Make a difference while building a career.

The Queen’s Graduate Diploma in Immigration and Citizenship Law will prepare you for the mandatory Entry-to-Practice Exam and equip you with the skills you will need to be a successful immigration consultant.

Testimonials from our students.

Alyssa Esteves

During my undergraduate degree studies in sociology, I was drawn to issues within the spheres of diversity and inclusion – and I am particularly passionate about how they intersect with immigration. I chose to apply to the GDipICL because of its combined theoretical and application-based teaching approach, and the diverse team that was involved in the program’s development and design. I am looking forward to learning from immigration experts in the private and public sectors, where multiple perspectives can be reflected. After completing this program, I hope to leverage my sociological lens along with my new skills to make both individual and societal contributions to immigration and inclusion in Canada.

Alyssa Esteves

Mustafa Ansari

As a recent immigrant myself, I can fully understand and empathize with the challenges a newcomer faces to make Canada their new home. I had earlier tried to ease the transition of newcomers by creating Starter Guides to help them adapt to the new environment in Canada, especially the weather! Overall, the Graduate Diploma program really excites me. I can’t wait to join the ranks of this booming industry with lots of potential for growth and innovation.

Mustafa Ansari

Theolyn Martin

I am excited to have the opportunity to enrol in the Graduate Diploma in Immigration and Citizenship Law at Queens University. Personally, I view Immigration as a beautiful connection of lives to a new way of being, all while respecting an individual’s uniqueness, culture and strengths. I consider myself a living illustration of how the immigration process creates positive changes, having moved from the beautiful island of Jamaica to Atlantic Canada. At the end of the program I hope to write the entry-to-practice exam to become a regulated practitioner. With my honed skills as a registered social worker along with new knowledge and skills garnered from the program, I am looking forward to building an up-to-date immigration consulting practice founded on respect, professionalism and results.

Theolyn Martin

Alicia McIntyre

I chose this graduate diploma to interact with and learn from the innovative network of professors, practitioners, and students who specialize in this field at Queen’s. I have always had a strong interest in studying and working in immigration, and this program aligns perfectly with my goals of helping others navigate the complexity of Canada’s immigration system. I look forward to the multifaceted approach of this program and the opportunity to develop both a well-rounded legal and professional background that will be required in my future career as an immigration consultant.

Alicia McIntyre

Study, interact and collaborate anytime, anywhere.

The Graduate Diploma in Immigration and Citizenship Law is offered online.

The Foundations of Canadian Immigration Law course will also be available with an in-class component, subject to demand, starting September 2021.

You’ll be able to work directly with faculty and your fellow students in online forums, discussions and team activities such as case studies, simulations, and more.

Who will benefit from the Graduate Diploma?

This program will help anyone who intends to move into solo practice, work with a consultancy, or pursue opportunities in the private and public sector. It merges theory and practice to prepare students for work in any number of areas, including:

• Prospective immigration consultants
• Paralegals
• Lawyers seeking specialized training in immigration law
• Advisors at universities and colleges
• Human resources professionals
• Leaders in immigration settlement organizations
• Federal and provincial officials

A strongly regulated profession only becomes one if the initial foundation is built with academic rigour, as well as a strong focus on practical skills and ethical responsibility. These principles are all embedded in the Queen’s Graduate Diploma in Immigration and Citizenship Law. It's a remarkable program that will ensure graduates enter practice as competent and ethical professionals with all the tools to run their own business, as well as support the aspirations of their clients in making Canada home.

Rohene Bouajram
RCIC and International Education and Student Advising

Complete the Graduate Diploma in just two terms.

You can complete the program in as little as two terms with a full-time course load, committing up to 45 hours per week to your studies. For information on individual courses, please visit our Course page.

Part-time study options: 

It is possible to complete the Graduate Diploma on a part-time basis. A sample schedule is below. 

Please note that you must take ICL 810: Foundations of Canadian Immigration Law before any other course. All other courses can be taken in any order, with a maximum of three courses per semester. 

For further information about the part-time study option, please contact immigrationdiploma@queensu.ca 

Single course enrolment

Students who do not wish to apply for the GDipICL but meet the requirements for admission can apply for single course enrolment as either an Interest Student for Program Credit or as in Interest Student for No Program Credit. Students can register for up to four courses individually. 

Interest Student - Program Credit 

Students registered for Program Credit may be eligible to apply for admission to the GDipICL on either a full-time or part-time basis, if the requirements for good standing are met (B- in all courses). 

Interest Student - No Program Credit 

Students registered for No Program Credit are expected to participate in all aspects of the course, , but are not required to complete course assessments (quizzes or final assignments) and accordingly are not assigned a letter grade upon completion of the course. Once enrolled in a course on the basis of No Program Credit, that course cannot be used to satisfy program requirements. 

Interest Students for No Program Credit may be eligible for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit (substantive hours) with the Law Society of Ontario. See course pages for more details. GDipICL courses may be eligible for CPD/Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) credits in other Canadian jurisdictions. As requirements vary across jurisdictions, please contact your society to confirm CPD requirements.

2020 Schedule

Full-time Course Schedule

*Tutorial dates and times (late afternoon or early evening) will be finalized by December 1, 2020

Part-time Course Schedule 

*Tutorial dates and times (late afternoon or early evening) will be finalized by December 1, 2020

Broaden your horizons with a Masters of Laws (LLM) degree following completion.

Do you have a JD/LLB or equivalent? If so, when you complete the Graduate Diploma in Immigration and Citizenship Law, you may apply within three years of graduation to the Faculty of Law’s existing course-based LLM program and be granted advanced standing in the LLM for two courses taken in the Graduate Diploma.

The graduate program in Law is purposefully limited in space to allow students to develop intellectually under the personal mentorship of some of the leading legal scholars in Canada and the world. In order to be admitted to the LLM program, applicants must meet all application requirements in place at the time of application. In addition to a JD/LLB or equivalent, you must have a minimum B+ average from your degree studies. Completion of the GDipICL is not on its own sufficient to satisfy the admission requirements for the LLM program.

For more information visit the Graduate Studies page on the Queen’s Law website.

Additional program information