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Credential Recognition
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Getting
your credentials, education and qualifications recognized
in BC is a very complex process and takes time, patience
and money. There are different steps depending upon your occupation
and whether it is a regulated or non-regulated profession or trade.
If you have difficulty understanding the terminology used in this
section, an alphabetical listing of the words used in the field
of credential recognition in English is available by clicking on
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Assessment of your credentials for immigration purposes is different
than assessment for licensing purposes!
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come to Canada, immigration officials assess your education and
professional experience. You may have been told that your skills
match what is needed in Canada in your field. However, you will need
to do another assessment process with your professional/trades
regulatory bodies in BC for the purposes of granting you a license
or certificate to practice here. This two-level process has disappointed
some new immigrants. While they thought they would be able to
practice their profession in BC, the professional regulatory body
has a different set of standards. They may ask you to complete
upgrading courses or reject your application entirely. Sometimes
you can work in your profession without having your certification,
but that depends upon the demand for your occupation and the employer.
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"I
don't know if my occupation is regulated in BC."
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Regulated
Professions in BC
Under
the law in the province of BC, certain professions are regulated
by a group of professionals in that occupation to set standards
of practice and competence and to protect the public.
These professions are called "regulated professions."
In
some professions, it is illegal to work without being licensed by
the regulatory body.
To
legally work in a regulated profession in BC, you need to
apply to be accepted as a member of the organization responsible
for regulating your profession (the regulatory body). The
regulatory body will assess your qualifications and, if you qualify,
will license, register, or certify you to practice your profession
in BC.
As
a regulated professional considering immigrating, or recently landed
in BC, you need to learn about this process before you can
practice your profession. You will need to assess your situation
carefully. There may be several steps for you to go through
to work in your profession.
You
may have to be a member:
at the federal (Canadian) level
and/or the provincial (BC) level
and/or with your professional association.
For
example if you are a physician, the federal examination and licensing
body is the
Medical Council of Canada:
http://www.mcc.ca/english/news/index.html
The provincial body is College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC:
www.cpsbc.ca
Your profession may also have a professional organization that
is not a licensing body but is an important professional group
advancing the practice of your profession. Eg. BC Medical Association
http://www.bcma.org/
http://www.cicic.ca/profess-en.php
find your occupation in the Canada list
scroll down to British Columbia and find your occupation in the
provincial list as well.
If
you can't find information about your professional or trade association
and licensing bodies, search on the Internet using a Canadian search
engine
Example
(Google.ca) and type the name of the occupation. Example: midwife
BC
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Call
and speak to your regulatory body before you come to BC, to know
which documentation you will need with you to apply to become
a member. It is much easier to get that documentation before you
leave your country. Find out if you need original or certified
copies of documents and what kind of references you need. You
can't do everything before you leave your country so make sure
you have done everything you can do before you come. It will save
you a lot of time, money and frustration.
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There
are several organizations for Internationally Trained Professionals
working to help skilled immigrants practice their professions in
BC. Contact them for up to date information
Some
professions have developed self-assessments for their members to
prepare to work in BC. If you are an Engineer - try this
site for a self-assessment
Click
on: www.apeg.bc.ca/index.html
click drop down menu About APEG
click on Internationally Trained Engineers
click on Resources for Internationally Trained Engineers
click on Career development tools
click on Assessment of General Knowledge and Skill Sets
Try
this one for the Canadian Engineering Association. Click
on:
If
you are a Nurse here is a checklist to guide your process.
Click on:
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If
you belong to a professional association in your country, contact
their office and ask if they have an affiliate in BC or Canada.
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| If
you are a Medical Doctor here is a helpful introduction to
the process of getting work in BC as a licensed medical doctor, from
the Association of International Medical Doctors of BC:
Occupationals
fact sheets are available for internationally educated nurses,
accountants, engineers and teachers at the following site:
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Some
professions are not regulated but may have voluntary professional
associations. Being a member of these associations may be very
valuable to help you get work in your profession. Contact them
to find out how to become a member.
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| Trades
in BC
If
you are a tradesperson (carpenter, electrician, plumber,
etc.) you will need to know what certification you require
to work in your trade in BC. To find out about your trade in BC
click on:
www.itabc.ca
click on "Trades and Occupations"
Find your occupation in the list and click on it
Click on "Certification" to find out what you need to
do to work in your trade in BC.
If
you want to be able to practice your trade across Canada,
you will need to see if it is a Red Seal Trade. Click on:
To
see if your skills and experience will transfer from your country
to BC you may need to challenge the entrance qualifications
for your trade in BC. To find out about challenging the requirements
click on:
www.itabc.ca
Click on "Equivalency Exam" (PDF-requires
Acrobat Reader)
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"I
have contacted the provincial regulatory body for my profession or
trade and I know what steps to take to be able to practice in BC." |
Next
you will need to find out who the main employers are in your
occupation. Once again the regulatory body for your profession or
trade can give you help in researching this information. Some
employers may be willing to hire you before you get all your certifications
if there is a high demand for your occupation, in the area
you will be living.
To
find out the main trades employers in BC, click on:
http://www.tradesbc.org/home.html
For
the BC Construction Association, click on:
http://www.bccassn.com/
click on Online Directory
click on Region (where you will be living) or Division (which
trade you will be working in)
You can also click on:
www.construction-jobs.ca
click on "Job Seekers" at the top of the page
click on "Apply to Positions" - at the left side
click on "Out of Country Applicants" - at the left side
to find out how to apply from another country
For
information on sector councils, click on:
http://www.councils.org/
click on list of councils
click on activity to find your occupational group
In
some professions and in some provinces, you may be able to work
temporarily in your profession if you are under the supervision
of a registered professional. Check with your regulatory body.
Talk to employers to confirm the demand for your skill and the
qualifications required by employers currently in your field.
If your association tells you to take some education or training
in BC to be eligible to work in your occupation, ask which institutions
provide the training you need.
To
find a listing of schools, click on:
www.educationplanner.bc.ca
On home page, scroll down and click on Field of Study
Then click your Occupation(s) you can pick more than one
Then scroll to the bottom of the list and click on Apply Selection
To
know the English language entrance requirements for the
institution, contact that institution directly to find
out how you can complete the appropriate test before you leave
your country.
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"I
have contacted employers in BC and I know what jobs I am qualified
to do in my occupational area before and after my credentials are
recognized."
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Once
you know what your profession or trade requires of you, you may
have to have your credentials evaluated here in BC.
If
you are ready to start the process, there are two agencies that
can evaluate your credentials for use in Canada. Both
these agencies charge money for this service.
http://www.icascanada.ca/English/main.html
www.bcit.ca/ices
To
learn about the process of having your credentials recognized,
click on:
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Before
you pay for that service, make sure you have researched what your
particular profession or trade needs for credentials, so you don't
pay unnecessarily. Sometimes you can work in your profession without
this process.
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"I
have contacted the credentialing organizations in BC, and I know
the process, cost and time required to get my credentials approved."
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final step is to gather all the documents you will need to meet the
requirements of your profession or trade in BC. This may take
a few months, and you may not be able to complete the process until
you come to Canada. |
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Many
occupations require you to have Canadian work experience
before you can become licensed to practice your profession in
Canada. Sometimes this experience can be gained through volunteer
work, but may be limited by issues of confidentiality, internship
placement limits, or lack of professional supervisors. This can
make it impossible for new immigrants to work in their profession.
You may be required to take more education, or start in a lower
skill job to get that experience. Do your research to ensure you
do not arrive in BC and find you cannot get a job in your occupation.
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"I
have collected all the documents required (transcripts, letters
of reference, etc.) for the credentialing process, cost and time
required to get my credentials approved."
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Go
to Employment Readiness Matrix,
to record your work.
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