general national requirement for law students and institutions having different special requirements, the national and institutional requirements apply to both native and international students.

To study law in Canada as an international student, first off, you must meet the general requirements to study in Canada. Three important general requirements must be met before you travel to Canada to study law as an international  student:

#1. Get your Study permit

As an international student without a study permit, it is not possible to enrol in any Canadian college. You can get into Canada without a study permit but you can’t go to a Canadian college or study law in Canada without a study permit. 

In most cases, you should have a study permit before coming to Canada to study law, there are some cases whereby you can get your study permit when you arrive in Canada

How to get a Study permit to Study Law in Canada

The Government and Canadian immigration officials require some documents from you before you are given a study permit. Some of these documents include :

    • Acceptance letter to study law from the school in Canada you intend to take your law program. To make this process easier you should pick out schools best for international students in Canada. 
    • If you are not vaccinated, your study institutions must have an approved covid 19 readiness plan
    • A document that proves your identity. It could be a valid passport with your name and date of birth written behind or any other identification document that can be accepted by the immigration officials.
    • Documents that prove your financial support. These documents must prove loan approval, scholarship award, payment of tuition and accommodation and funds for other financial needs that must be met. Make sure all your needs are met, knowing Global scholarships for Canadian international students can help in your search for financial aid.
    • A document that proves you passed any of the General language tests.

It is possible to get your study permit faster through Student Direct Stream (SDS), this process is dependent on where you reside. 

The study permit is extendable information from Canadian immigration on how to extend the permit must be followed to extend the permit after the program you applied for. 

#2. Get Financial Aid

Having your financial aid ready and documents to prove this is a must-have to study in Canada as an international student.

To get a study permit, the minimum amount to show proof of is $25,000.This amount must be available in either the student account or the sponsor’s account.

To get a permit to study law in Canada, It is required that all your financial aid must amount to a minimum of $25,000 in Canada because the tuition fee for law students in Canada is about $17,000 and living expenses consume the rest of the $25,000.

The means through which you can get funding as an international student includes:

  • Scholarships
  • Student Loan.

Scholarships

Scholarships are grants that could be full-tuition or full-ride. Any type of scholarship which you can get is going to go a long way in your financial aid.

Scholarships are the best financial aid you can get because they are not to be refunded. There are global law schools with Scholarships that you can apply, to to reduce the financial cost of studying law. 

To begin your search for scholarships for international law students in Canada you must:

Make sure to apply for as many scholarships as you are eligible for, to increase your chances of getting one.

Student Loan

You can get a loan from a bank, government or any institution. International students may not be eligible for all kinds of loans in Canada, such as federal student loans. Private loans can be given to international students by specialist education loan providers.

In most cases, you will need a co-signer to get a loan as an international student if you enrolled in a Canadian educational institution that is approved by a lender. Private lenders have varying terms and conditions on which you will repay the loan.

Applying for a loan should be your next option after exhausting all your funds and scholarships.

You are not able to borrow more than your total cost of attendance at your school.

You may not need to prove that you have financial aid to sponsor your law program in Canada, if you can prove that you are rich enough to sponsor your law degree program, in this case, you must have not less than $25,000 in your private account.

#3. Language Proficiency Test for International Students

Canada is a bilingual country where both French and English are the official languages. General language requirements for schools in Canada varies, language proficiency benchmark also vary among schools but one common thing is that to study in Canada, you must take a language proficiency test in either French or English.

Certain law colleges admit only students with proficiency in French, especially if you want to study law in a college in Quebec, and some others admit students with proficiency in English. The college you intend to study law in Canada is one of the several factors that determine the language proficiency test you should take.

For the English language proficiency test, you can either take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination or the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP)examination. To study the English common law you must be proficient in the English language 

For the French language proficiency test, Diplôme d’études en langue française (DALF), Diplôme d’études en langue française(DELF), Test de connaissance du français(TCF) or TEST D’ÉVALUATION DE FRANÇAIS (TEF) examination must be sat for before you can study law in Canada.

The best French examination to take is the TEF exam, it is the most acceptable in Canada.

The French and English Language proficiency examination tests for listening, reading, writing and speaking abilities. Only test results, not more than 24 months old are considered to be valid.

The benchmark for these exams is 4 on a scale of 10, a score less than 4 in any test of listening, writing, reading and speaking ability is considered as failing the exam. 

The test is one of the required documents to get a study permit in Canada.

Once you have all three sorted out you can apply to the school of your choice in Canada.

Requirements to Study Law in Canada as an International Student

To study law in Canada as an international student, you must first meet the requirements to study in Canada as an international student, then you also have to meet the requirement to be admitted into a law school in Canada.

There are two basic requirements to get admitted into a Canadian law school:

  • You must have had at least 2 years of undergraduate study.
  • You must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). The benchmark for the LSAT test varies alongside law schools in Canada.

Steps on How to Study Law in Canada for International Students

The following are the steps on how to study law in Canada for international students:

  • Get a post-secondary school degree or more of at least two years of study
  • Make research on different law schools in Canada
  • Take a general language proficiency test in English or French
  • Get your financial aid ready
  • Take the LSAT exam
  • Apply to the college of your choice in Canada
  • Get Your study permit.

Step 1: Get a Post-Secondary School Degree or More of at Least Two Years of Study

If you want to apply to study law in Canada, you must have post-secondary school education because a post-secondary school degree of at least two years is a compulsory requirement to get into any law school in Canada.

Step 2: Make Research on Different Law Schools in Canada

Make sure to make research on the cost of living, tuition fee, school location, climate when considering a school to attend.

Also, put in mind that Canada is a bilingual national and has both English and French law. Most law schools in Canada don’t offer both of them, you must make research on which law school is best for you to study the law you want.

Step 3: Take a General Language Proficiency Test in English or French

You will not be admitted into any Canadian school without passing either of these tests. You must take a language proficiency test in either French or English to study in Canada because these are the only languages in which people are educated in Canada.

Step 4: Get your Financial Aid Ready

Financial aid includes loans, scholarships or grants that will foot the cost of studying law in Canada. You must apply for financial aid and have proof that you can pay your educational bills in Canada before you would be granted a study permit.

Step 5: Take the LSAT Exam

Taking the Law School Admission Test is a basic necessity to get admitted to study law in Canada. The bench score for the LSAT examination varies among schools, try to score as high as you can.

Step 6: Apply to the College of your Choice in Canada

After taking the necessary exams, getting financial aid and making your choice on the school to apply. Then the to next thing to do is to get necessary information on your choice law school admission application and follow the instructions.

Step 7: Get your Study Permit

The study permit is a license to study in Canada, without the study permit you cannot study in any Canadian school.

Some of the preceding steps are prerequisite setting a study permit.

Best Schools to Study Law in Canada

Below are some of the best institutions  to study law in Canada:

  • Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University
  • Bora Laskin Faculty of Law at Lakehead University
  • McGill University’s Faculty of Law
  • Faculty of Law at Queen’s University
  • Thompson Rivers University Faculty of Law
  • University of Alberta’s Faculty of Law
  • Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia
  • Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary
  • University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law
  • University of New Brunswick School of Law.

These law schools above will give you a quality internationally recognized degree in Law. We have a dedicated guide on the best schools to study law in Canada.

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We’ve come to the end of this article on how to study law in Canada. With the guide provided above, you can be able to get yourself a quality degree in law in Canada.