Introduction and Overview
On this page
Overview – CSP for Professional Bodies
The purpose of this Call for Service Proposals (CSP) is to invite professional bodies to apply for designation to provide profession-specific Educational Credential Assessments (ECA) for immigration purposes.
The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship may designate and enter into a service agreement with successful applicants to this CSP, in accordance with Section 75 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. Professional bodies designated through this CSP will provide profession-specific Educational Credential Assessments (ECA) to persons intending to apply for a program or class under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) for which an ECA can be considered, including Ministerial instructions and regulations made under it (these persons are referred to herein as “Clients”).
The profession-specific ECAs that designated professional bodies provide must:
- assess the authenticity of foreign educational credentials and their equivalency to Canadian educational credentials;
- be recognized by at least seven provincial or territorial professional bodies that regulate an occupation listed in TEER Category 1, 2 or 3 of the National Occupational Classification for which licensing by a provincial or territorial regulatory body is required; and
- establish that the foreign educational credential is equivalent to the Canadian educational credential required to practise the occupation that the professional body oversees in at least one of the provinces or territories in which the professional body’s assessments are recognized.
Clients will pay service charges directly to designated professional bodies for their services. The professional bodies will recover their costs through these charges. IRCC will not fund any part of the service that professional bodies perform or any activities that professional bodies undertake whether those activities were undertaken before or after entry into a service agreement, including any activities undertaken in the preparation of a proposal.
Eligible Organizations
Applicants to this CSP must:
- Be a ‘Professional body’, as defined in Definition of Terms.
- Meet the Eligibility and Evaluation Process Criteria for this CSP.
- Have the legal capacity to contract. If the Applicant is a sole proprietorship, a partnership or a corporate body, the Applicant must provide, if requested by IRCC, a statement and any requested supporting documentation indicating the laws under which it is registered or incorporated together with the registered or corporate name and place of business.
Ineligibility to enter into a service agreement with IRCC
- We may reject a proposal where the applicant, including its officers, agents and employees, has been convicted of an offence under the following provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada, or of the Financial Administration Act, or convicted outside Canada of an offence that is the equivalent to the following:
Criminal Code of Canada
Section 121, Frauds upon the Government; or Contractor subscribing to election fund;
Section 124, Selling or Purchasing Office;
Section 380, Fraud committed against His Majesty; and
Section 418, Selling Defective Stores to His Majesty.
(Subsection 750(3) of the Criminal Code prohibits anyone who has been so convicted from holding public office, contracting with the government or benefiting from a government contract.)Financial Administration Act
Paragraph 80(1)(d), False entry, certificate or return;
Subsection 80(2), Fraud against His Majesty;
Section 154.01, Fraud against His Majesty. - We may also reject a proposal where the applicant, including its officers, agents and employees, has engaged in any activity that would be considered corruption or collusion, bribe, gift, benefit or other inducement in the proposal process.
- Where we intend to reject a proposal pursuant to the above, we will so inform the applicant and provide the latter three (3) business days within which to make representations, prior to making a final decision on the proposal rejection.
Definitions
We have included the following definitions to help applicants understand this CSP. The definitions apply to this CSP only and should not be used in the context of other IRCC policies, programs or calls for service proposals.
“Applicant” means organizations that have submitted a proposal or that intend to submit a proposal in response to this CSP.
“Client” means any persons intending to apply for a program or class under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) for which an Educational Credential Assessment can be considered under, or is required by IRPA, including Ministerial instructions and regulations made under it.
“Educational Credential Assessment” means a report issued by a designated professional body that assesses the authenticity of a foreign diploma, certificate or credential and establishes that it is equivalent to the Canadian educational credential required to practise the occupation that the professional body oversees in at least one of the provinces or territories in which the professional body’s assessments are recognized.
“Foreign educational credential” or “credential” means a foreign diploma, certificate or credential that is issued on the completion of a program of study or training at an educational or training institution that is recognized by the authorities responsible for registering, accrediting, supervising and regulating such an institution in the country of issuance.
"Professional body" means an organization or institution that has the recognized expertise to assess the authenticity of foreign diplomas, certificates and credentials and their equivalency to Canadian educational credentials; and its equivalency assessments are recognized by at least seven provincial or territorial professional bodies that regulate an occupation listed in TEER Category 1, 2 or 3 of the National Occupational Classification for which licensing by a provincial or territorial regulatory body is required. The organization or institution must oversee a component of the foreign credential recognition process for at least one regulated occupation.
“Service” means all activities described in the Statement of Work, the Service Agreement, and any subsequent service level agreement entered into by the Minister and a professional body.
Rights of IRCC
IRCC reserves the right:
- To submit queries, at its discretion, in order to seek clarification or verify any or all information provided by the Applicant with respect to this CSP;
- To require a response from the Applicant to any requests for information within forty-eight (48) hours of receipt of said request;
- To reject any or all proposals received in response to this CSP where the applicant is non-responsive;
- To enter into negotiations with one or more Applicants on any or all aspects of a proposal or proposals;
- To accept any proposal in whole or in part without prior negotiation;
- To close or cancel this CSP at any time based on program or policy needs
- In such an event, IRCC will post a web notice at least 20 business days before the effective closing date;
- To cancel and re-issue this CSP at any time;
- To amend any evaluation requirements following the launch of this CSP.
- In such an event, IRCC will inform professional bodies and provide necessary direction to enable the completion of proposals in a fair and transparent manner.
- To enter into one or more Service Agreements as a result of this CSP;
- To retain all proposals submitted in response to this CSP;
- Not to accept any deviations from the terms and conditions stated herein;
- To incorporate all, or any portion of the Statement of Work, CSP and the successful proposal in any resulting Service Agreement; and
- Not to enter into any Service Agreement as a result of this CSP.