Credential Recognition Service Offices to Address the Professional Equivalency Requirements of Potential Canadian Immigrants Overseas

Citizenship and Immigration Canada will be funding the operation of new offices in China, India, the Philippines and the United Kingdom to address the needs of immigrant professionals to secure their foreign credential assessments prior to their arrival in Canada.

New immigrants indicate that foreign credential recognition is one of their top challenges in integrating in Canada following their arrival. To this end, the Canadian Immigration Integration Project (CIIP), run by the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC), will receive additional funding of $15 million over the next three years to expand their services in India, China and the Philippines. An office will also be opened in the United Kingdom in the fall of 2011, which will address the needs of potential immigrants from various Nordic and Arab states. Further, the Canadian Government has allocated $50M over two years (2009-2010) to ensure that a common approach is established with respect to foreign credential recognition for new immigrants.