Through Canada’s Agreement on Internal Trade, federal, provincial and territorial governments agreed to eliminate inter-provincial barriers to the free movement of workers, goods, services and investments within Canada.  In early 2009, all governments approved amendments to Chapter 7 of the Agreement to achieve full labour mobility for workers in regulated professions and red seal trades.  The Chapter now requires that a certified worker in one province or territory who wishes to relocate to another province or territory to work shall, upon application, be certified for that occupation by the destination province or territory, unless there are pre-defined allowable certification requirements or noted exceptions due to public, consumer or environmental protection.  Building upon these advances, Canadian federal, provincial and territorial governments recognize the collective need to move forward in addressing issues of foreign qualification recognition (FQR).

In November 2009, the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications (the Framework) was launched as a joint commitment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to work together to improve FQR systems both in Canada and abroad.  The Framework articulates a pan-Canadian vision for governments to take concerted action to improve the integration of immigrants and other internationally-trained workers (ITWs) into the Canadian labour market.  The scope of the Framework spans the steps and processes that ITWs face as they move through the FQR system – from pre-arrival information supports to workforce participation – and aims to make improvements within each step.  Specifically under workforce participation, governments aspire to provide ITWs and employers with access to required supports in order to bridge ITWs successfully into the Canadian labour market.  Examples of such supports include – labour market and career guidance information available to ITWs early and throughout the immigration process; language upgrading, career advice, mentorships, internships and bridging programs; and tools and resources for employers to improve integration and retention of ITWs . A promising new initiative is the provision of information to immigrants on alternative career pathways to help redirect ITWs to occupations in related fields mainly in non-regulated occupations commensurate with their experience, training, and education.

Implementation of the Framework initially focused on the development of action plans with 14 target regulated occupations – Architects, Engineers, Financial Auditors and Accountants, Medical Laboratory Technologists, Occupational Therapists, Pharmacists, Physiotherapists, Registered Nurses, Dentists, Engineering Technicians, Licensed Practical Nurses, Medical Radiation Technologists, Physicians, and Teachers (K-12).  The focus has been to make FCR processes more fair, consistent, timely, and transparent. These 14 regulators now assess an ITW’s credentials within one year; the ITW is informed whether they qualify for licensure, whether upgrading or gap filling is needed, or whether they do not meet the Canadian requirements.  Several regulators have also developed tools and systems to begin the assessment of credentials prior to a candidate’s arrival in Canada. Future implementation will focus on advancing the Framework’s commitment to examining FQR practices in skilled trades occupations.

Additionaly, the Government of Canada has created successful partnerships with some employers to expand the Federal Internship for Newcomers (FIN) Program. Deliveredby CIC, the Program provides eligible newcomers with the opportunity to gain valuable Canadian work experience within participating public and private sector organizations. The objective of the FIN Program is to assist with the integration of newcomers into the Canadian labour market by providing them with valuable Canadian work experience and enhancing their knowledge of Canadian workplace culture.