Credential assessment process

Learn the steps for getting your credentials recognized to work in Canada.

1. Review the job profile

Use Job Bank to review the job profile that will tell you useful information about your job such as:

  • main duties
  • hourly wages
  • job description
  • if it’s regulated
  • related job titles
  • job openings
  • training
  • the skills needed to do the job
  • contact information for your:
    • regulatory body
    • apprenticeship authority

2. Find your occupational profile

The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) has occupational profiles for many professions.

3. Compare your qualifications

Compare your qualifications with the requirements needed to work in that job in the province or territory where you’d like to live. This includes:

  • licensing
  • registration
  • certifications

Decide what you need to do to meet those requirements.

You may also need to compare your language skills with those needed for your job.

4. Contact a regulatory body

Contact the regulatory body or apprenticeship authority for your profession in your province or territory. They will tell you what you need to do to get a licence or certification.

You’ll have to prove to them that you meet the same standards that people trained in Canada meet. This is shown through your:

  • training
  • experience
  • other skills

In many cases, you can have your education credentials assessed and begin applying for a licence or certificate before you leave your home country. The regulatory body or apprenticeship authority can tell you what steps you can take before you arrive in Canada. Visit Job Bank to learn more.

5. Collect your documents

There are many documents related to your education and your experience that help explain your international qualifications to:

  • employers
  • regulatory bodies
  • assessment agencies

Before you come to Canada, you can:

  • find out which documents you may need after you arrive
  • get copies of the documents

Documents that will help you in your search for a job in Canada include those that prove your:

  • work experience
  • educational record
  • professional training

These documents are required when applying for:

  • licensing
  • certification
  • registration in a regulated occupation

Documents you may need include:

  • degrees, diplomas or certificates from:
    • universities
    • colleges
    • secondary schools
    • trade schools
  • education-related:
    • transcripts of grades
    • program descriptions
    • syllabi related to your studies
  • letters from professional and other regulatory bodies
  • apprenticeship or professional certificates
  • employer:
    • letters of reference
    • performance reviews
  • work descriptions for jobs you’ve done

You may need to send official documents directly from schools or other organizations to Canadian:

  • schools
  • employers
  • regulatory bodies
  • credential assessment agencies

Before you leave for Canada, check with the right organization to find out what they need.

Translate your documents

You may need to have your documents translated into English, French or both. Check the website or contact the regulatory body or apprenticeship authority to find whether you need to:

  • use an approved translation service (if so, you’ll have to pay for the translation)
  • give them original documents or whether you’ll need a lawyer to notarize copies
  • provide certified translations

Missing documents

If you can’t get the documents you need, contact the regulatory body or apprenticeship authority and ask them what you should do.

6. Consult an approved assessment agency

If you don’t have to get your credentials assessed as part of getting your licence, consider getting assessed by an approved assessment agency. It will help you show employers how your training compares with that of people trained in Canada.

Next steps

Once you have completed your assessment, you’ll know whether you:

  • need to upgrade your skills or education to work in your occupation
  • should consider looking for a different job in your field
  • should look for a job in a different field

7. Upgrade your skills or education

It might be easier to find work if you get more training in your field of interest. You can:

  • go back to school to upgrade your education
  • complete a training program
  • train in a new field

Here are some ways to find education and training opportunities in Canada to help you qualify to work in the job you want:

  • Look up your occupation or job in Job Bank. The Education and Job Requirements section of the report lists the schools you can attend to get the education you need. It also has links to educational and career planning resources. You can find the websites of professional regulatory bodies and apprenticeship agencies, where you can get more information.
  • Develop your essential skills to help you get a job, succeed at work and adapt to change.

Learn about skills training on Job Bank. If you want to continue your studies in Canada, visit the websites of the universities and colleges or by contacting the following institutions:

Canadian citizens and permanent residents may be eligible to apply for a student loan or grant. Eligibility depends on the type of course you want to take and the province or territory where you live.

8. Look for related jobs

Since it takes time to get licensed, you may need to work in a job related to, but not in, your profession while you wait. Working in a related job will give you an opportunity to:

  • earn money while your credentials are being assessed
  • use your knowledge and skills
  • learn work-related language
  • get Canadian work experience
  • connect and network with other professionals

Consider working in a job that is not related to your profession if:

  • you are interested in changing careers
  • job opportunities in your profession are not available
  • you need to find any kind of job immediately
  • your credentials are not equivalent to Canadian standards or it would take too much time, effort and money for you to meet the standards

You may decide to stay in a related job or use this experience to help you get licensed in your original occupation.

Here are some ways you can find alternative jobs:

  • Review the information in the Job Opportunities section of your job profile.
  • List other jobs not in your field but for which you might be qualified. Then, complete job profiles for those jobs to find out whether they are regulated or non-regulated.
  • Get help at a Service Canada Centre if you are in Canada.
  • Join work-related associations so that you can meet people who might have good advice for you.
  • Contact the regulatory body for your profession or an immigrant-serving organization to ask for advice.

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