CANADA - Guide for Skilled Workers

WORKING IN CANADA

ACADEMIC CREDENTIAL ASSESSMENT

Professionals and skilled workers need an assessment of the level and content of their studies in their countries of origin, in most cases. Thus, they can be recognised and homologated in Canada. The assessment of your credentials, - certificates, diplomas or academic grades -, is made for several different purposes:

Employment. To certify your educational level in comparison with the Canadian one and integrate to the job market.

Academic. For academic purposes, such as being admitted in educational programs, post high-school institutions admission (post-grades, professional specialisation, etc.)

Professional Licensing. To get the recognition of your profession and be admitted in the professional organisations.

Immigration. For immigration purposes. This assessment is advisable to start the process to get a Permanent Resident Visa.

As a result, you must take an assessment of your academic studies and a comparison of those credentials to the educational standards in Ontario. The first stage is to have your educational certificates and grades translated into English and/ or French in Quebec by a certified translator. To get a certified translator in Ontario, you can contact the Association of Interpreters and Translators of Ontario .

If your certificates are in Spanish, you must use the services of a certified translator through the following centres in Toronto:

i Centre for Spanish-Speaking Peoples

(Centro de Ayuda para Gente de Habla Hispana)

Teléfono: 416-925-2800

E-mail: aidscssp@spanishservices.org

Web site: http://www.spanishservices.org/

Dirección: 2141 Jane Street, 2^nd floor, Toronto, ON, M3M 1A2

(Jane St-Wilson Av)

i Latino-Canadian Community Association of Scarborough

Teléfono: 416-492-5128 / 416-516-0851

Email: gapar@rogers.com

2190 Warden Ave, Siute 212 (

(Warden Ave-Sheppard Ave)

Scarborough, ON

There are several organisations where you can go to get the assessment of your educational credentials. This is a paid service. Most of those organisations assess your diplomas and certificates just for employment, academic or immigration purposes.

Every professional organisation is usually in charge of assessing the candidates’ credentials in order to issue the necessary licenses or to certify their credentials. Those organisations have their own regulations and ways of assessment.

IMPORTANT

Verify witch organization is the one in charge of recognising you professionally or academically before you start the assessment process.

ONTARIO COMPARATIVE EDUCACION SERVICE

University of Toronto

315 Bloor Street West – Toronto

Tel: 416-978-2185

Evaluation of high-school and post-high-school credentials for employment and immigration purposes.

WORD EDUCATION SERVICES

45 Charles Street East ,Suite700
Toronto, Ontario 7

Tel: 416-972-0070
866-343-0070
fax: 416-972-9004
canada@wes.org

Assessment of credentials for employment, immigration, academic and certification purposes, for licensing in some professional fields.

To get specific information about the assessment of academic credentials in any field consult:

Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials - CICIC
95 St. Clair Avenue West, Suite 1106
Toronto, Ontario M4V 1N6 Canada

The CICIC doesn’t offer assessment services. This institution just assists people who would like to know how the assessment process is, with the aim to ask for professional credentials. They will tell you specifically to what association or professional council you must resort.

- PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS - CANADA

- PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS - ONTARIO