Credential recognition of internationally trained dentists in Canada

This paper highlights the changes in the Canadian immigration policies, mainly the point system and the credential recognition of internationally trained professionals in Canada. Focusing on the challenges and barriers they face, the paper examines the role of the government and the regulatory bodies in the foreign credential recognition process. The paper primarily focuses on the licensing process of internationally trained dentists in Canada. Using a survey questionnaire, the study analyses the experience of 52 internationally trained dentists in the GTA who are seeking licensing and the challenges they face in the process.

Credential recognition of internationally trained dentists in Canada

This paper highlights the changes in the Canadian immigration policies, mainly the point system and the credential recognition of internationally trained professionals in Canada. Focusing on the challenges and barriers they face, the paper examines the role of the government and the regulatory bodies in the foreign credential recognition process. The paper primarily focuses on the licensing process of internationally trained dentists in Canada. Using a survey questionnaire, the study analyses the experience of 52 internationally trained dentists in the GTA who are seeking licensing and the challenges they face in the process.

Foreign Credential Recognition and Immigrants’ Chances of Being Hired for Skilled Jobs—Evidence from a Survey Experiment Among Employers

A large body of empirical research has demonstrated that foreign education is a major cause of ethnic disadvantages in the labor market. However, there are few insights into how these disadvantages of foreign training can be effectively countered. To improve skilled immigrants’ access to positions commensurate with their foreign qualifications, several countries have introduced policies to officially recognize foreign educational credentials. In this study, we examine the extent to which having recognized foreign credentials improves immigrants’ chances of being hired. To identify the causal effect of foreign credential recognition on immigrants’ chances of accessing adequate jobs, we focus on employers’ hiring decisions. Using vignettes, we simulate a hiring process and show randomized profiles of applicants to employers who then rate how likely they are to invite the applicants to a job interview. Our central finding is that having recognized foreign credentials considerably narrows but does not completely close the gap in the hiring chances between foreign- and native-trained applicants. Moreover, we find that the extent to which applicants benefit from foreign credential recognition varies with their occupational experience but not with the quality of the educational system in which they were trained. We conclude that whereas foreign credential recognition is a promising tool to highlight immigrants’ skill potential and reduce the disadvantages of the foreign-trained in the labor market, it hardly harmonizes the hiring chances of native- and foreign-trained applicants.

Migrant Social Workers, Foreign Credential Recognition and Securing Employment in Canada

Canada is a culturally diverse receiving country for transnational migration, and social workers are among the professional migrants who arrive in Canada each year. This article draws on findings from a four-year, grounded theory study on the professional adaptation processes and experiences of migrant social workers (n = 66) in the Canadian context. Study findings highlight a range of internal (personal) attributes and external (contextual) elements that interact to serve as either protective or vulnerabilizing factors during the pre-employment phase of professional adaptation. The focus of this article is to describe the interactions of protective and vulnerabilizing factors associated with the experience of obtaining recognition of foreign credentials and securing employment as a social worker in Canada. The findings demonstrate that migrant social workers in Canada face significant barriers in these two pre-employment phases of professional adaptation. A range of research and policy implications is identified. In particular, we highlight the disconnect that exists between Canada’s migration-friendly policies, and the lack of organizational and governmental supports and services to facilitate successful labour market integration of migrant social workers.

A Sustainable Dietetics Bridging Program: Development and Implementation in Atlantic Canada

A provincial focus on immigration and improved foreign credential recognition has led to an investigation of best practices and subsequent recommendations for the development and implementation of a sustainable university-based bridging program for internationally educated dietitians in Atlantic Canada. Data were collected from various sources and used to inform program decisions and direction. An advisory framework was established through a core group representing dietetics education and regulation and internationalization. Subsequently, a key stakeholder group was formed. As a result of this collaboration and research, a dietetics bridging framework was developed and a program pilot tested. Lessons learned may inform similar endeavours and highlight the importance of collaborative leadership and collaboration among multiple stakeholders, and of creatively addressing program sustainability issues while keeping learners (internationally educated dietitians) at the centre.

Match Between Pre- and Postmigration Education among New Immigrants: Determinants and Payoffs

The objective of this paper is to understand the transition between immigrants’ premigration education and their educational trajectories once in Canada, and the return on investment in postmigration education in terms of employment status and earnings. The data come from Statistics Canada’s Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada. Using multinomial logistic regressions and fixed effects regressions, we found that: a third of new immigrants with postsecondary training pursue their education during their early years in Canada; those who are admitted to Canada because of their high levels of skills, namely the principal applicants in the skilled workers category, are more likely to pursue their education; and those who enrol do not see an immediate benefit in terms of their earnings. This is further evidence of the lack of foreign credential recognition in Canada, which delays entry into highly paid occupations and delays full participation in the Canadian economy.