What is Immigration Law: Course Duration, Admission 2025, Colleges, Salary & Scope

The Immigration Law course deals with the rights and obligations of immigrants, as well as the procedures for entering, staying, and leaving a country. Immigration law is a part of both international and domestic law. An immigration law course is a programme of study that provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the legal principles, policies, and procedures governing immigration law.

The course typically covers a wide range of topics, including:

• The history of immigration law
• The different types of visas and permits available to foreign nationals
• The process of applying for visas and permits
• The rights and obligations of immigrants
• The enforcement of immigration laws
• The role of international law in immigration
• The impact of immigration on society

There are several professional organizations for Immigration Law professionals in India, including:

• Bar Council of India

• Immigration Lawyers Association of India

• Indian Society of International Law

The subject of immigration law in India is broader than immigration policies, rules, processes; but it involves control, observation, and guarding of foreign nationals within the country hence enforcement of laws and legislation to achieve the objectives or outlay. It also involves the procedure of obtaining Indian citizenship, providing working visa to foreign skilled professionals and handling problems of immigration and visa overstay.

Immigration lawyers of India are professionals who help people and organizations to deal with legal formalities regarding immigration, visas, work permits, as well as naturalization. They also deal with immigration tribunals and courts and defend their clients’ rights and demands.

To practice Immigration Law, the suitable degree to pursue a career in Immigration Law is Bachelor of Laws (LLB), which can be obtained through an integrated courses such as BA LLB or BBA LLB, as it provides the necessary legal foundation to specialize in immigration law; for further specialization, you can also pursue LLM with a focus on Immigration Law.

For UG programs,  candidate typically require a minimum score in high school  (10+2 or equivalent) and qualifying entrance exams set by the universities. For PG programs (LLM),  candidate generally necessitate a law degree (LLB) from a recognised university.

LLB and LLM are both best suited degrees for Immigration Law courses in India. LLB can create a good base if for this courses, while doing LLM will bring you expertise in the field. 

Immigration law doesn't require a separate qualification beyond being a regular lawyer. However, some lawyers choose to specialize in immigration law by:

• Taking elective courses in immigration law offered by some law schools during their LLB program.
• Pursuing certificate courses in immigration law after obtaining their LLB.
• Gaining experience working with established immigration lawyers or firms.

Refer to the table below:

NOTE: This information is sourced from the official website of the institute/exam.

Below mentioned table covers an overview of similarities and differences between Immigration Law in USA and India:

Hope this helps !

Hi,

Yes, it is difficult to practice directly as an immigration lawyer in India with a US law degree in immigration law. Here are some of the common reasons why:

• Different Legal Systems: US follows common law, but India has a mix of common law and Civil Law. 

• Focus on Immigration: A US immigration law degree heavily focuse on US statutes, regulations, and legal precedents.

• Licensing: India has its own licensing requirements for lawyers. 

Hope this helps !

The ICFAI Law School is the only institution in India that offers a certificate course in immigration law. This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the complex and ever-changing legal landscape of immigration.

An immigration lawyer advises individuals and companies about the issues of immigration law as well as in its changes. They provide legal advice and representation on a wide range of immigration matters, including:

Guiding Clients Through Visa Applications:

Immigration lawyers assist the clients to identify the right visa that they should apply for depending on the reason they intend to visit the country be it work, education, join family among others.
They help in completing many parts of the visa application, especially those that would be time-consuming and exhausting to do on one’s own, thereby making sure they fill the forms correctly and in detail so that there will be no rejected visa applications due to incomplete forms that took ages to complete.
They also acquire related documents needed for the application as well as categorize them.

Navigation of Legal Procedures:

Immigration lawyers help their clients to understand the processes that go with one gaining different immigration statuses like green cards or citizenship.
They also act as representatives of the clients in immigration court, where one seeks to avoid deportation or another, seek for a new immigration status.
They have time for immigration laws and regulations to enable the clients to be empowered with the most current information.

Immigration Law graduates in India have a wide range of career prospects, including:

Law firms: Immigration Law graduates can practice law in law firms that deals with immigration laws. These legal practitioners offer legal services for immigration issues and these include visa issues, employment permissions, nationality, removal, refugee and asylum status.

Government agencies: Another employment opportunity that Immigration Law graduates can exercise is through working for government agencies that deal with immigration laws. These agencies include Ministry of Home affairs, Bureau of Immigration and the Foreigner’s Regional Registration offices.

Non-profit organizations: Immigration Law graduates may seek employment in non-profit organizations that seek to offer legal services to the immigrants. These organizations offer services including; legal aid, human rights advocacy, and other forms of sensitization.

Corporate legal departments: Immigration Law graduates can also practice in corporations that have in-house lawyer to address issues relating to immigration of employees. These lawyers recommend on immigration laws to the companies and they also help in the processing of work visas and other related immigration papers.

Hi,

Some of the perks of studying Immigration Law in India are as follows:

• Acquire adequate knowledge on immigration statute, codes, rules and previous case laws.
• Develop skills in legal research, writing, and analysis relevant to immigration cases.
• Master how to deal with different and often complicated processes and filings related to immigration.
• Increase your marketability in the legal field, especially if immigration law is a growing area in your country.

Hope thsi helps !

Here are some of the top immigration law firms in India:

Bhavya Chaudhary and Associates: This recognised firm has specialisation in the immigration services in investment based, family based, employment based immigration as well as naturalization.

Davies & Associates LLC: This full service law firm specialises in the provision of the most effective immigration and corporate services that should suit the clients. They are popular for coming up with unique ways of getting what is referred to as ‘’impossible’’ visas that is, they offer the best solutions to the toughest immigration issues affecting businesses, investors, and individuals as well as families.

IMB Immigration Law: This firm offers various immigration services such as, visas, green cards, deportation cases among others.

Sharma Law Offices: This firm has a team of experienced immigration lawyers who can provide expert advice and representation on all aspects of immigration law. They are known for their personalized service and their commitment to helping their clients achieve their immigration goals.