Legislation coming to help B.C. newcomers get professional accreditation, Eby says
Posted October 10, 2023 3:39 pm.
Last Updated October 10, 2023 4:29 pm.
Professionals moving to Canada say it can take many years, tens of thousands of dollars, and immeasurable stress to become accredited in this country.
This is what frustrated newcomers told Premier David Eby Tuesday morning at a town hall event about fair credential recognition for those who received training outside of Canada.
Eby says the situation is unacceptable and the provincial government is introducing new legislation this month to simplify and speed up the process of recognizing accreditation, but no details have been released yet.
“There’s a gap between bringing people to Canada, wanting them to come to British Columbia, and their ability to actually get to work and to use those skills,” he said.
“All kinds of barriers, everything from English tests to requirements of Canadian work experience, all kinds of different things that don’t actually improve the level of services we get in the province, don’t actually ensure that our high standards are met.”
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Eby said the upcoming legislation will help regulatory bodies speed up the process for all professionals, regardless of where they were trained.
Sarah Montazer Hojat, a dentist accredited in the Philippines who spoke at the event, says it takes three to five years, up to $50,000, and a lot of waiting to work as a dentist here.
“We do the job, we do the studying, we do the practising,” Montazer Hojat said. “I feel like it’s not fair to us to not even have the opportunity to show that we are competent.”
She says she’s working as a dental assistant until she is cleared to work as a dentist, but she says that covers just a portion of her costs.
Eby says a new provincial superintendent overseeing the processes will aim to identify inefficiencies and help people navigate the steps.
