New rules to benefit Canada immigrants

By SHIANEE MAMANGLU
February 15, 2010, 5:39pm

Architects, nurses, teachers, and pharmacists are some of the professionals who will benefit from a new Canada framework seeking to ensure a fair and competitive labor market environment for immigrants, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said Monday.

The DoLE said that the government of Canada recently implemented the “Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications,” which is equivalent to credential recognition, allowing for an individuals/immigrants to have their qualifications recognized and be directed toward related occupations commensurate with their skills and experience.

“The new framework will address specific barriers to qualification recognition. This is another good news for Filipinos,'' Director Salome Mendoza, head of the Canada desk of DoLE told the Bulletin.

"The framework will be implemented in eight occupations starting December 31 for the first batch and in six occupations by 2012 for the second batch,'' she added.

She said the first batch of occupations qualified for assessment for credential recognition include architects, engineers, auditors, accountants, medical laboratory technicians, occupation therapists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and nurses.

The second batch of occupations include the dentists, engineering technicians, licensed practical nurses, medical radiation technician, physicians, and teachers (from kindergarten to Grade 12), she said.

Mendoza said that many Filipino immigrants today continue to encounter barriers to the recognition of theirs skills, education and experience due to some countries' occupational regulatory systems.

She said the occupational regulatory systems in Canada were designed to respond only to Canadian-educated applicants, although its government developed some flexibility to accommodate applicants in occupations like education or teaching.

According to Mendoza, the new framework was adopted for the purpose of addressing the current gaps to successful immigrant labor market integration.

Under the Pan-Canadian framework, immigrants looking to enter regulated occupations in Canada will now receive clear information as early as possible on the immigration process, fair treatment during the assessment process and prompt communication of recognition decisions.

The framework's purpose is “to articulate a new, joint vision for governments to take concerted action to improve the integration of immigrants and other internationally-trained workers into the Canadian labour market.''