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A Newcomer’s Introduction to CanadaFinding a Job, Building a Future
Canadians may change jobs and careers several times. This is often a personal choice. Sometimes people must change jobs because the economy changes. For these, and other reasons, getting a job is not easy. Many people are looking for work. Newcomers to Canada rarely enter the job market quickly and often must start with jobs below the skill level they worked at in their home country. Once they have Canadian job experience and their ability in English or French improves, so do their job prospects. International educational assessment services in CanadaEven if you have many years of experience, you do not automatically have the right to practise your trade or profession in Canada. In most cases, you will need to have your credentials assessed to see whether you need more training, education or Canadian work experience before being qualified to practise. You may wish to get your credentials evaluated before you leave for Canada. The following organizations can tell you how to get your credentials assessed. The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials Web site (www.cicic.ca) has information on academic and occupational credentials for all of Canada and lists nearly 200 professions and trades, in alphabetical order. When you click on your profession or trade, you will find a link to the address and telephone number of the professional or trade association, the addresses and telephone numbers of provincial evaluation services and regulatory agencies, and labour market information (for example, whether there is a demand for people with your particular trade or profession). You will also be able to find out whether your profession or trade is regulated. The Centre does not grant equivalencies or assess credentials. It gives advice and refers newcomers to sources of help. To contact the Centre by mail, write to: Canadian Information Centre for
International Credentials Tel.: (416) 962-9725 Fax: (416) 962-2800 E-mail: info@cicic.ca URL: www.cicic.ca Provincial credential assessment servicesProvincial assessment services assess academic credentials for a fee. The assessment will tell you how your education compares with educational standards in the province where you are planning to settle. You can give your assessment to any employer in Canada. It may help you in your job search. Alberta British Columbia Manitoba Northwest Territories* * The Government of the Northwest Territories provides this service through an interprovincial agreement with the Government of Alberta. Ontario Quebec Saskatchewan* * The Government of Saskatchewan provides this service through an interprovincial agreement with the Government of Alberta. Other provinces and territories Employment in regulated professions and trades
Language skills
People with foreign credentials need a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score to enter Canadian colleges and universities. Colleges and universities offering courses in French use various French language tests.
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| TIP > When you arrive in Canada, refer to the pamphlet called “Finding Help in Your Community” in the booklet Welcome to Canada: What You Should Know for a list of the immigrant-serving organizations across Canada. Contact an agency in your area and ask about job search programs for newcomers. |
Federal and provincial laws protect workers and employers by setting minimum wage levels, health and safety standards, and hours of work. They provide for maternity leave, annual paid vacation and protection of children who are working. There are also human rights laws that protect employees from unfair treatment by employers based on sex, age, race, religion or disability.
There are laws to protect workers from discrimination. For example, an employer must hire employees on the basis of their qualifications. Employers cannot refuse to hire you because they don’t like your skin colour or your religion. This is discrimination. It is also discrimination if you are refused a job because of your age, sex, marital status, disability or sexual orientation.
Whether you are a Canadian citizen or a
permanent resident, when you are hired,
your employer will deduct money from your
pay cheque to pay for the following.
All Canadian residents who are old enough to work must file an income tax return each year, whether they earned any money or not. That is the law. If you are working for an employer, a percentage of your pay cheque will be deducted and sent to the federal government to cover the income tax that you owe. If too much is deducted, you will get a refund. If you paid too little, you will have to pay more. This money helps pay the cost of government services.
A small part of your pay cheque goes into this plan. When you retire, you will receive a monthly pension from the federal government. The amount will vary according to how many years you worked in Canada before retiring and what your salary was. Residents of Quebec pay into the Quebec Pension Plan, which works the same way as the federal plan. These plans also include survivor’s pensions for the spouses of deceased pensioners, disability pensions and death benefits.
When you are working, a small percentage of your pay cheque will be deducted each month to go into the Employment Insurance Account. Your employer contributes to the account as well. Employment insurance gives money to eligible, unemployed Canadian residents for a short time, while they look for a new job or take some training to learn new skills.
Your employer may provide some benefits (for example, life insurance, special medical care, a dental plan or a private pension plan) that are taxable.
If you are in a union, and the union has an agreement with your employer, some money will be deducted to pay for the union dues.
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| Date Published: 2006-07-01 |  |
Important Notices | |
In Canada, full-time jobs are common.
However, a growing number of people have
part-time or short-term jobs. Women make
up a large portion of the work force and
many have important, senior positions.
In Canada, about 20 percent of jobs are
regulated by the government to protect
public health and safety. For example, nurses,
doctors, engineers, teachers and electricians
all work in regulated professions. People who
want to work in regulated jobs need to get a
licence from the regulatory body in the
province in which they live. If you want to
know more about how to enter a particular
profession or trade in a particular province, you should contact the provincial regulatory
body for that job. The professions are selfregulating
and they administer the provincial
laws that apply to their profession. Rules for
entering professions also differ from province
to province. (For more information, visit
It is important to learn English or French as
quickly as possible. Many newcomers begin
life in Canada by looking for a job that will
allow them to learn or improve their English
or French. The 
Job opportunities