Want to Get Your Foreign Credentials Recognized in Canada? Here’s What to Do

After moving to Canada, foreigners must align their home country credentials with the local equivalents to secure a job. Without local credentials, it will be hard for foreigners to get promising jobs despite having relevant knowledge and skills. Only through validating credentials through Canadian regulatory authorities will employers understand the qualifications of foreigners and hire them.

Credential recognition can open doors for foreigners seeking to settle in Canada. They can advance their career, find well-paying jobs, get practicing licenses, and achieve career goals. However, many foreigners do not know what it takes to have their credentials recognized in Canada. This article will explain what immigrants need to do to ensure that their education and work experience from their country is recognized in Canada.

Benefits of Credential Recognition

Canada welcomes foreigners from different educational, cultural, and professional backgrounds. Although some companies appreciate the immigrants’ skills, they often need assurance that the candidate they hire meets Canadian standards. Official recognition of skills acquired in a foreign land makes job search easier.

Immigrants who get Canadian licenses to practice law, nursing, engineering, or medicine tend to secure lucrative opportunities almost instantly. Before they know it, they start reviewing the best houses for sale in ontario ca, or visiting the leading car dealerships to buy their dream car. This demonstrates the importance of seeking credential recognition before pursuing further education.

It is important to understand that sensitive careers, such as medicine and engineering, require foreigners to book evaluations or advance their skills to ensure they are aligned with the market needs. Immigrants should contact the relevant Canadian professional assessment agency and present the official documents, such as transcripts and diplomas from their country, for approval.

They should then pay relevant fees, schedule evaluations, and enroll for supervised practice when necessary. Foreigners seeking to join unregulated industries only need to undergo a general assessment by the Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).

Canadian Organizations Involved in the Process

Immigrants should research to identify the bodies that regulate their career field or industry. Since Canada splits regulatory responsibilities across provincial and federal lines, foreigners should identify the correct agency. The Foreign Credential Recognition Program, a federal agency, empowers immigrants with financial support to streamline the process.

However, the professional associations and provincial agencies are in charge of licensing. For instance, doctors are licensed through the College of Physicians and Surgeons, while teachers are accredited through the Ontario College of Teachers.

Independent agencies also play a role in certifying educational credentials. The agencies include International Credential Evaluation Service, World Education Services, and International Credential Assessment Service of Canada. Each agency has a unique set of rules for submitting transcripts and certificates for verification. They also have different timelines and requirements, so foreigners should research before initiating the process.

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada has approved and recognized some of these agencies. This means foreigners needing an ECA for immigration can streamline the process by working with the appropriate credential processing agency.

How to Identify the Appropriate Assessment Service

The appropriate assessment body to work with depends on what the immigrant wants. For instance, a foreigner who wants to provide a degree for Express Entry only needs to work with ICES, ICAS, or WES. However, immigrants who want to work in highly-regulated industries such as law, nursing, medicine, and engineering must undergo further assessment and licensing.

Foreigners should visit the relevant professional association or federal website to identify the bodies they should consult and their requirements. For instance, a teacher who wants to start teaching at an elementary school should contact the local private teacher’s certification body. Similarly, pharmacists, nurses, and doctors should check the relevant college websites to determine whether they need evaluation before certification and what they need to get started.

Provide the Relevant Documents

Canadian foreign credential agencies generally require a foreigner to present official transcripts from their home country. They also need diplomas, degrees, or certificates. So, foreigners should have these documents with them. If they leave the documents in their home country, they can ask relatives or the institution where they studied to send them.

Foreigners can present the documents at the assessment service offices or send scanned documents or certified copies of those documents to the agency. The assessment body might request work experience records to support their application. A government-issued identification document is also crucial when seeking credential recognition.

If the assessment body requires the home institution to send transcripts and certificates to Canada, the process might take a long time, so foreigners should nurture patience. However, some agencies allow applicants or their home learning institution to upload the scanned documents.

Remember that the documents should be written in English or French. If the documents are in other languages, all is not lost; immigrants can find a certified translator to present the meaning in English or French.

After providing the documents, the immigrant should fill out the relevant paperwork or online forms and pay the applicable fees. Some applications only take a few weeks, while others take longer. If the agency needs more information, immigrants should respond quickly to minimize delays.

Recognition of Foreign Degrees and Licensing

Before practicing medicine in Canada, doctors trained and certified abroad need more than just local certification. They should pass the examination set by the Medical Council of Canada, apply for residency to gain first-hand experience, or meet the specific standards set by the provincial College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Engineers must contact the Association of Professional Engineers of the relevant Province where they want to practice. Skilled professionals like plumbers should reach out to provincial apprenticeship authorities. However, they might request language tests or trade examinations.

However, some industries, like marketing, journalism, and information technology, might recognize work experience. So, immigrants should highlight their experiences and achievements from their home country if they have documents supporting their claims. It is also advisable to undertake bridging courses to gain local recognition and shorten the process of seeking credential recognition.

These are the steps that immigrants should follow to have their credentials recognized in Canada. The process might seem demanding or overwhelming, but it increases the chances of securing a well-paying job. Therefore, foreigners with marketable skills and experience should have their credentials recognized in Canada for a successful career.