New Procedures Announced to Assess Foreign Credentials
On 28 March 2012, Jason Kenney, the Canadian Minister of Citizenship, Immigration, and Multiculturalism, announced major changes to the ways in which foreign skilled workers will have their education credentials assessed before arriving to Canada.
Further details on how this ‘pre-arrival assessment’ will be implemented are forthcoming. However, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has stated that “a pre-arrival assessment would let applicants know how their education credentials compare to Canadian credentials and it will give immigrants a sense of how Canadian employers are likely to value their education”. With this knowledge in mind, applicants without sufficient education will be more effectively screened at an earlier stage, and those whose applications are accepted will be better prepared to find work in their field. Of course, applicants who intend to work in regulated professions will need to have their qualifications further assessed before being allowed to enter the Canadian labour force.
Minister Kenney stated that “this proposal is part of a broader package of transformational changes that will make Canada’s immigration policies work better for the Canadian economy”. These changes have been announced in conjunction with the release of the 2011 Government of Canada Prograss Report on Foreign Credential Recognition, Strengthening Canada’s Economy, which outlines new efforts by the Canadian Government to better address educational issues in immigration.
