Foreign credential recognition in Canada and Quebec

What does foreign credential recognition mean?

Foreign credential recognition covers the steps that let an employer, a school or a regulatory body understand education you completed outside Canada. It works differently depending on the province and on whether your occupation is regulated, so there is no single national process that applies to everyone.

This is the point that most often surprises newcomers. Credentials accepted as part of an immigration application are not automatically recognized by an employer or a professional regulator. Each organization sets its own rules, and an assessment prepared for one purpose may not be accepted for another.

The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) (opens in a new tab) sums up the basic distinction: about 20% of jobs in Canada are regulated, and recognition for those jobs is determined by the provincial or territorial regulatory body. In non-regulated occupations, about 80% of jobs, recognition is normally at the employer’s discretion.

This article is not immigration or legal advice.

Why get your credentials assessed for a job search?

For a non-regulated job, a credential assessment mainly reassures the recruiter by translating your degree into terms they recognize. It is usually not mandatory, but it keeps a hard-to-read credential from being quietly discounted while applications are being screened.

A recruiter reading "Licence en gestion, University of X" may not know whether that is a bachelor’s degree, a college diploma or something else. Without a reference point, they may underestimate your education, especially when the posting requires a specific level of study. An official assessment settles the question in a single line.

In Quebec, the government tells employers that the comparative evaluation (opens in a new tab) can help them understand foreign education and position a worker’s salary level. The same page states that it is not a diploma equivalency or a training equivalency, and that it does not replace a licence to practise.

How does Quebec’s comparative evaluation work?

The Comparative Evaluation for Studies Done Outside Québec is an expert opinion issued by the Government of Quebec. It shows which Quebec education level your studies can be compared to. You apply to the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI), following the steps published on Québec.ca.

The Getting a comparative evaluation (opens in a new tab) page breaks the process into three stages: preparing your application, submitting it, and what happens after you submit. Required documents, fees and processing times are kept up to date there, so check them when you apply rather than relying on a figure you read elsewhere. You also need it before applying to the Quebec public service: see our guide to Quebec government jobs.

Two points matter for your job search:

• It compares education systems, not skills. It tells an employer what your studies correspond to, not what you can do. Your resume has to show the rest.
• On its own, it does not give you access to a regulated profession. If you are aiming for a professional order, check with that order first: it may run its own equivalency process.

The Quebec government also notes that an employer can, in some cases, provide a letter to request priority processing when the evaluation is needed for hiring. If a company is interested in your application, it is worth asking.

Who assesses credentials in the rest of Canada?

Outside Quebec, there is no single government assessment for employment purposes. Credential evaluation services that belong to the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada produce a report you can share with an employer or an organization. CICIC is the starting point for finding the right service.

CICIC does not issue assessments itself; it points you in the right direction. Its page on identifying the organization responsible for recognition (opens in a new tab) explains that the first step is to find out who handles recognition in your case, and that six members of the Alliance can provide general assessments. You can then submit the resulting report to the organization you are dealing with.

Before paying for an assessment, ask the recipient one simple question: "Which type of report do you accept?" A regulator, a college or an employer may require a specific service or report type. An assessment prepared for an immigration application, for example, serves a different purpose and may not be accepted elsewhere.

For immigration through Express Entry, a different document matters: the Educational Credential Assessment, issued by an organization designated by IRCC. Our ECA guide explains who needs one and how long it stays valid.

When should you go to a regulatory body instead?

If your occupation is regulated in the province where you want to work, the regulatory body decides on recognition, not the employer. Start by confirming that status with the federal tool built for it, then contact the regulator, ideally before you even arrive in Canada.

The Government of Canada recommends Job Bank’s Foreign Credential Recognition Tool (opens in a new tab). It tells you whether your occupation is regulated, the time and cost of getting your credentials recognized, and whether there are jobs in your field or alternative jobs you could do while your credentials are under review. The government also offers Foreign Credential Recognition Loans (opens in a new tab) of $15,000 up to $30,000 to help cover costs such as exam fees and training.

Regulated occupations follow their own logic, covered in detail in our article on regulated professions in Canada.

How do you show an assessment on your resume?

Put the equivalency right under the credential in your Education section, in short and accurate wording. A recruiter should understand your level of education without leaving the page or opening an attachment. If the process is still under way, say so plainly, as long as it is true.

A few examples:

• "Master’s in Civil Engineering, University of X (2016) — MIFI comparative evaluation: comparable to a Quebec master’s degree"
• "Licence en commerce, University of Y (2014) — credential assessment in progress"
• "Engineering degree, School Z (2012) — licensing application in progress with the provincial regulator"

Never overstate the result. If the assessment places a credential at a lower level than you hoped, present it as it is and let your experience make the case. For the rest of your resume, our guide to adapting a foreign resume for Canada covers what to remove and what to add.

How can Postulio help?

Postulio’s CV Studio reminds you to include the equivalency of your credentials, helps you word it clearly in your Education section, and then tailors your resume to each posting. Postulio does not handle recognition for you: the assessment itself still comes from the MIFI, a recognized service or the relevant regulator.

The Premium plan adds a newcomer path covering credential equivalency, Canadian workplace norms and networking, plus one session a month with a person, your choice of mentoring, resume review or mock interview. A resume review, for example, can confirm that your equivalency is presented well. These tools make your search clearer; they do not guarantee a job or an interview, and you send every application yourself. Next, read how to land a first job without Canadian experience, or browse all our articles for newcomers.

Sources

• Québec.ca, Getting a comparative evaluation (opens in a new tab) — how to apply to the MIFI.
• Québec.ca, Comparative evaluation for employers (opens in a new tab) — what the evaluation is and is not, priority processing (in French).
• CICIC, Identify the organization responsible for recognition (opens in a new tab) — regulated and non-regulated jobs, Alliance assessment services.
• Job Bank, Foreign Credential Recognition Tool (opens in a new tab) — regulated status, time and cost of recognition.
• Government of Canada, Foreign credential recognition (opens in a new tab) — general process and loans.