Settlement Plan – Preparing for Relocation
Q. How might Provincial licensing requirements for various trades and professions affect the immigration plans of your clients?
Licensing requirements for various trades and professions that affect the immigration plans of Clients.
New immigrants (who received their education/training outside Canada) cannot enter some occupations without meeting the entry requirements, and hence cannot work in those occupations immediately upon entering Canada. Occupations are often governed by provincial licensing requirements, which applicants must meet prior to taking up employment in a particular occupation in Canada.
The immigration plans of my clients could be affected in many ways as meeting the licensing requirements in a particular occupation is a big factor in the settlement of new comers to Canada.
To help my clients with their Immigration plans I would suggest they do the following:
Before Coming to Canada
- Research what Canada has to offer thoroughly and in which part of the country they would like to settle in and only then file their papers.
- Their research should also include chances of finding a job, licensing requirements, their language ability and if they need more training before employers will hire them.
- Check job requirements and opportunities and see if their occupation is in demand.
- Obtain right information that can help them make up their mind whether they can get suitable employment in Canada based on their qualifications and experience.
- Becoming aware of the requirements and obtaining the requisite qualifications and experience if necessary.
- Evaluate existing skills and experience to perform the duties of an occupation in Canada.
- Check job descriptions on employment websites such as www.workopolis.com, of the occupation they plan to work in.
- Become familiar with the requirements for licensing and post-secondary training, which may be required for occupations in Canada.
- Prospective applicants should become acquainted with the occupational entry requirements, including the NOC, Career Handbook and related component publications in order to undertake a proper evaluation of their education and training profile.
- Applicants for permanent residence should obtain labor market information and ascertain if their profession is in demand in Canada and if they can meet the licensing requirements before making the decision to apply.
- Have enough money to meet living expenses and sustain the whole process of studying as well as going through licensing examinations etc.
- They should obtain information on licensing requirements from the regulatory body that governs their respective profession in Canada.
- Compile necessary transcripts and documents for their application as required by regulatory bodies as its difficult to do so once in Canada.
- If an applicant can gather appropriate and relevant information before they come, they will be better prepared when they arrive in Canada.
Once Landed In Canada
- Contact Employment Resource centers to help them with their job search and job application process.
- Need to go back to school in order to upgrade their existing skills to keep in tune with the Canadian requirements.
- If necessary, go through Career change utilizing a clients other job experiences.
- Should be able to do any type of survival jobs in Canada in order to pay the bills.
- Applicants should be ready to invest in expensive credential assessments and exams which could take years to complete.
- Prospective applicants for permanent residence to Canada should be aware of the job requirements in Canada and retool themselves accordingly.
- A positive spirit and hope will go a long way in seeing light at the end of the tunnel in their ultimate settlement in Canada.
Once immigrants get to Canada, they become the responsibility of whichever province they settle in and if they’re in a regulated profession, the province then puts them at the mercy of professional regulatory associations. Some of the provincial licensing requirements for various professions are as follows:
Doctors: Doctors who wish to immigrate to Canada under the skilled worker rules are not required to provide evidence of licensing as a condition of admission to Canada. However once admitted to Canada, applicants intending to practice as medical practitioners in Canada must complete various examinations as well as a series of licensing requirements that are individually established by the provinces. The provinces generally require as a condition of admission to the licensing programs, that the applicant is a permanent resident or a Canadian citizen.
The license to practice medicine in Canada is granted by each provincial and territorial medical regulatory authority upon meeting specific conditions as well as passing the required examinations that are part of the licensure process. Doctors have to get their credentials recognized by the respective medical regulatory bodies and complete a residency period before they can qualify for a license to practice.
Accreditation of Profession
Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials: https://www.cicic.ca/
Medical Council of Canada: http://www.mcc.ca
The National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB): www.ndeb.ca
Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario: www.rcdso.org
Lawyers: Individuals who want to work, as a ‘Lawyer’ must meet specified requirements before they can enter the occupation. These requirements can usually be met in Canada by undertaking an appropriate education and training program.
Individuals intending to practice law in Canada must have their foreign academic credentials assessed by the “National Committee on Accreditation” (NCA). A determination will be made on the number of credits that will be required to obtain a “Certificate of Qualification” and to write the bar admission courses for each province.
Federation of Law Societies of Canada: www.flsc.ca
Engineers: An engineer from overseas has to be a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO). In order to be licensed he has to pass various examinations, and then obtain one year of Canadian experience. Again employment can only be obtained when one is a licensed engineer. It’s a catch 22 situation.
Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO): www.peo.on.ca
Ontario Immigration: http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca
Veterinarian: It takes an immigrant at least a year to become a licensed veterinarian in most provinces. Applicants have to pass a three-part national exam costing more than $5,000–and then pass provincial tests in order to be a licensed Veterinarian.
Canadian Veterinary Medical Association: www.canadianveterinarians.net
Architect: An immigrant has to be licensed by the Ontario Association of Architects so that he could work as an Architect and finding a job will be difficult without this license. In order to get licensed, one has to pay expensive fees, write extensive exams and possibly go back to school.
Canadian Architectural Certification Board: www.cacb.ca
When the skills and educational qualifications of my clients who are Internationally-trained Professionals are not recognized and need to be licensed I would advise them that it would take them more than 2 years to upgrade themselves and find suitable employment in their profession. This has to be taken into account in the immigration plans of my clients.
Generally, applicants have no idea before they apply to immigrate to Canada what they would face in Canada in terms of meeting Provincial Licensing requirements and getting appropriate employment in their fields. Once a client is aware of the above facts he can make a reasonable decision as to whether to immigrate or not to Canada based on their individual backgrounds.
We supply clients with information about licensing and registration requirements for professional work in Canada.
Q. When representing an economic application client, what strategies might you suggest to that person that would help them find success in their application?
Tactics for a successful Economic application:
Probable applicants should acquire sufficient knowledge of the Canadian labor market with respect to their intended occupation in Canada. They must make efforts to:
- Identify positions listed on applicable internet job sites & other job related newsgroups.
- Become familiar with the location of related positions, and where the jobs are located.
- Study the applicable market conditions including required qualifications and remunerative benefits offered.
- Ensure language skills are commensurate with the requirements of the intended occupation.
Strategies Recommended for Immigrants Prior to their Application:
- Applicants with substantial ties to Canada in the form of studying, working or visiting have increased chances for successful economic settlement and Government policy favors applicants with prior ties to Canada.
- Immigrants should enhance their language proficiencies before applying.
- Potential Immigrants with higher education stand a better chance of integrating into Canadian life.
- Potential applicants with strong ties to family should be encouraged to settle in Canada.
- Potential immigrants should understand the changing labor market trends in Canada and see if their occupation/skills are in demand in Canada.
- Potential immigrants should understand the salary ranges for selected occupations in Canada and see if it makes sense compared to their present standard of living here in India.
- Potential immigrants should understand the hiring practices of Canadian employers and start their job search process even before they leave for Canada by going through appropriate internet resources.
- Potential immigrants should identify which higher education programs are recognized by Canadian employers. Are their qualifications valid and would they be accepted? If not are they willing to upgrade by going to a Canadian School/University to go through a program which is recognized by the local employers? Their Settlement will likely require from 6 months to two years of skills upgrading in Canada.
- Potential immigrants should become knowledgeable about access to professions & trades and see if they qualify with a Professional body – Eg: Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO).
- Potential immigrants should become knowledgeable about Provincial subsidy and training programs offered to employers who agree to hire newcomers.
- Potential immigrants should have a realistic picture of the immigration process and their prospects in Canada as settlement begins prior to and during the application process.
- Potential immigrants should become familiar with immigration programs in various provinces such as Provincial Nominee Program for different types of Occupations.
- As a Consultant I will listen to my clients and identify developing trends by networking with professionals in other provinces to identify new trends and solutions to address such developments in order to help my clients.
- As an Immigration Consultant I will share my views and first hand information about living in Canada.
- As an Immigration Consultant I will encourage patience, compassion and empathy for those incurring difficulty in their settlement projects in Canada and will help them in any way I can.
Settlement requires newcomers to carefully understand the challenges, the risks and the costs that are required in order to successfully settle in Canada.
A New Beginning
Canada wants to attract new immigrants on an annual basis with the emphasis firmly focused on immigrants with economic and professional skills from every part of the world.
In Canada you can start a new life, with never-ending opportunities ahead of you. Decide to make Canada your new home, and it’ll be a life altering experience that you’ll never stop thinking about.
We are Licensed Immigration Consultants authorized by the Canadian Government to advise, represent and consult on Immigration matters bearing CICC License # R416183 from The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants https://college-ic.ca/.
