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.
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.
First Term (full time) |
Second Term (full time) |
|
ICL 810 Foundations of Canadian Immigration Law |
ICL 850 Family Class Immigration |
|
ICL 820 Ethics and Professional Responsibility |
ICL 860 Refugee Protection & Trauma-Informed Client Service |
|
ICL 830 Temporary Entry |
ICL 870 Enforcement – Inadmissibility, Detention and Removal |
|
ICL 840 Economic Immigration |
ICL 880 Citizenship |
|
|
ICL 890 Immigration Practice Management |
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.
First Term |
Second Term |
Third Term |
Fourth Term |
|
ICL 810 Foundations of Canadian Immigration Law |
ICL 820 Ethics and Professional Responsibility |
ICL 850 Family Class Immigration |
ICL 890 Immigration Practice Management |
|
ICL 830 Temporary Entry |
ICL 840 Economic Immigration |
ICL 860 Refugee Protection & Trauma-Informed Client Service |
ICL 870 Enforcement – Inadmissibility, Detention and Removal |
|
|
ICL 880 Citizenship |
|
|
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
|
Term |
Course |
Scheduled Tutorial |
Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Winter 2021 |
ICL 810 |
Weekly (W or Th) 90 mins* |
January 4 – February 12
|
|
|
ICL 820 |
Weekly (W or Th) 60 mins* |
January 4 – February 12 |
|
Study Period/Final Assignments |
February 13 – 20 |
||
|
Break |
February 21 – 28 |
||
|
|
ICL 830 |
Weekly (W or Th) 60 mins* |
March 1 – April 9 |
|
|
ICL 840 |
Weekly (W or Th) 60 mins* |
March 1 – April 9 |
|
Study Period/Final Assignments |
April 10-18 |
||
|
Break |
April 19-30 |
||
*Tutorial dates and times (late afternoon or early evening) will be finalized by December 1, 2020
Part-time Course Schedule
|
Term |
Course |
Scheduled Tutorial |
Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Winter 2021 |
ICL 810 |
Weekly (W or Th) 90 mins* |
January 4 – February 12 |
|
Study Period/Final Assignments |
February 13 – 20 |
||
|
Break |
February 21 – 28 |
||
|
|
ICL 830 |
Weekly (W or Th) 60mins* |
March 1 – April 9 |
|
Study Period/Final Assignments* |
April 10-18 |
||
|
Break |
April 19-30 |
||
*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
Final grades
Your final grades will appear on SOLUS, Queen’s course management system. You will receive access to SOLUS upon acceptance in the program.
Official transcripts showing final grades will be available on the official grade release date. A mark of IN (incomplete) is considered a grade and will be released on your official transcript with this grade.
Transcripts
If you require an official transcript for courses completed in the Graduate Diploma in Immigration and Citizenship Law, or need information including ordering, how to receive and costs, please visit the University Registrar–Transcripts.
Academic integrity
All Queen’s Law programs are governed by the academic integrity policy adopted and adhered to by the Queen’s University Faculty of Law.
Program Brochure
An overview of the Graduate Diploma including courses, admission requirements and application process can be found here. Download now to learn more about the program.
