The Non-Accreditation of Immigrant Professionals in Canada: Societal Dimensions of the Problem (1999)

What is this research about?

This paper explores issues related to the problem of the non-accreditation of foreign-trained professionals in Canada. It touches on the major societal impacts of the problem plus the stages and barriers in the immigrant accreditation process. It also examines some policy initiatives presently being undertaken by the major stakeholders such as provincial and federal governments, post-secondary educational institutions, professional bodies and employers

What did the researchers find?

The paper offers four policy elements to deal with this issue in Canada:

1. Creating more multi-partner projects - dealing effectively with the problem means developing more multi-partner policy strategies aiming at dismantling major barriers present in the accreditation process of immigrants.
2. Minimizing "statistical” discrimination problems - An adequate standardization of educational credentials and better data banks, alone, will not solve the immigrant accreditation issue in Canada. The will, however, minimize the risks of under-evaluations of foreign academic credentials.
3. Abolishing exclusionary procedures and practices - These barriers are systemic ones and should be treated as such. Policies aimed at reforming accreditation processes and changing the institutional "ethos" require implementing some form of corporate change and institutional re-structuring.
4. Confronting prejudice directed at applicants - Impartiality in the credential assessment is seen as an impossible outcome in the current conditions of a "discriminatory" Canadian labour market. To deal with these types of barriers there must be a concentrated policy effort using, perhaps, using employment equity approaches or human rights legislation as enforcement mechanisms.