12 December 2007

Canada under pressure to recruit lawyers with Canadian visas

Canadian law firms are facing pressure to fill vacant staff positions as the global shortage hits home and local talent is poached by other countries. As a result, foreign lawyers with major law firm experience are highly sought after for Canadian immigration.

As the legal market becomes increasingly globalised and international merger and acquisition activity grows, the demand for in-house counsel lawyers is also rising. The workload of multinational companies is higher and so are their budgets for legal staffing.

Jon Veale, a director of recruiter Robert Half Legal in Toronto, spoke to the Lawyers Weekly magazine about the problem.

"At this stage, firms are simply interested in meeting qualified candidates regardless of available openings, and are even over-staffing in order to prepare for the future," he said.

He also noted the growing contracting market: "We've received an increase in requests for lawyers to work on a contract basis for six-month or one-year periods to alleviate pressures on existing counsel."

Canada needs skilled lawyers: The Canadian Visa Bureau can assist skilled workers interested in Canadian immigration. More information on Canadian visas is available on the website. Anyone applying for a Canadian visa should begin by completing the online Canadian visa application to see if they meet the legislative requirements.