Professions governed by a professional order

To practise a profession or to hold a professional title governed by the Professional Code in Québec, a person must hold a permit and be a member in good standing of the appropriate professional order.

The Professional Code defines Québec's professional system. In order to ensure the protection of the public, this law governs the practice of several professions and identifies the conditions of professional practice. It gives the Office des professions du Québec a global mandate of coordination and supervision and assigns each professional order the task of surveilling the practice of its particular profession. This control is usually exercised when a permit is delivered or when an individual signs up for membership.

The 45 professional orders have real autonomy in fulfilling their mandate of protecting the public. Each has its own administrative practices. However, the Professional Code provides a framework within which these orders must operate. Before key regulations are adopted and implemented by the different orders, they must be approved by the Québec government or by the Office des professions, depending on the particular case. The regulations hence enacted have force of law.

	PRACTICAL ADVICE
	If you anticipate exercising a governed profession, you would be well advised to contact the concerned professional order before your departure. You will thus find out about the admission requirements and be able to evaluate the steps you will need to take in order to obtain your permit and become a member of the order. In some cases, you may even be able to begin the admission process. Certain immigration procedures may even require that you contact the professional order in question. Should this be the case, you will be notified by your immigration counsellor. There are several laws and regulations governing the Québec professional system. You would be well advised to familiarize yourself with all legal documentation pertaining to the professional order you wish to join.

Steps to follow

1. First find out if your profession is governed by a professional order by consulting the section Exclusive professions and professions with reserved titles.

2. If the profession you wish to practice is governed by a professional order, find out about the conditions for practising this profession. Two conditions must be fulfilled to have the right to practise a profession or to use a professional title:
   

   • - You must first obtain a permit from the appropriate order.
     
     - Once you have your permit, you must be entered on the roll of the order, in other words, you must become a member.

	USEFUL INFORMATION
	Costs for obtaining a permit and be entered on the roll of a particular order are often quite substantial. They vary from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, depending on the circumstances and the specific order. These costs include fees for processing the applicant's file for equivalence, examinations, issuing of the permit, order membership, etc. If applicable, costs for any required training or internship will also apply. Procedures for admission to a professional order are sometimes long and complicated. Over and above file processing delays, you should also take into consideration, as the case may be, the availability and duration of the courses or internships you are required to follow, the frequency with which exams are administered by the order and the Office québécois de la langue française as well as any other administrative steps which may result in delays (issuing of grades, securing additional documents, etc). Immigration-Québec offers information services on regulated trades and professions. For more information, contact an Immigration-Québec service.

Useful links

• Office des professions du Québec
• Conseil interprofessionnel du Québec
  Information on the professional system in Québec and the Professional Code.
• Office québécois de la langue française
  Information on certificates and examinations to evaluate French language knowledge.
• Les Publications du Québec
  Free access to laws and regulations on the Internet and sale of printed documents.

The information on this page was current in March 2005. It was obtained from various sources and in no way replaces legislation, policy statements or official programs.