Foreign trained professionals – Qualify in Canada

Foreign Trained Professionals and FARPA

A Sad State of Affairs

It has been very difficult for immigrants to Canada to practice their professions or to have their educational qualifications recognized. In Ontario there is a shortage of doctors. Yet, foreign trained doctors drive taxis. People are more comfortable getting legal services in their mother tongue. Yet foreign trained lawyers are denied admission to the bar. Foreign trained teachers are uniquely qualified to “bring the world” to the classrooms of our students. Yet, they are denied  entry to the teaching profession. The list goes on and on. Not only is this unfair to immigrants, but it denies Canadian society the benefits of immigrants’ education and perspectives.

The Fair Access To Regulated Professions Act

At least three Canadian provinces (Ontario, Manitoba and Nova Scotia) have recognized the unfairness of not allowing foreign professionals admission to their professions. Each of these provinces (and it is likely that more will come) have enacted legislation which mandates the following general duty on regulated professions:

“A regulated profession has a duty to provide registration practices that are transparent, objective, impartial and fair.”

In theory this means that:

First,  regulated professions must establish objective licensing requirements for foreign-trained applicants. In other words, foreign trained applicants have a statutory right to a process that will allow them to become licensed.

Second, the process of evaluating  foreign credentials,  must be done  in a way that is “transparent, objective, impartial, and fair.”

Read more about Foreign professionals immigrating to Canada.

Check out the entry to practice requirements for five professions and five Canadian provinces.