Transferring Credentials for Immigration

Many immigration options in Canada require certain qualifications and Canada has specific rules for having them recognized.

The Foreign Credentials Referral Office is the governmental department that helps to translate the skills and qualifications earned in other countries to something that can be easily understood and matched to a position in Canada.

This is a particularly important step for people immigrating for a job or those whose educational background figures in heavily into their acceptance into an immigration program.

An Educational Credential assessment must be completed before an immigration applicant is accepted by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

There are a number of organizations that provide credential assessments. Some of which are directly approved by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and some are independent organizations, which also receive approval from CIC.

Below are the designated organizations for Educational Credential Assessments. Depending on what kind of education the applicant has received, one organization may be better suited to them than another.

• Comparative Education Service. This is more of a general educational comparison service for people in Canada and can be used for University credits.

• International Credential Assessment Service. This service is more specifically used for the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

• World Education Services. This is also an excellent service for applying for the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

• Medical Council of Canada. This service is used specifically for those credentials earned in medical fields and professions.

These organizations will examine an immigrants education and compare it to a similar education in Canada. Of course they will also ensure that these credits earned outside of Canada are indeed valid.

The assessment one receives from their ECA can also be used to better pinpoint a good job for themselves out of the National Occupation Classification, a list of job descriptions and titles in Canada.

This list is not so much a list of job openings, but rather a list of definitions of what a job entails and what education a person needs to perform said job.