A16
PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY February 1 - 15, 2016
IMMIGRATION CORNER
The Notary
Corner
By Editha Corrales Nelson
Learn about Credential Assessment in Canada
Immigration Consultant, Notary
Public, Mediation / Arbitrator
You will need to have the education, work experience or professional credentials you received outside Canada assessed if you are:
• immigrating to Canada as a
Federal Skilled Worker
• coming to Canada to work in
specific professions or trades, or
• coming to Canada to study,
Credential assessment will help
you:
• see whether your credentials
are equal to the standards set for
Canadian workers
• find out whether you need
more training, education or Canadian work experience
• understand the types of jobs
for which you might be qualified
• help employers understand
your qualifications
You can start the credential assessment and recognition process
before you arrive in Canada. This
takes time and costs money.
1. TO IMMIGRATE AS A FEDERAL
SKILLED WORKER (FSW)
To apply to the Federal Skilled
Worker Program (FSWP), you must
get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) of your completed
foreign educational credentials.
An ECA is used to verify whether your:
• foreign degree,
• diploma,
• certificate, or
• other proof of your credential.
is valid and equal to a completed credential in Canada for the purpose of immigrating to Canada.
Remember that you will also
have to have your skills and training assessed to work in particular
jobs in Canada.
2. TO WORK IN SOME JOBS IN
CANADA, INCLUDING CERTAIN
TRADES
Reminder: No matter which
type of job you are looking for,
make sure you have the language
skills needed. Even if you have the
language skills needed to immigrate to Canada, those skills may
not be strong enough to work in
your preferred profession.
There are two types of occupations in Canada: regulated (including trades) and non-regulated.
REGULATED OCCUPATIONS, INCLUDING TRADES
A regulated occupation (for
example, architect, engineer or
plumber) is controlled by provincial and territorial (and sometimes
federal) law and governed by a
regulatory body or apprenticeship
authority. They are also called professions, skilled trades or apprenticeable trades. These jobs are
regulated to protect public health
and safety, and to make sure that
people working in those jobs are
qualified. About 20 percent of jobs
in Canada are regulated.
A regulatory body usually assesses credential recognition.
Check with the regulatory body
or other organization for your occupation to find out whether you
need an assessment. They can tell
you which credential assessment
agency you should use. You can
find contact information for your
regulatory body on Job Bank. You
can also check their website to find
information about:
• licensing,
• eligibility,
• the recognition process
• fees.
To work in a regulated occupation and use a regulated title, you
must:
• have a licence or
• a certificate or
• be registered with the regulatory body for your occupation in
the province or territory where you want
to work.
Each regulated
occupation has its
own requirements for
getting a licence or
certificate. Requirements can be different between provinces and territories. Requirements for entry
usually include:
• An assessment
of your training and
skills against the profession’s standards by comparing your original
academic transcripts and other related documents, such as university course descriptions, with the
training provided by Canadian colleges and universities
• Written examinations, an interview or both
• An evaluation of your language
and communication skills
• A specified period of supervised
work experience
You will be evaluated as an individual. Do not compare your experience directly with that of someone else. You must understand the
requirements as they apply to your
own situation in the province or territory where you intend to work.
If you want to work in a trade
(carpenter, electrician, bakers), visit
Red Seal for more details about the
training, skills and experience you
will need to meet. As a tradesperson, you may be eligible to immigrate through the Federal Skilled
Trades Program.
In Canada, some provinces
and territories regulate certain professions and trades while others do
not. If you have a licence to work in
one province or territory, it may not
be accepted in others.
NON-REGULATED
OCCUPATIONS
Some employers require that
job applicants be registered or certified by the relevant professional
association. Credential assessment
and recognition helps Canadian
employers understand your qualifications.
Job requirements can vary
greatly between employers. Be
prepared to prove that you have
the education or experience to do
the job. You may have to:
• demonstrate a certain level of
skill and competence,
• have a specific amount of education, and
• have personal characteristics
suitable for the job.
A credential assessment agency
can assess your educational credentials for a fee. You may include
this information in your résumé or
curriculum vitæ (CV).
3. TO STUDY
If you plan to study in Canada, you will need to have your
educational credentials assessed.
Some post-secondary schools
can do the assessment. In other
cases you will need to go to an assessment
pos t-secondary school you want to
attend in Canada to find out what
kind of assessment they require
and accept. Then, contact the assessment agency
recommended
by the school you
want to attend, if
required.
Assessment
agencies can compare your academic credentials
with similar ones in
Canada’s post-secondary education.
Assessments done
by
assessment
agencies help employers, post-secondary institutions, and professional bodies
understand your academic background.
They do not guarantee recognition of your qualifications for employment or certification/licensing
purposes in Canada or further
study in a Canadian post secondary institution. These agencies
charge a fee for their services.
Note: Having your educa-
WWW.PHILIPPINEASIANNEWSTODAY.COM
tional credentials recognized to
immigrate to Canada as a Federal
Skilled Worker, to qualify to work in
a particular occupation (including
getting a license), and to find a job
are each separate processes.
Be aware that the words credentials, competencies and qualifications may often appear to have
the same meaning, but in Canada
have specific definitions.
** Strictly taken from www.
cic.gc.ca
A Canadian Certified Immigration Consultant, Certified
Senior Advisor and a Notary Public in the City of Burnaby, Editha
Corrales Nelson’s preferred areas
of practice are Powers of Attorney,
Wills Preparation, International
Legal Documents, Name Changes, Affidavits, Letters of Invitation,
Statutory Declarations, Drafting
of Business Contracts and other
notarial services. For an appointment, please call: 604-777-2757.
The following should not be
construed as providing legal advice and information in this column is intended only as a general
guide and should not be applied
to specific circumstances without
further consultation. For more information on the subject, contact
Editha Corrales Nelson at 604777-2757 or email: corrales@
shaw.ca.•