Ottawa, March 20, 2009 — A new online resource to help newcomers and prospective immigrants put their skills to work in Canada faster was announced today by Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.
“Each year, thousands of skilled newcomers arrive in Canada. It is in their interest, and in Canada’s interest, to do everything we can to help them put their skills to work here as soon as possible once they arrive,” said Minister Kenney. “This is one more tool to help them obtain the greatest benefit from their experience and education.”
“Planning to work in Canada? An essential workbook for newcomers,” will guide immigrants intending to enter the Canadian labour market, as well as newcomers. Using a step-by-step approach, it includes information on how to begin the credential assessment process, as well as how to explore alternatives when immediate access to a previous profession is not possible.
The workbook, produced by the Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO), is available to individuals both in Canada and overseas.
It provides information about:
- Living in Canada, including information on organizations that help immigrants;
- The importance of knowing one of Canada’s official languages;
- Finding a job in Canada, including the difference between regulated and non-regulated professions, how to find job opportunities, and the process to get certified, licensed and/or registered;
- The importance of identifying and gathering work-related documents; and
- Education and academic credentials, including information on how to determine the difference between education and credentials obtained in another country and those obtained in Canada.
The workbook is one of several measures that the Government of Canada is undertaking to help newcomers successfully integrate into Canada and get their foreign credentials assessed and recognized. Specifically, Canada’s Economic Action Plan is investing $50 million over two years to support the development of a common approach to foreign credential recognition. This investment follows a January agreement by first ministers and territorial leaders to develop a national framework for faster recognition of foreign credentials. Labour ministers were asked to develop the common framework by September 2009.
These efforts, along with the work of the FCRO, will help ensure continued progress and that internationally trained individuals have the information they need to have their qualifications assessed and recognized in a manner that is fair, consistent, transparent and rigorous.
The FCRO, established in May 2007, is also working with federal, provincial and territorial partners, and with foreign credential assessment and recognition bodies, to strengthen foreign credential recognition processes across the country. This is accomplished through improved coordination of foreign credential recognition issues, policies, programs and services, information sharing and the exchange of best practices.
For more information, please visit the FCRO website at www.credentials.gc.ca.
For further information (media only), please contact:
Alykhan Velshi
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Alykhan.Velshi@cic.gc.ca
Media Relations Unit
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca
