Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

This section offers answers to frequently asked questions about credential assessment and recognition in Canada.

FAQs — FCRO

1. What is the Foreign Credentials Referral Office?
2. Why has the Government created the Office?
3. What types of services are available on the Office website?
4. What types of services are available at the Service Canada centres?

FAQs — Internationally Trained and Educated Individuals

1. Does the FCRO assess my credentials?
2. Is there a difference between proving my educational credentials and work experience in order to immigrate as a skilled worker and having them assessed in order to work in Canada?
3. What jobs are most in demand in Canada?
4. Will using an immigration consultant increase my chances of being accepted in Canada as an immigrant?
5. I have been seeking advice on immigrating to Canada and getting offers of free work permits, scholarships, high-paying jobs requiring little experience, free airfare, etc. Are these offers real or are they scams?
6. I am an internationally trained individual and have applied for a job in Canada. The employer is now asking me for money to pay the fees for my work permit application. What should I do?

FAQs — Employers

1. Why should I consider hiring internationally trained workers?
2. How do I know whether internationally trained workers have the skills I need if they do not have Canadian work experience?
3. Where can I find internationally trained workers in Canada?
4. Can I recruit workers from abroad?
5. How can I make it easier for internationally trained workers to fit into my workplace?
6. I recently interviewed an internationally trained worker who has the skills to do the job. However, I am concerned about his language skills. What should I do?
7. Do internationally trained workers need more workplace training than Canadian-trained workers?

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FAQs — Foreign Credentials Referral Office

1. What is the Foreign Credentials Referral Office?
   
   The Foreign Credentials Referral Office offers internationally trained and educated individuals authoritative and accurate information on the Canadian labour market and Canada’s credential assessment processes. It also provides path-finding and referral services to immigrants. These services are offered overseas and in Canada to help immigrants apply their skills and credentials in the Canadian labour market.
   
   Overseas, the Office provides prospective immigrants with information on foreign credential assessment and recognition processes in Canada. In addition, the Going to Canada Portal helps prospective immigrants make informed decisions about coming to Canada and better prepare for the Canadian labour market prior to their arrival.
   
   In Canada, Service Canada centres provide in-person and telephone services for individuals seeking information related to the assessment and recognition of their foreign credentials. These services help individuals identify the regulatory or assessment body appropriate for their needs.
   
   The government’s existing Foreign Credential Recognition Program is also working in collaboration with the Office to further strengthen the foreign credential processes in regulated and non-regulated occupations.
   
   
2. Why has the government created the Office?
   
   The Office is filling critical gaps in the immigrant labour market integration process in Canada. The Office avoids duplication and overlap in services by building on existing programs and services offered by provinces and territories and a range of stakeholders. The Foreign Credentials Referral Office provides information sharing, pathfinding and referral services within the federal roles and responsibilities for immigration and labour market information. It does this through Service Canada’s existing and extensive network of Service Canada centres across Canada, as well as provide services to prospective immigrants overseas.
   
   The Office also collaborates with stakeholders to strengthen the capacity for foreign credential recognition across Canada.
   
   
3. What types of services are available on the Office website?
   
   The goal of the Foreign Credentials Referral Office is to provide information, path-finding and referral services to help internationally trained and educated individuals put their skills to work in Canada more rapidly. The Office website is one of three ways to obtain these services, along with a dedicated toll-free line and in-person services at Service Canada centres.
   
   Along with offering general information about finding a job, the website is supported by an online search engine called the Working in Canada tool. This powerful tool provides individuals with credentials and experience obtained overseas with information about working in Canada. It will tell you what the current prospects are for your profession right across Canada. It offers information on essential skills, job descriptions, and work conditions and opportunities. It will also tell you whether your occupation is a regulated profession in Canada. It is the first of its kind to offer this service on a national level.
   
   The Going to Canada Portal is also linked to the Office website. It will help prospective immigrants make informed decisions about coming to Canada and better prepare for the Canadian labour market prior to their arrival.
   
   
4. What types of services are available at the Service Canada centres?
   
   Service Canada centres provide in-person services for individuals seeking information about where to go to get their credentials assessed in Canada. Service Canada agents help individuals identify more quickly their occupation’s appropriate regulatory and assessment body as well as provide important job-related information about specific occupations. To find the nearest Service Canada centre offering in-person information, path-finding and referral services, call 1-888-854-1805 or TTY 1-800-926-9105 (in Canada only).

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FAQs — Internationally Trained and Educated Individuals

1. Does the FCRO assess my credentials?
   
   No, the FCRO does not assess or recognize international credentials or experience. This is the responsibility of the provincial or territorial government, and is done by the recognized assessment organizations that currently exist in Canada. It is also done by the regulatory bodies that govern the entry into regulated professions.
   
   To find out if you work in a regulated or a non-regulated profession, use the Working in Canada Tool.
   
   The FCRO provides authoritative information on working in Canada, and path-finding and referral services to organizations that do credential assessment and recognition. Through the Working in Canada Tool, it provides important work-related information on specific occupations.
   
   
2. Is there a difference between proving my educational credentials and work experience in order to immigrate as a skilled worker and having them assessed in order to work in Canada?
   
   Yes, there is an important difference. In many cases, in order to work in your profession, you will need to have your credentials assessed to see whether you meet the Canadian standard or need more training, education or Canadian work experience.
   
   Qualifying as a skilled worker for immigration to Canada does not mean that your educational credentials and work experience will be recognized or that you will be qualified to work in a particular occupation.
   
   Skilled workers are selected as permanent residents based on their education, work experience, knowledge of English or French, and other criteria that have been shown to help them become economically established in Canada. The term Federal Skilled Worker refers to the category under which skilled workers apply if they want to live in any Canadian province or territory except Quebec.
   
   The selection criteria for skilled worker immigrants are not intended to match specific immigrants with specific employment vacancies. The criteria do not guarantee acceptance or approval of any licensing requirement from a regulatory body in Canada.
   
   Being qualified to immigrate to Canada, having your educational credentials recognized, being qualified to work in a particular occupation and finding employment are separate issues. You must be aware of these issues if you want to immigrate to Canada.
   
   
3. What jobs are most in demand in Canada?
   
   The jobs most in demand in Canada are identified by the Government of Canada after extensive consultations. Find out more.
   
   
4. Will using an immigration consultant increase my chances of being accepted in Canada as an immigrant?
   
   Immigration representatives give immigration advice and help to visa applicants, usually for a fee. You do not need to hire an immigration representative. It is up to you. However, your application will not be given special attention or guaranteed approval if you use a representative. Find out more about immigration representatives.
   
   All the forms and information that you need to apply for a visa are available for free on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website.
   
   
5. I have been seeking advice on immigrating to Canada and getting offers of free work permits, scholarships, high-paying jobs requiring little experience, free airfare, etc. Are these offers real or are they scams?
   
   If the offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t be a victim of fraud. Find out more.
   
   
6. I am an internationally trained individual and have applied for a job in Canada. The employer is now asking me for money to pay the fees for my work permit application. What should I do?
   
   Normally, you pay the required fees to the visa office that is processing your application. Please check the fee schedule for citizenship and immigration services for details. Employers may occasionally pay the fees for the visa and work permit of a future employee. Visit CIC’s section on Working Temporarily in Canada to learn more about the procedure to obtain a work permit.

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FAQs — Employers

1. Why should I consider hiring internationally trained workers?
   
   Internationally trained workers make up a significant portion of today’s labour force, making them an important resource to help you meet your staffing needs. Internationally trained workers can increase your competitiveness, help develop new markets in Canada or abroad, and bring fresh perspectives. Updating your organization’s staffing strategy to effectively attract, hire and retain internationally trained workers can also help you recruit and retain all workers.
   
   
2. How do I know whether internationally trained workers have the skills I need if they do not have Canadian work experience?
   
   Even if a candidate does not have Canadian work experience, there are many things that you can do during the hiring process to determine whether they have the skills you need. The assessment process for all candidates should be based on standardized criteria that accurately measure the skills required to do the job. Practical tips include asking candidates to describe past work experience or basing your selection on practical assessments. Professional credential assessment services can also help you determine the equivalents of international education and experience.
   
   
3. Where can I find internationally trained workers in Canada?
   
   Internationally trained workers make up a significant portion of the Canadian labour force. There are many places where you can go within your community to access this important source of skilled labour, including immigrant-serving organizations, employment data banks, placement agencies, job fairs, and universities and colleges. You can also access candidates through professional associations and networks that your business belongs to or ask current employees to connect you to the immigrant labour force.
   
   
4. Can I recruit workers from abroad?
   
   If you cannot find workers for the job within Canada, you may want to consider hiring workers from overseas. There are many immigration programs that can help you bring an internationally trained worker to Canada. Each program has candidacy requirements and a different application process.
   
   
5. How can I make it easier for internationally trained workers to fit into my workplace?
   
   You may wonder whether a worker from a different cultural background will “fit in” and be able to do the job. Address these concerns by planning for a diverse work force and creating an inclusive workplace. Create a unifying vision for your organization that brings together workers from all cultures; provide training in cross-cultural communications to all your employees, including internationally trained workers; and celebrate diversity at office events. Remember, an inclusive workplace benefits everyone: exposure to different cultures can be enriching.
   
   
6. I recently interviewed an internationally trained worker who has the skills to do the job. However, I am concerned about his language skills. What should I do?
   
   Use established language standards to determine whether the internationally trained worker has the language abilities to effectively do the job. Some jobs may not require a high level of language proficiency, while others may need specific job-related language abilities.
   
   Weakness in language skills can be overcome through language training or on-the-job experience. If you do not think a candidate has the language skills to do the job, consider offering him or her a position that has lower language requirements while they upgrade their language skills.
   
   
7. Do internationally trained workers need more workplace training than Canadian-trained workers?
   
   Training staff to your specific needs is an important part of any human resources strategy. Like Canadian-trained individuals, each internationally trained worker has a different mix of education and work experience, skills and competencies. Like all employees, internationally trained workers will benefit from training, mentoring and career development programs to transition to a new workplace. Depending on the specific needs of your internationally trained employees, you may also want to offer them a combination of skills training, language training, cultural and communications training or organizational training.