Learn more about foreign credential recognition in Canada

Working in Canada

Newcomers who want to work in jobs that require a licence or certificate must have their foreign licences and certificates recognized. The process of verifying that the training, education and/or experience obtained in another country meet the federal, provincial or territorial standards is foreign credential recognition.

Learn about your occupation and how to get your credentials recognized

Regulated occupations require a license or certificate to work in Canada.

 

• • The authority for most regulated occupations in Canada lies with provincial and territorial governments. They often delegate this authority to regulatory authorities in their jurisdiction

• • Regulatory authorities set the requirements to obtain certification or licensure as a condition of employment

Approximately 20% of occupations in Canada are regulated.

Examples of regulated occupations include:

 

• • accountant

• • architect

• • carpenter

• • physician

• • electrician

• • nurse

• • teacher

• • welders

Most occupations in Canada are non-regulated. This means that you do not typically require a license or certificate.

Examples of occupations that are not regulated:

 

• • bookkeeper

• • computer programmer

• • hotel manager

• • marketing executive

• • sales representative

• • web designer

The Foreign Credential Recognition in Canada Tool provides newcomers with information on job requirements such as:

 

• • if your job is in a regulated occupation

• • who is the regulatory body

• • if there are available jobs

• • what is the pay, and more

Get your credentials recognized

Follow the steps at Get your credentials assessed to get started.

Loans and Support Services

The foreign credential recognition process can take time, money and effort. The following organizations are funded through the Foreign Credential Recognition Program to provide loans and support services to help you navigate the process.

Achêv
Toronto, Ontario

Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia (ISSofBC)
Vancouver, British Columbia

Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS)
Halifax, Nova Scotia

Ottawa Community Loan Fund (OCLF)
Ottawa, Ontario

Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS)
Surrey, British Columbia

Supporting Employment and Economic Development (SEED) Winnipeg Inc.
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Windmill Microlending
Calgary, Alberta (Services offered nationally)

Other resources

 

• • Job Bank and Job Alerts

• • Start your life in Canada

Related

Funding: Foreign Credential Recognition Program – Overview

From: Employment and Social Development Canada

Grants and Contributions projects affected by COVID-19

Please contact your funding representative if your project is affected by COVID-19.

 

• • 1. Overview

• • 2. Eligibility

• • 3. Assessment

• • 4. Develop your application

• • 5. Apply

• • 6. Follow-up

1. Overview

The Government of Canada provides funding to governments and organizations through the Foreign Credential Recognition Program (FCRP) to support foreign credential recognition in Canada.

The FCRP does not provide money directly to individuals; it provides funding to provincial and territorial governments and other organizations. These other organizations may include regulatory bodies, national associations and credential assessment agencies. Governments and organizations use the funding for programs that contribute to the integration of skilled newcomers in their field or related field of study.

2. Eligibility

Funding priorities

Priorities for funding under the Foreign Credential Recognition Program include projects that:

 

• • are national in scope

• • address priority occupations and sectors representing skill shortages in Canada, and/or

• • have been identified as a priority by provincial and territorial governments

Eligible contribution recipients

Eligible recipients include:

 

• • provincial and territorial governments

• • regulatory bodies

• • professional associations

• • industry associations

• • public health institutions

• • not-for-profit organizations

• • unions

• • municipal governments

• • school boards

• • universities

• • colleges

• • CÉGEPs; and

• • consortia composed of all or some of the aforementioned types of recipient organizations

Eligible activities

Funding is available for activities that involve the following:

 

• • research, analysis or testing of new approaches to reduce barriers for entry to practice

• • improve career advancement of skilled newcomers in targeted occupations and sectors

• • development, validation and implementation of tools and processes to enable regulatory authorities and other stakeholders to assess, support, and provide international credentials recognition, work experience, competencies, and knowledge of skilled newcomers

• • development and implementation of Pan Canadian certification or licensure pathways that can enhance labour mobility

• • development and implementation of gap training courses or programs for targeted occupations and sectors, and

• • development and provision of alternative career pathways and employment support services for skilled newcomers

Eligible costs

The following costs are eligible for funding (please note that all eligible costs are subject to evaluation and negotiation) ^Footnote1 :

 

• • administrative costs, for example:

     

    • • wages
    • • general operational expenditures
    • • equipment rental and
    • • employment-related costs for staff

• • capital costs ^Footnote2

• • professional fees, for example:

     

    • • research
    • • legal
    • • consultants
    • • facilitation
    • • IT, and
    • • technical expertise

• • travel costs, and

• • other costs reasonably associated with operation of a non-for-profit association or ad-hoc consortium and related to the objective of the project

Footnotes

Footnote 1

The amount of contribution funding will be determined based on the expected costs of the activities, the demonstrated need of the applicant and the applicant’s ability to undertake the activities. In-kind and financial contributions by applicants are encouraged.

Return to footnote1referrer

Footnote 2

Contributions for capital costs such as the purchase of computers and other office equipment, furniture and other assets necessary to the project will normally not exceed $10,000.

3. Assessment

Your Foreign Credential Recognition project will be assessed on the following criteria:

Objectives of the Foreign Credential Recognition Program (FCRP)

The objectives of the FCRP are:

 

• • to develop and strengthen Canada’s foreign credential assessment and recognition capacity

• • to contribute to improving labour market integration outcomes of skilled newcomers, and

• • to support interprovincial labour mobility

Expected project results

The ultimate outcome for each project submitted to the Foreign Credential Recognition Program is to improve Canada’s foreign credential recognition systems, improve labour market integration outcomes of skilled newcomers, and/or enhance labour mobility in targeted occupations and sectors.

To accomplish this, each FCR project should have its own stated objectives, activities, and results (outputs and outcomes). Proposals should identify how objectives and activities will achieve the intended program results. Results must be specific, concrete and measurable. Applicants will be required to report to ESDC using key performance indicators to monitor progress achieved against the project’s stated objective(s), over the project lifecycle.

The FCRP works with partners and stakeholders to achieve the following results:

 

• • immediate outcomes – Enhance foreign credential recognition processes (for example, reduce number of steps to complete the process) and support labour mobility to better integrate skilled newcomers; Skilled newcomers gain Canadian work experience, and get financial and employment support in skilled occupations

• • intermediate outcome – Skilled newcomers are working in skilled occupations and in their field of expertise

• • ultimate outcome – Skilled newcomers have improved employment outcomes

Results of the project must include (at least one of) the following:

 

• • barriers reduced for foreign credential recognition

• • skilled newcomer provided with Canadian work experience in their intended field of work, and/or

• • labour mobility facilitated between jurisdictions in Canada for targeted sector or occupation

Assessment criteria for FCRP proposals

The criteria used to assess proposals for the Foreign Credential Recognition Program (FCRP) will focus on the following:

 

• • The degree to which proposed activities support FCRP objectives and priorities

• • The need for proposed foreign credential recognition activities

• • The organizational capacity and track record of the applicant

• • Demonstration of support required for success, and

• • Value for money

Funding amounts for foreign credential recognition (FCR) projects are determined by factors including:

 

• • Scope and duration of activities

• • Validation of reasonableness and fair market value of proposed expenditures

• • Importance of projected expenditures to success

• • Reasonableness of overall cost given projected outcome/s

• • Other sources of funding

Employment and Social Development Canada assesses the proposed costs based on experience and analysis. Changes are sometimes negotiated where necessary to ensure that the level of funding is the minimum the recipient will require to attain the expected results.

4. Developing your application

Concept Guide – How to fill out your Concept Paper for funding.

The first step for Foreign Credential Recognition project applicants is to complete a concept proposal that provides detail about the proposed project.

To help applicants with the process, the Concept Guide provides information to assist organizations with the completion of the Concept Paper Template to Employment and Skills Development Canada (ESDC).

The Concept Paper Template has 4 parts:

• Part 1 – Organization
• Part 2 – Project
• Part 3 – Funding
• Part 4 – Declaration

If you need additional space to answer any of the questions, please use the space provided in Appendix A of the Concept Paper Template.

Note: All items marked with an asterisk (*) in the Concept Paper Template are mandatory unless otherwise specified.

Part 1 – Organization

Section 1A – Organization identification

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) uses the information provided in this section to establish an organization’s identity.

Question 1 – Legal name

Please provide the legal name of your organization.

Question 2 – Operating (Common) name (if different from legal name)

Please provide the operating (or common) name of your organization if it is different from the legal name.

Question 3 – Business or registration number

Please provide your 15-digit Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) business number or, for registered charities and not-for-profit organizations, your CRA registration number.

Example: 123456789 AB 1234

For more information, please visit the CRA website.

Question 4 – Organization type

Your answer to this question must be one of the following:

• Not-for-profit
• Public

Please refer to the list of eligible recipients under Eligibility.

Question 5 – Organization category

Please select the appropriate category from the following:

Not-for-profit

• Aboriginal not-for-profit groups
• Associations of workers and/or employers
• International non-governmental organizations
• Local community, charitable, voluntary organizations
• Non-governmental organizations with a focus to encourage employment
• National non-governmental organizations
• Not-for-profit band councils
• Provincial non-governmental organizations
• Sector councils
• Unions

Public

• Contributions to provinces and territories
• International governments and agencies
• Municipal governments and agencies
• Provincial governments and agencies
• Public degree-granting colleges
• Public degree-granting universities
• Public community colleges and vocational schools
• Public health
• School board/other educational institution not classified elsewhere
• Territorial governments

Question 6 – Year established

Please indicate the year your organization was established.

Questions 7 to 11 – Organization address

Please indicate the address of your organization. Applicants must provide a complete address in a format recognized by Canada Post .

Questions 12 and 13 – Telephone and fax

Please indicate the telephone and fax numbers of the organization.

Question 14 – Email address

Please indicate the email address of the organization.

Questions 15 to 19 – Mailing address

Please indicate the mailing address if different from your organization’s address.

Questions 20 and 21 – Telephone and fax

Please indicate the telephone and fax number if different from your organization’s address.

Question 22 – Organization’s mandate

Please describe the primary work of your organization, including your mission, mandate and objectives.

Section 1B – Organization contact

Please provide a main contact for the purposes of communicating with your organization about this project. This could be a project manager or coordinator, an executive director or someone else.

Question 23 – Given name

Please provide the name of the person in your organization who will be ESDC’s main contact for the project.

Question 24 – Position title

Please provide the title of the organization contact identified in Question 23.

Example: Executive Director

Question 25 – Preferred language of communication

Please indicate the preferred language of the organization’s main contact for both written and spoken communication.

EN indicates English

FR indicates French

Question 26 – Organization contact – Address

Please indicate whether the address for the Organization Contact is the same address as the Organization Address or the Organization Mailing Address given in Section 1A. If different, please indicate in the box.

Questions 27 to 31 – Contact address

If you selected “Different” in Question 26, please provide the address for the Organization Contact here.

Questions 32 and 33 – Telephone and fax

Please indicate the telephone and fax numbers of the Organization Contact.

Question 34 – Email address

Please indicate the email address of the Organization Contact. Please note that this is where all correspondence will be sent.

Section 1C – Organizational capacity

ESDC uses the information provided in this section to help assess the organization’s capacity to manage a project.

Question 35 – How many employees does your organization currently have?

Please indicate the number of people employed in your organization. The number of employees must be a whole number.

Question 36 – Has your organization undergone any important transformations in the past two years?

Important transformations refers to events such as a change in leadership in the board of directors or at the executive level, an important reduction, increase or turn-over in staff, a merger with or split from another organization, a change in mandate or main activities, etc.

If you answer yes, please provide a description of the changes.

Question 37 – Please describe how your organization has the experience and expertise to carry out the proposed project activities. If applicable, please include any past experience(s) with ESDC and the results of the project(s).

Applicants should include a detailed description of the expertise and experience that qualifies their organization to carry out the project including: any current grant and/or contribution agreement(s) with ESDC and/or with other federal government departments or agencies. Applicants should also include a link to their website (if available).

Question 38 – Not required at this stage

Question 39 – Not required at this stage

Part 2 – Project

Section 2A – Project identification

Question 40 – Project title

Please provide a brief, descriptive project title.

Questions 41 and 42 – Planned project start and end dates

Please indicate the planned start and end dates of your project.

Please note that activities cannot begin before your project is approved and an agreement has been signed by both the recipient and ESDC.

You should not assume any commitment on the part of ESDC until funding has been approved and a formal agreement has been signed by a representative of ESDC. ESDC will notify you in writing of the outcome of the review of your concept paper.

Section 2B – Project description

Question 43 – Project objectives (must be clearly linked to the objectives of the program to which you are applying)

Proposals should include clear and achievable objectives that are linked to objectives of the Program. The objectives of each proposal should be described in terms of quantifiable and measurable goals to be achieved through this project. Multi-faceted proposals should include major steps and sub-objectives.

Objectives are statements of desired change that describe what should be accomplished and provide a context in which progress can be monitored and success can be measured.

Project objectives should:

• be consistent with the funding program’s objectives and linked to the program objectives
• identify the specific outcome(s) that the project is designed to accomplish
• ensure that these outcome(s) are measurable
• identify who will benefit from the project; and
• show how meeting the project objectives will help to achieve the identified outcomes

Please refer to Assessment tab for the specific program objectives.

Proposals should outline the following under “Project Objectives”:

• outline the labour market issues the proposed project will address (for example the rationale for the project)
• identify the characteristics of the workforce and sector, such as the size and/or the importance of the sector to the Canadian economy
• explain how the project aligns with Foreign Credential Recognition Program objectives.

Question 44 – Project activities (must be broken down into clear steps)

Project activities are the steps that will be taken to meet the objectives of the project. Activities should be specific, measurable, realistic and relevant to the project objectives and demonstrate how the project outcome(s) will be achieved. Applicants must include their proposed activities which should include the following details:

• a description of each activity and explanation as to how each of them relates to the objectives of the project
• a listing of activities in a logical sequence including milestones, timelines and/or duration of the various activities (milestones are significant events or points of progress during the project)

There should be a clear link between the project activities and the project costs outlined in the project budget (Section B questions 58 to 61).

Refer to Eligibility for details on eligible activities and program funding priorities.

Question 45 – Expected results of the project (must be clearly linked to the project objectives and be specific, concrete and measurable)

Outcomes are the short-term and intermediate changes that are expected to occur as the result of the project (more than one outcome could be directly related to an objective).

Outputs are tangible products, including goods and services that will be produced to generate the desired outcomes; several activities could contribute to one output.

Section C – Project details

Question 46 – Does the project include results measurement indicators?

A performance indicator provides evidence that results have or have not been achieved. They ensure a proper assessment of the progress achieved towards the intended outputs, outcomes, goals and objectives of the project. Applicants must provide performance indicators which will clearly demonstrate how they will measure each anticipated result and ensure their project is progressing as planned.

Question 47 – Does the proposed project fit with your organization’s other activities? If yes, please provide details.

Please describe how the project relates to the ongoing work of your organization. You may wish to highlight how past achievements and current activities and/or projects are related to your proposed project. This information will help ESDC determine the extent to which your organization has the capacity to undertake the proposed project and to achieve the expected results.

Please include any previous work done by your organization, your partners and your potential partners. Include details as to how your project builds on, and does not duplicate, this previous work.

Question 48 – Not required at this stage

Question 49 – Not required at this stage

Question 50 – Will any other organizations, networks, or partners be involved in carrying out the project?

Applicants should include in their proposal a complete description of the organization’s current and potential partners for this project, including:

• any existing relationship between partner(s) and their organization
• the expertise or other capacity offered by each organization for the proposed project
• the type and level of financial and/or in-kind support each organization will offer for the project

Question 51 – Does the proposed project address the program’s national, regional or local priorities?

Please indicate “Yes” or “No” and select all that apply.

Question 52 – Not required at this stage

Part 3 – Funding

Section 3A – Anticipated sources of contribution

ESDC’s funding programs generally encourage and/or require applicants to seek cash and/or in-kind contributions for their proposed project from other sources of funding. Each program has a “stacking limit,” which is the maximum permitted amount of combined funding from federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments for any one project or initiative. Contributions to the project cannot exceed 100% of eligible expenditures.

ESDC will use the information provided in this section to verify that your funding request conforms to any stacking limit or requirement for funding from other sources. “Other sources of funding” includes any source of funding (including from your organization) other than the program to which you are applying for funding.

Question 53 – Source name

Please include the name of the organization that will contribute funds and/or in-kind contributions to this project. ESDC should be listed as the first source name and any other sources listed below.

Question 54 – Source type

Use the following list to identify the type of anticipated funding partner:

1. crown corporation
2. federal department or agency
3. foreign governments
4. not-for-profit
5. private sector
6. provincial/territorial government
7. regional or municipal government
8. sponsor/organization/recipient
9. union
10. other (please specify)

Question 55 – Cash

Please include the amount of funding that will be provided.

Question 56 – In-kind ($ value)

In-kind contributions are non-monetary goods or services that may be contributed to the project by your organization or other organizations or partners for which your organization will not be requesting re-imbursement. In-kind support may include donated equipment, services or facilities necessary for the proposed project that would otherwise have to be purchased. To be considered valid, in-kind contributions should contribute to the success of the project, and their monetary equivalent estimated at fair market value.

Question 57 – Not required at this stage

Section 3B – Project budget

ESDC uses the information provided in this section to assess the overall cost of the proposed project, as well as the general nature of the expenditures to be covered by all anticipated sources of funding.

Applicants must provide an estimate of the project’s costs.

Question 58 – Cost categories

Please summarize your project budget according to the budget table provided below. Please refer to the list of eligible costs under Eligibility

B. Budget (please refer to question 64 to provide additional budget information)
Cost categories	Planned expenditures ($)
	ESDC	Other – Cash	Other – In-kind
A: Wages, mandatory employment-related costs and benefits of staff working directly on the project; includes direct and administrative costs (for example project manager and administrative assistant)
B: Project costs (for example rent, office supplies, telephone, professional fees, translation, GST/HST)
C: Capital assets
Total estimated costs

Question 59 to 61 – ESDC/Other – Cash/Other – In-kind

Please provide the total planned expenditures.

“Other” includes funding from another source (not ESDC).

Section 3C – Budget details

Question 62 – Not required at this stage

Question 63 – Not required at this stage

Question 64 – Not required at this stage

Part 4 – Declaration

Please ensure that your concept paper is signed by an official, authorized representative of your organization. People with signing authority are normally one or more of the executive members of the board of directors (president, vice president, secretary or treasurer) and employees of the organization (chief executive officer, executive director, chiefs of finance or human resources).

The Concept Paper Template must be signed in accordance with the organization’s statutes, by-laws or other constituting documents. For example, the president and the chief financial officer may be required to sign all outgoing documents.

Appendix A

Please use this section to complete questions from previous sections of the Concept Paper Template, and specify the question or section meant to be continued.