Canada planning to set up seamless academic infrastructure for internationally trained immigrants

As part of its long-term goal, the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is planning to set up seamless academic infrastructure to help internationally trained newcomers get their credentials assessed and recognized more quickly so they can work in their chosen field as soon as they land in Canada.

In past, the government has dealt with criticism for problems migrants face in having their credentials recognized by employers. However, in order to overcome the delays and difficulties of getting foreign credentials recognized in Canada, a new government office was established in May this year to provide services to assist newcomers in navigating the credential recognition process.

The Foreign Credential Referral Office (FCRO) is a new project that has been designed to help internationally trained individuals, who plan to work in Canada, get their credentials assessed and recognized, as well as detailed information on Canada's labor market and job availability. In its first phase, FCRO will help newcomers and prospective immigrants access what they need to become accredited. As outlined in Budget 2007, $32.2 million has been set-aside for the first five years of the FCRO's operation.

The services offered at the FCRO's offices include in-person and online information and benefit both internationally trained jobseekers as well as Canadian employers, who are dependent on immigration for labor force growth. At launch, in-person service was available at Service Canada centers in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Halifax and Winnipeg. However, it has now been extended and available at more than 320 Service Canada centers across Canada.

A new web portal http://www.credentials.gc.ca/ is a key component of the FCRO project, featuring a new search engine called “Working in Canada”. This tool helps individuals identify occupations in Canada for which they may be qualified, as well as the regulatory body appropriate for their needs, and provides advice for completing the process quickly and successfully to work in Canada. The tool also provides individuals with detailed labor market information, based on where they live or plan to live. It is first of its kind in Canada to be offered on national scale and will be available both in Canada and overseas, through FCRO website and Going to Canada immigration portal http://www.goingtocanada.gc.ca/.

Service Canada now providing information, client referral and path finding assistance to immigrants in Canada via a dedicated phone service (1-888-854-1805).

The agency also has a presence overseas to serve individuals in the immigration process and to encourage people to come to Canada. Offices have been opened in China, India and the Philippines as an overseas pilot project and might be expanded if results are positive.

This federal initiative comes after Ontario’s Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act, which became law in March of this year targets occupations moderated by professional organizations, such as engineering or chartered accountancy, in order to improve fair treatment of foreign-trained individuals. There were also reports recommending professional regulatory bodies, work under provincial laws, to revise or remove needless impediments to newcomers.