Uniivaa Jobs in Canada Guide: This is Something You Must Know About the International Credential Assessment Process.

Getting into Canada is one thing. Finding a job here as a doctor, lawyer, or engineer is quite another challenge. You have worked long and hard to become a professional and we definitely do not want you to end up being a taxi driver!

That is why we are about to tell you the one well kept secret that you MUST know as a professional immigrating to Canada and it has to do with the connection between getting your international credentials assessed and getting a job in your profession.

Are you ready? Read carefully because this is as important as it gets…

Accreditation – the land of confusion

Unfortunately, it seems that internationally trained professionals who arrive in Canada are not well informed about the various processes and professional bodies related to the credential recognition and licensing bodies. Canada is comprised of various provinces each with their own sets of rules, as well as a federal government whose rules can in some cases supersede that of the provinces. Additionally, there is a mix of professional regulatory bodies that work in tandem with the various educational institutions that grant the degrees to practice in professions such as engineering, medicine and law. Generally speaking, there are three ways to get your credentials assessed for the purposes of getting a job in Canada.

One method is to contact an educational institute to perform an assessment of international credentials. In many cases, international professionals seeking to come to Canada are advised that they need to take courses to supplement their overseas training. As such, these individuals will likely decide it is best to just get the school to perform the assessment since it is part of their admission process in any case. One such example is the engineering assessment program at the University of Toronto. http://learn.utoronto.ca/international-professionals/liep-program

Alternatively, one might believe that the cheapest and fastest way to get accredited is through one of the many international credential assessment services found on the Internet. A quick Google search will turn up dozens of these services and many of these are even listed on some provincial government websites.

Finally, if you know the province in which you eventually want to work, you can simply contact the professional body of that province to perform the assessment. For example if you want to work in Ontario then you can have your credentials assessed by the Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO). http://www.peo.on.ca/index.php?ci_id=2061&la_id=1

One Method to Rule Them All

In 2012, an academic study (George & Chaze) of internationally trained engineers in Canada was performed to investigate if there was any connection between the credential assessment process and securing employment as a professional.

Basically, there are three main reasons to get international credentials assessed. First, in order to get entrance into the country one will need to have credentials recognized by an immigration officer. Second, one will need to be accredited by the local professional body to practice. Third, assessment is necessary in order to get a job acceptance of credentials in the eyes of the employer.

Long story short, the researchers discovered something very interesting. The method by which the international professionals had their credentials assessed had a significant impact on the acceptance of the credentials.

Think about this for a second. The data suggests that picking the right way to get your credentials assessed can mean the difference between getting a job in Canada as an engineer as opposed to driving a taxi.

The Secret…

We won’t make you wait any longer. Here is the secret.

Get your international credentials assessed by the local Professional Body.

Here is some hard evidence. When it came to international engineers, the study found that:

“When the credentials were assessed by a professional body they were fully or partly accepted by the employer (61%), by professional bodies (85%), by universities (70%), and by immigration officers (80%). However, when the credentials were assessed by an educational institute, they were likely to be fully or partly accepted to a lesser extent by employers (47%), professional bodies (45%), and immigration officers (71%), and to a marginally higher level by educational institutions (73%).” (George & Chaze 2012)

It is interesting to observe that the main barrier for internationally trained professionals on this topic is not immigration but rather having your credentials accepted in the eyes of the professional body and especially the employer.

If you want to maximize your chances of getting a job in your profession then your source of international accreditation must be the local Professional Body.

Not knowing this is one reason why some highly trained engineers are working as taxi drivers. But now you know the secret. Good luck!

If you are interested in working in Canada, please feel free to use our free Jobs in Canada Eligibility Tool to assess your chances of getting a job in Canada. Visit: www.uniivaa.com