CANADIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS

Canada's New Government Launches First Phase of Foreign Credentials Referral Office

Friday, 25 May 2007

Canada's New Government Launches First Phase of Foreign Credentials Referral Office

MAY 24, 2007 - 13:01 ET Show Text Show Financial Table(s) Show All Canada's New Government Launches First Phase of Foreign Credentials Referral Office TORONTO, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - May 24, 2007) - The first phase of the Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO) was launched today by the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. The FCRO is designed to help internationally trained individuals who plan to work in Canada get their credentials assessed and recognized more quickly. As outlined in Budget 2007, $32.2 million has been set aside for the first five years of the FCRO's operation. "Too many newcomers can't get jobs they have been trained for. That's a terrible waste, for them and for the country. Today, we are delivering on our commitment to do something about it," said Minister Finley. "In our first phase, the Foreign Credentials Referral Office will help newcomers access what they need to become accredited, both in Canada for those newcomers already here, and abroad for those waiting for an opportunity to come to our country." "Canada needs immigrants, and initiatives such as the FCRO will help attract newcomers and capitalize on their skills," said Wai Young, Interim Executive Director of the Canadian Immigrant Settlement Sector Alliance which represents 450 immigrant and refugee service agencies across Canada. The new office will help people navigate through the complex system of foreign credential recognition in Canada. The office's approach includes: - in-person services and a dedicated phone service operated by Service Canada at 320 outlets across the country by fall 2007; - an expanded online service that will help individuals identify occupations in Canada for which they may be qualified, provide them with detailed labour market information, and refer them to the appropriate regulatory body; and - increasing employer awareness of the processes for, and benefits of, hiring internationally trained and educated professionals. In addition, Canada's New Government will work directly with the provinces to speed up the entry of healthcare professionals after evaluating the success of a pilot project included in the recent Canada-Alberta immigration agreement. This project includes provisions to refer candidates with preliminary approval for permanent residence to Alberta licensing bodies to begin the process of recognizing their credentials. The Government of Canada is also working with provincial and territorial partners to improve online services that help immigrants integrate into Canadian society. Canada is today announcing approximately $18.8 million in funding for several provinces and territories to enhance online information about settling and working across the country. Canada's New Government is also providing $5 million to top up the existing Foreign Credential Recognition (FCR) Program, bringing its total funding to $73 million. This program, which falls under Human Resources and Social Development, successfully strengthens foreign credentials assessment and recognition processes in Canada. As part of this program, the Government today announced $7.7 million in new projects. "Together, the new credentials referral office and the FCR Program will improve the efficiency of Canada's labour market," said Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources. Speaking in Vancouver on behalf of Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, Minister Lunn said: "Specifically, the office will provide newcomers with a clear path on where to find information on how to get their credentials assessed, while the FCR program will help improve foreign credential recognition processes in Canada." The creation of the FCRO follows consultations with provincial and territorial governments and other key stakeholders, including regulatory and assessment bodies, post secondary education institutions and their national organizations, employers, sector councils, immigrant serving organizations and newcomers themselves. Credential recognition in Canada is mainly a provincial responsibility. The federal government plays a facilitative role, funding assessment projects and now, with the FCRO, providing a range of information and referral services. FOREIGN CREDENTIALS REFERRAL OFFICE The Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO) is a new federal office that will be located within Citizenship and Immigration Canada to help internationally trained individuals find the information and access the services they need to put their skills to work quickly in Canada. The Office will work closely with partners across jurisdictions to help ensure that the skills, training and credentials of newcomers and Canadians educated abroad are recognized in Canada. It will provide a clear path, and a one-stop shop for information and referral services to individuals both overseas and in Canada. Essentially, it will offer comprehensive and authoritative information on the Canadian labour market and processes for credential assessment and recognition in Canada. This will help internationally trained individuals find employment commensurate with their skills and experience more quickly. Canada's New Government's commitment to this issue was reaffirmed in Budget 2007 and Advantage Canada, the Government's strategic, long-term economic plan designed to improve Canada's economic prosperity. On-Line A key component of the FCRO will be a new website (www.credentials.gc.ca), featuring a new search engine called "Working in Canada". This tool will help individuals identify occupations in Canada for which they may be qualified, as well as the regulatory body appropriate for their needs. The tool will also provide individuals with detailed labour market information, based on where they live (or plan to live). It is the first of its kind in Canada to be offered on a national scale and will be available both in Canada and overseas, through the FCRO Web site and the Going to Canada Immigration Portal (www.goingtocanada.gc.ca). Dedicated phone line Service Canada will provide information, client referral and pathfinding assistance to immigrants in Canada via a dedicated phone service (1-888-854-1805). In-person service At launch, in-person service will be available to clients at a Service Canada Centre in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Halifax and Winnipeg. By fall 2007, as the initiative unfolds, this service will be available at more than 320 Service Canada Centres throughout the rest of Canada. Service Canada will support the FCRO initiative as part of its commitment to provide one-stop, easy access to a growing range of programs and services. Overseas Canada's New Government currently provides prospective immigrants with basic information on settling in Canada, both on-line and in-person, at select locations abroad. These services will be improved to provide comprehensive and authoritative information about the Canadian labour market and processes for credential assessment and recognition in Canada. By providing prospective immigrants with improved information, path-finding and referral services, they will be able to make informed decisions early in the immigration process. In addition to the information available through the Going to Canada Immigration Portal and the new FCRO Web site, Citizenship and Immigration Canada is also looking at ways to enhance and expand the Canadian labour market information it makes available overseas, including its print resources, as well as in-person orientation sessions. Canada's New Government is also supporting the Association of Community Colleges of Canada, to deliver overseas pilot projects in India, China, and the Philippines, three major immigrant source countries. The Canadian Immigration Integration Project pilot offices are funded by Human Resources and Social Development Canada's Foreign Credential Recognition Program and operated in partnership with Citizenship and Immigration Canada. This project provides in-person orientation sessions, including up to date labour market information, to prospective immigrants. This will help them prepare for the Canadian labour market, particularly with respect to having their credentials assessed and recognized. The results of these three pilot projects will help determine future steps around overseas activities. Funding breakdown The $32.2 million for the first five years of operation of the FCRO includes the $18 million announced in Budget 2006. From the $32.2 million, $18.5 million will be for Service Canada to deliver dedicated 1-888 telephone and in-person services throughout Canada. By fall 2007, all Service Canada centres will offer in-person client services. The remaining $13.7 million will be invested over five years for the operations of the FCRO including working with partners to improve the effectiveness of foreign credential recognition processes in Canada and overseas. BACKGROUNDER Foreign Credential Recognition Program To meet the needs of the 21st century economy, Canada requires a highly skilled workforce. Our ability to compete in the global knowledge-based economy is dependent on the skills of our people. Cities and communities that can attract the best talent, including highly skilled immigrants, provide opportunities for investment and contribute to keeping Canada's economy strong. Foreign credential recognition is the process of verifying that the education and job experience obtained in another country are equal to the standards established for Canadian professionals. Credential recognition for regulated occupations is mainly a provincial responsibility that has been delegated in legislation to regulatory bodies. Canada's New Government is playing a facilitative role with provinces and territories and providing strategic leadership to foster the development of consistent, national approaches to this important issue. About the Foreign Credential Recognition (FCR) Program Canada's New Government is providing an additional $5 million to top-up Human Resources and Social Development's existing FCR Program. This additional funding is over and above the $68 million that has already been committed for a six year period, and will allow the Program to further strengthen foreign credential assessment and recognition processes in both regulated and non-regulated occupations. The Program is intended to improve the integration of internationally trained workers into the work force by funding and working with provinces, territories, and stakeholders, including regulatory bodies, post secondary institutions, sector councils, and employers, to implement projects that facilitate the assessment and recognition of qualifications acquired in other countries. The objectives of the FCR Program are to work with its partners to ensure FCR processes across the country are: - Fair - individuals wishing to have their credentials assessed will be treated equitably; - Consistent - there will be similar processes to assess and recognize credentials in all jurisdictions throughout Canada. This means that once an individual's credentials are recognized in one province, they will be recognized across Canada; - Transparent - individuals will understand how to have their credentials assessed and recognized before they arrive in Canada and, if they do not meet the requirements, they will know what to do; and - Rigorous - high standards for preserving quality service and public safety. Progress to date The FCR Program has made investments in 19 out of the top 45 occupations identified by skilled immigrants entering Canada. Some examples: - The FCR Program has provided $3.6 million to the Medical Council of Canada to develop improved processes that will help integrate international medical graduates into the Canadian labour market. This has led to an on-line self-assessment examination to allow applicants to assess their level of medical knowledge and determine their readiness to take the other examinations leading to licensure. The Program has also supported the increased availability of the Medical Council of Canada's Evaluation Examination. Originally offered in 12 locations up to three times per year, the exam is now offered in approximately 40 additional locations and up to 10 -12 times per year. Working with regulatory bodies, the Medical Council of Canada is in the process of establishing a single-source service to streamline the credential verification process for international medical graduates. - The FCR Program has also invested more than $3 million over four years to help integrate international engineering graduates into the labour market. This has helped achieve greater consistency in provincial assessment processes for engineers. Furthermore, in 2005, the Professional Engineers of Ontario certified more international engineering graduates than domestic-trained graduates. - The FCR Program is also facilitating foreign credential recognition in non-regulated occupations such as tourism, textiles and trucking. Overseas Projects FCR Program has invested over $4.5 with the Association of Canadian Community Colleges to deliver overseas information services to improve the labour market outcomes for skilled worker class immigrants by helping them prepare for integration while completing the immigration process in their country of origin. The pilot offices are located in China, India and the Philippines. New projects The new FCR Program projects total more than $7.7 million and include: - $515,313 for the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers to develop a database of foreign engineering degree programs that will be used by provincial regulatory bodies in their assessment of international engineering graduates. - $2,500,000 for the Information and Communications Technology Council to develop a competency-based assessment and recognition tool for internationally educated information and technology professionals. Activities also include developing and piloting a bridge-to-work and mentoring program, along with tools for small and medium-sized enterprises. - $3,039,560 for the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council to develop FCR capacity in the tourism sector based on competency assessment and recognition. - $395,250 for the Council of Atlantic Ministers of Education and Training to help establish the International Credential and Competency Assessment and Recognition Agency in Atlantic Canada. - $500,000 for National Alliance of Respiratory Therapy Regulatory Bodies to investigate issues related to the entry of foreign-trained practitioners into the profession of respiratory therapy in Canada, and to develop an entry-to-practice examination for competency assessments of foreign-trained and Canadian-educated individuals. - $750,000 for BioTalent Canada, the sector council for biotechnology, to build capacity within the sector so that foreign trained professionals can be assessed and connected with employers in an efficient and reliable fashion. Some of the initiatives the council will undertake as part of this project include developing an industry-led internship program that would be consistent with a "Bridge-to-work" model approach and would facilitate the gaining of Canadian work experience for immigrants, developing and testing a national practical assessment approach for the integration of immigrants into the biotechnology sector, and developing a curriculum to "train the trainer" on soft skills that will assist in the assessment and integration of internationally trained professionals into the labour market. BACKGROUNDER IMPROVING ONLINE INFORMATION FOR NEWCOMERS Canada's new government has announced approximately $18.8 million in funding for several provinces and territories to enhance online information to help immigrants succeed with their new life in Canada. Funding will be allocated annually until 2010. The funding will go towards developing on-line content, tools and services that will promote provinces and territories as a destination and help immigrants succeed once they arrive, both socially and economically. The on-line information could include information about health care, education, job markets, and the services, opportunities and lifestyle in a particular city, for example. The funds can also be used for consultation and outreach. Provinces and territories may also choose to provide funding to municipalities to help enhance information at the local level. Contribution agreements have been signed with New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Alberta, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Under existing federal-provincial immigration agreements, British Columbia and Manitoba will also receive funding to help them improve the provision of online information for prospective immigrants and newcomers. Funding Agreements with Provinces and Territories Under the new agreements, provinces and territories outside Ontario will receive a base amount of $200,000 every year, plus a variable amount each year based on the average intake of immigrants in each province and territory over the last three-year period. For Ontario, which receives more than half of Canada's immigrants each year, funding is based on the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement. In line with this allocation, the total amounts over four fiscal years would be approximately as follows: ----------------------------------------------------------Province Amount----------------------------------------------------------Newfoundland and Labrador $820,000----------------------------------------------------------Nova Scotia $870,000----------------------------------------------------------New Brunswick $836,000----------------------------------------------------------(i)Ontario $10,000,000----------------------------------------------------------(ii)Alberta $1,200,000----------------------------------------------------------(ii)Northwest Territories $603,000----------------------------------------------------------Yukon $800,000----------------------------------------------------------(iii)Manitoba $1,100,000----------------------------------------------------------(iii)British Columbia $2,600,000---------------------------------------------------------- (i) Ontario's portal funding allocation is based on the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement. For more information on the agreement, consult the following link: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/policy/fed-prov/can-ont-index.html. (ii)Alberta and Northwest Territories allocations are for three fiscal years instead of four because agreements were not formally reached with these jurisdictions until the beginning of the 2007/2008 fiscal year. (iii)British Columbia and Manitoba receive portal funding under existing federal-provincial immigration agreements. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) hopes to have multi-year agreements in place with Saskatchewan and Nunavut later this year. All settlement funding for Quebec, including online resources, is covered under the Canada-Quebec Accord, signed in 1991. Going to Canada Immigration Portal The provincial and territorial portals will link to the Government of Canada's Going to Canada Immigration Portal (www.goingtocanada.gc.ca). This portal has been developed by CIC and Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) to offer comprehensive and integrated information to prospective and new immigrants. Its goal is to assist these individuals in preparing to live, work and study in Canada. The creation of the Going to Canada Immigration Portal responds to concerns raised by stakeholders during consultations regarding the lack of specific and relevant information available to prospective and new immigrants to assist them in integrating into Canada's communities and labour market. Research conducted abroad revealed that the Internet is the primary source of information for Canada's international target audiences. Participants from a range of countries including India, United States, Japan and Australia noted that the Internet is the first and most frequent source of information, regardless of the reason for seeking information on Canada. Partnerships are key to the portal's success. Accordingly, CIC has encouraged provinces and territories to develop complementary immigration, settlement, employment, skills and learning information for their respective websites. Both CIC and HRSDC will work with non-governmental immigration stakeholders on the portal to ensure that it continues to be relevant and that it meets the needs of diverse client groups.