Jae-Yeon Lim (“Jae”) practises exclusively in Canadian immigration law, focusing primarily on corporate immigration. She represents employers from diverse industries, ranging from institutions and aviation industry organizations to small businesses, as well as high net worth individuals and families seeking temporary and permanent relocation to Canada.
Jae facilitates the mobility of individuals from other countries to Canada, whether for short-term or long-term assignments. She advises on employer compliance audits and provides corporate immigration planning that is tailored to the organization and its needs. She also assists high net worth individuals, professionals and their families with various immigration matters, including family sponsorship, permanent residence, citizenship and complex immigration matters including previous refusals, inadmissibility and residency issues.
Previously, Jae managed the immigration practice of a national firm in Vancouver. Originally from Toronto, Jae has handled complex cases across the country, working with fast-paced immigration teams at an international company and immigration boutique firms including her own. Jae previously taught immigration law at the University of British Columbia and currently teaches at Queen’s Graduate Diploma Program in Immigration and Citizenship Law.
Jae has been an active member of the Canadian Bar Association’s National Immigration Section, previously volunteered as a Senior CPD Coordinator, responsible for organizing the CBA Immigration Law Section’s webinars throughout the year and received a Volunteer Contribution Award (2024) in recognition of her leadership in putting together quality learning materials for lawyers including substantive topics on immigration law practice as well as on important issues such as anti-racism, 2SLGBTQI+ and mental health. Outside of law, she has been appointed by KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency) as a Global Regional Consultant, assisting in the overseas expansion of Korea’s small and medium enterprises. Additionally, she serves as Vice President of the Canada Korea Business Association.
As a seasoned immigration lawyer with over 10 years of experience, Jae has been recognized by Chambers and Partners (2024) as one of the leading immigration lawyers nationwide, under the “Associate to Watch” category. She has been elected to serve as Vice President of Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association for the 2024-2025 term.
Jae is fluent in English, French and Korean. In addition to her law degree from the Faculty of Law at McGill, she graduated from the French language and literature specialist program at the University of Toronto with high distinction.
Recognition
- Associate to Watch, Immigration, Nationwide, Chambers Canada, 2024 and 2025
Speaking Engagements
- “Temporary Worker Programs”, Canadian Bar Association’s British Columbia Immigration Law Section’s Immigration: Reconnecting and Reimagining Conference, February, 2022 (co-presenter)
- Permanent Residence at Korean Legal Clinic’s Virtual Immigration Seminar, October 2021 (co-presenter)
- “COVID-19 Immigration and Travel Bans in Canada and USA,” Surrey Board of Trade’s Digital Town Hall“, May, 2020 (co-presenter)
- “Intersection of Employment and Immigration – Considerations for Employers”, COVID-19 Webinar Series, May, 2020 (co-presenter)
- “Immigration Pathways to Hire Global Talent for BC’s High Tech Employer”, HR Tech Group, Victoria, May, 2019 and Vancouver, November, 2019 and (co-presenter)
- “Work Permit Strategies for Entrepreneurs, Working Your Way Into Canada 2019”, The Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia, October, 2019 (co-presenter)
- “Express Entry: Strategies for Success”, Ontario Bar Association – Citizenship and Immigration Law Section, Toronto, January 17, 2018 (program co-chair)
- “Canadian Immigration, Tech-Link Canada conference”, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, November, 2017 (keynote address)
Publications
- “Empowering HR’s Pathway to Immigration Compliance”, CPHR’s PeopleTalk, November, 2022)
- “How to Travel to Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic”, Surrey Board of Trade – Surrey Business News, July, 2020
- “Dos and Don’ts When Hiring a Foreign Worker in Canada”, Surrey Board of Trade – Surrey Business News, October, 2019
- “Legal Compliance for Employers Hiring Temporary Foreign Workers”, Korea Daily Toronto, November, 2015
Professional & Community Involvement
- Board Member, Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association (2024)
- Vice President, Board of Directors, Canada Korea Business Association (CKBA) (2022 to present)
- Member, Canadian Bar Association’s Anti-Racism & Port-of-Entry Duty Counsel Committees (2021 to present)
- Elected Executive Member-at-Large, Canadian Bar Association, National Immigration Section Member (2018-2021)
- Honorary Board Member, Korean Canadian Cultural Association (KCCA) (2015-2017)
- Global Advisory Committee, Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency (2018 to present)
Practice Areas
Year of Call
- British Columbia, 2018
- Ontario, 2014
- Saskatchewan, 2012
Education
- BCL, LLB, McGill University, 2011
- BA (Hons.), University of Toronto, 2008