Julie Croquison, 35, immigration consultant in Canada

Julie Croquison, immigration consultant in Canada

“The reputation of the UPPA teaching fellow in criminology, Robert Cario, was decisive.” 

Criminology has always appealed to Julie Croquison since the beginning of her legal studies. The young woman from the Hauts-de-France region chose the UPPA Master's in criminology, reputed for the quality of its courses. In 2019 in Canada, she created an agency specialised in immigration procedures. 

Could you tell us a bit about your university years? 

I started my legal studies at the University of Amiens without really knowing where the course would take me. The further I got, the more interesting the subjects were, and the more career openings I began to see. During my Bachelor’s degree, I had the opportunity to go on an exchange program with the University of Barcelona, which also made me bilingual in French and Spanish, and during my Master's degree, I discovered criminal psychology and found it fascinating. Alongside the first year of my Master's in criminology, I also did a Master's in corporate law, because I was hesitating between the totally legal sphere and the corporate world. As for the specialisation in criminology, back then there were only two Master's degrees on offer in France, one in Pau and the other in Lille. The one at the UPPA came out on top, owing to the reputation of the teaching fellow Robert Cario, and because studying in the south of France also appealed to me. I don't regret my choice at all! I spent two fantastic years in Pau (2011-2012), and the course really helped structure the way I think. There weren’t just legal students in my year group, and the fact that students came from all over the world encouraged open-mindedness. 

How did your professional career start out? 

I was fascinated by China during my studies. I found a six-month internship in Shanghai, with a firm of lawyers working on projects for businesses setting up in China and other Asian countries. It was interesting, but I couldn't see myself making a career out of it. I followed on with another internship, in a French company this time, and a two-hour bus ride from Shanghai, that outsourced the manufacturing of products (interior design, domestic equipment, etc.) destined for the French market. I looked after the showroom and product controls (standards, technical specifications, etc.) The business side was more my cup of tea! I started thinking about planning a life in China, and I enrolled in the university to learn Chinese. It was easy to work in the country, but one of the difficulties in China is the renewal of the work permit every year, granted by the authorities. As time went by, it became a hindrance to thinking about long-term projects. Hence the immigration process to Canada in 2014. 

Today you are an immigration consultant in Whitehorse (Yukon). Is your specialism in criminology from the UPPA useful to you? 

Everything I did during my studies is useful to me every day in this activity, which I created in 2019. As an immigration consultant, I support people of all nationalities and all walks of life, who want to come and live in Canada. I inform them about the different programs – which change very rapidly according to the country’s economic requirements – I help them qualify the best possible option, I fill out the forms and I accompany them until they attain permanent residency or Canadian citizenship. Criminology is useful, in particular for applicants who have a criminal record – for petty or serious crimes – in their home country. These acts have to be transposed to Canadian law, and I check whether they are a constraint for certain programs. In 2019, I took a course for immigration consultants and obtained the authorisation to practice in 2021. Then in 2022, I went through the same procedure for Quebec, which has its own specific requirements. 

What words do you spontaneously associate with the UPPA? 

Law, friendship, and diversity.

What advice would you give to a future UPPA student?

I’d tell them to really take advantage of the years of university study to be as inquisitive as possible, try out new subjects, do internships and develop networks. That’s how you find your professional niche. Going to university is opening a door to hundreds of potential career paths, you just have to find and build the one that suits you.

To find out more 

https://www.yxyimmigration.ca/?lang=fr