Funding: Foreign Credential Recognition Projects

Policies and Standards

The Foreign Credential Recognition Program offers financial support for projects that facilitate the assessment and recognition of international credentials.

Read more about foreign credential recognition

Internationally trained workers help fill skills shortages in key occupations and make an important contribution to Canada’s economy. That’s why attracting and retaining the best international talent is critical to Canada’s long-term economic success.

Internationally trained workers can however face barriers to getting a job in Canada, including:

  • Costly, complex and lengthy foreign credential recognition (FCR) processes;
  • Lack of Canadian work experience; and
  • Limited language proficiency and knowledge of Canadian society and culture.

The Government of Canada is committed to streamlining foreign credential recognition so that skilled newcomers are able to find meaningful work that contributes to Canada's economy and overall prosperity.

In regulated occupations (e.g., architects, physicians, dentists), the recognition of foreign credentials is generally undertaken by provincial and territorial regulatory bodies. Non-regulated occupations are professions or trades that do not require a license to practice (e.g. bookkeeper).

Foreign credential recognition is largely an area of provincial and territorial jurisdiction and involves multiple stakeholders: nearly 500 regulatory authorities; several provincially-mandated agencies that evaluate education qualifications; numerous professional associations; post-secondary and vocational institutions; and employers.

The federal government plays a significant role in immigration and ensuring a strong and vibrant economic union. More specifically, it:

  • facilitates national coordination;
  • helps build capacity among provincial and territorial governments;
  • supports stakeholders to lead projects that improve foreign credential recognition processes; and
  • provides individuals with information and targeted financial support.

HRSDC works with Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Health Canada to continually improve FCRThree federal departments work together to continually improve foreign credential recognition and the integration of internationally trained professionals into the labour market. This includes funding for projects that facilitate the assessment and recognition of foreign credentials and services, both domestically and abroad, to assist with settlement and long-term integration in Canada.

Qualified organizations may be eligible for funding for projects that will improve the integration of internationally trained workers into the work force. Projects must facilitate the assessment and recognition of credentials acquired outside of Canada.

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We are accepting applications at this time.

The Foreign Credential Recognition Program (FCRP) works with partners and stakeholders to ensure that foreign credentials are assessed in a fair, consistent, transparent and timely manner across Canada. Through contribution agreements, the FCRP offers financial support to Provincial and Territorial governments and stakeholders including regulatory bodies and national associations for projects that streamline the assessment and recognition of international credentials.

The FCRP does not provide direct financial support to individuals.

Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications

The Framework is a federal-provincial-territorial commitment that establishes a shared national vision and guiding principles to improve the labour market integration of internationally trained professionals.

Under the Framework, regulators and stakeholders are working with governments to ensure that the processes used to assess foreign qualifications adhere to the Framework’s principles of fairness, consistency, transparency and timeliness.

Target Occupations

Governments have agreed to target occupations under the Framework to focus governments’ individual and collective efforts.The current target occupations are:

  • Architects
  • Engineers
  • Financial Auditors and Accountants
  • Medical Laboratory Technologists
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Pharmacists
  • Physiotherapists
  • Registered Nurses
  • Dentists
  • Engineering Technicians
  • Licensed Practical Nurses
  • Medical Radiation Technologists
  • Physicians
  • Teachers (K-12)
Service Standard

Service standard were established so that internationally trained individuals in target occupations can have their qualifications assessed within one year, anywhere in Canada. They may also be advised of additional requirements or be directed to alternative occupations that would benefit from their skills and experience.

The one-year service standard is an example of progress toward a fairer and timelier system for foreign credential recognition.

For more information:

Objectives

The objectives of the Foreign Credential Recognition Program are:

  • To contribute to developing fair, transparent, consistent, and timely foreign credential assessment and recognition processes;
  • To develop and strengthen Canada’s foreign credential assessment and recognition capacity; and
  • To contribute to improving labour market integration outcomes for internationally trained individuals in targeted occupations and sectors.

Funding

The amount of the contribution funding will be determined based on the expected costs of the activities, the demonstrated need of the applicant and the applicant’s ability to undertake the activities. In-kind and financial contributions by applicants are encouraged.

To ensure that your organization and proposed project are eligible for funding, please review the following eligibility criteria before you apply.

Who can apply?

Eligible organizations include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Provincial and territorial government;
  • Regulatory bodies;
  • Professional associations;
  • Industry groups;
  • Public health institutions;
  • Not-for-profit organizations;
  • Sector and cross-sectoral councils;
  • Unions;
  • Municipal governments
  • School boards;
  • Universities;
  • Colleges;
  • CÉGEPs; and
  • Consortia composed of all or some of the aforementioned types of recipient organizations.
  • CÉGEPs; and

Eligible Projects

Priorities for funding under the FCRP include projects that are national in scope, address priority occupations and sectors representing skill shortages in Canada and/or high numbers of immigrants coming to Canada, or have been identified as a priority by provincial and territorial governments. For some national projects, evidence of provincial and territorial involvement and support may be required.

Projects must focus on developing and implementing processes and tools to recognize the credentials of internationally trained individuals or reconciling relevant standards to improve labour mobility in Canada. Activities may include:

  • design and implementation of FCR tools, such as online practice exams and self-assessment tools;
  • partnership development and related implementation activities;
  • development and implementation of Pan-Canadian certification or licensure pathways;
  • implementation of the Pan-Canadian Framework, reporting on its progress and evaluating its impact;
  • research and analysis, planning and process development