POR Registration #: 039-10
Contract #: G9178-100004/001/CY
Contract Date: Sept. 24, 2010
Prepared for:
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
nc-por-rop-gd@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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March 2011
HRSDC and CIC identified a need to further explore the issue of Foreign Credential Recognition (FCR) with the intention of better understanding the needs of newcomers to Canada and of employers, as well as awareness, perceptions and opinions among the general population. Through a better understanding of the issues at hand the Government of Canada hopes to better enable newcomers, employers, and other stakeholders of interest to work collaboratively to fill shortages in skilled labour and ensure the strength of the Canadian economy.
The research program consisted of three components: a quantitative telephone survey of the general public, qualitative focus group research with newcomers, and qualitative in-depth interviews with employers:
The cost of the research was $115,675 (HST excluded).
Some topics were specific to a target group, while some others were addressed to more than one target group. Accordingly, the topic headings below indicate the relevant target group(s).
Compared to their views on the number of immigrants generally, Canadians are substantially more likely to feel there are “too few” skilled immigrants coming to Canada: 11% feel there are “too few” immigrants generally coming to Canada, but this increases to 34% for skilled immigrants. Overall, in the case of the number of immigrants generally, the majority (58%) feel the number is either “about right” or “too many”, while in the case of skilled immigrants specifically, the majority (74%) feel the number is either “about right” or “too few.”
The majority of Canadians (73%) believe bringing in skilled immigrants has a positive impact on Canada’s economy. Among the balance, 11% believe the impact is neither positive nor negative, and only 13% perceive the impact as negative.
Among those who perceive the impact as positive, the top three reasons are: fill labour shortages, having a skilled labour force is important for the economy, and skilled immigrants are able and willing to work. Among those who perceive the impact as negative, the main reason is a belief priority should be put on opportunities for people already living in Canada. It should be noted this concern arises in the context of some other questions in the survey as well, and is probably the key risk factor in communications about steps being taken to assist skilled immigrants with integration into the labour force – that is, will the actions be perceived as occurring at the expense of opportunities for people already living in Canada.
The large majority of Canadians (77%) agree that skilled labour shortages have an impact on Canada’s overall economic prosperity. Just over half of Canadians (56%) believe in putting a priority on bringing in skilled immigrants to address labour shortages, although about one-third (34%) disagree with doing this.
Just over half (54%) of Canadians claim to be aware that most of Canada’s net labour force growth in the future will come from immigration.
A large majority of Canadians (85%) somewhat or strongly support increasing the number of internationally trained health care professionals in order to address labour shortages in this sector. Only 9% tend to oppose this. Those opposed do so primarily because they believe priority should be on employment in the health care sector for people already living in Canada.
Approximately one in five Canadians (21%) recall stories about problems with the standard of care provided by internationally trained health care professionals. Those who claim to have seen such stories are less likely to support bringing in more internationally trained health care professionals, although it is still the case that a majority support this initiative. Among those who have seen stories, 75% supporting bringing in more internationally trained health care professionals, compared to 87% among those who have not seen such stories.
The large majority of participants expected some difficulty or delay in getting a job in their field, but not nearly as much difficulty or time as they actually experienced. The fundamental basis for this optimism was their level of education and work experience before coming to Canada. All had postsecondary degrees and typically also had 5 to 15 years experience working in their field prior to coming to Canada. With this type of background, they felt qualified to work in their field and essentially expected to be able to continue to do so in Canada without too much difficulty or delay. Another contributing factor some mentioned was how they interpreted the skilled worker point system: they assumed that since they had received the requisite points to be accepted into Canada that this meant they were judged as suitable for working in Canada.
Those expecting to start looking for work right away do usually look for employment-related information prior to coming to Canada.
The internet is widely used for this purpose and in this sense can be a good communication medium with people planning to immigrate to Canada. Many look at online job sites and at Government of Canada (GC) websites for employment and immigration-related information. However, it appears that usually the GC websites and job sites that people visit do not sufficiently alert newcomers to the barriers and time delays they may face in getting work in their field upon arrival in Canada.
People who make use of or who have access to people with personal knowledge/experience of employment in Canada (e.g., social media sites used by newcomers, friends/family in Canada, immigration consultants) are likely to have a more realistic appreciation of the challenges they may face.
With regard to gathering information related to foreign credential recognition (FCR) prior to arrival in Canada, it is useful to distinguish two groups: nonregulated planning to work, and regulated planning to work.
Nonregulated occupations
Most of the participants who came to Canada planning to work in a nonregulated occupation did not do any FCR-related information gathering prior to coming to Canada, other than some ensuring they had paperwork on their degrees or obtaining letters of reference from employers. Indeed, it appeared that information gathering on this subject simply did not occur to many as something that might be useful or necessary. They typically assumed that the combination of their education and work experience would be sufficient to get a job in their field after a relatively short period of time in Canada.
Newcomers planning to work in nonregulated occupations tend to overestimate or misinterpret the value of the skilled worker point system assessment with regard to ease of getting work in their field. Some interpret this as assurance that their qualifications are judged sufficient for them to get employment in their field.
They may not be aware of the importance to Canadian employers of certifications in some occupations. Some examples mentioned in the focus groups included finance, human resources, and public relations. Participants said they would have liked to have known about this prior to coming to Canada.
Some did not realize that they would likely need to undertake more education in Canada to get work in their field, either because of the need for some sort of certification or to try to make up for lack of Canadian work experience.
Regulated occupations
Across the focus groups we observed a full range of experiences in terms of getting FCR information on regulated occupations prior to arrival in Canada, from those who got virtually no information to those who were given extensive information by a Canadian immigration officer.
Among those who did get at least some information on credential recognition before arrival in Canada, it was common that they did not understand at that time how long and difficult the process would be. The mismatch between expectation and reality was significant, being on the order of multiple years longer than expected. Several (including both the health and engineering fields) spontaneously commented they would not have come to Canada had they known how long the process would take.
With only a few exceptions, participants were able to list a number of benefits to hiring skilled immigrants, with the more commonly mentioned benefits being:
Based on the general public survey, approximately three-quarters (76%) of Canadians are aware some skilled immigrants experience difficulties with FCR, and just over half (56%) perceive these difficulties as having a somewhat or very serious impact on Canada’s economy and society.
The more widely mentioned barriers in the qualitative research with newcomers and employers were the following:
Language proficiency: Language was widely mentioned by newcomers as an issue, but unlike some of the other barriers it was an expected barrier. To varying degrees newcomers knew they would have to improve their English or French language skills, and indeed some came to Canada assuming that for the first year or so they would have to focus primarily on language upgrading.
Among employers, language skills were identified as a major barrier to hiring skilled immigrants, both on a basic communication level and in instances where a job requires interactions with clients or others outside the organization. It can also be a potential safety issue on a construction job site, or when the position involves dealing with patients.
Canadian work experience:Among newcomers, lack of Canadian work experience was very widely perceived as the single most important barrier to getting work in Canada. What is notable is that for many the importance of Canadian work experience relative to foreign education and foreign work experience was unexpected. Participants in this research had a postsecondary degree and typically had 5 to 15 years of relevant work experience: most assumed this would be sufficient for them to get a job in their field, albeit they expected they would probably have to start out at a lower level and work their way back up. Instead, their perception once here and applying for work was that their foreign qualifications “don’t matter”, and that all that matters to employers is having Canadian work experience.
Lack of Canadian work experience was also perceived as a potential barrier by employers, but across the employer participants there was a more nuanced view of the relative importance of this issue than among the newcomers. Among employers, the principal way in which lack of Canadian work experience acts as a deterrent to hiring is the difficulty of evaluating foreign work experience, particularly for employers hiring for positions in nonregulated occupations but also for some employers hiring for regulated occupations. This uncertainty about how to assess foreign work experience confers an advantage to those with Canadian work experience and verifiable references.
However, employers identified factors that can make Canadian work experience either less significant as a deterrent to hiring or more significant. Factors that reduce the deterrent impact of lack of Canadian work experience included:
Factors identified by employers as increasing the deterrent impact of lack of Canadian work experience included:
“Overqualified for the job”:Newcomers generally recognized that they might need to start out at a lower level and work their way back up to the level they had been at before coming to Canada. However, many participants said they had been turned down for lower level jobs in their field because of being “overqualified.” They perceived this to be a vicious circle: their foreign credentials were not viewed as relevant or sufficient for getting jobs close to their skill level, but were used against them when applying for lower skilled jobs in their field. Among the employers there were mixed views on this matter. Some had hired skilled immigrants into lower-skilled positions, and indeed some even commented on the added value these employees bring to the job. However, some were generally opposed to offering positions to overqualified individuals because in their experience such employees tend not to stay with the company or they become dissatisfied with their job.
Importance of networking: Some newcomers said they had not realized the importance of networking for getting jobs in Canada. They said that in their country a person with their level of education and experience would generally at least get an interview, whereas in Canada it appeared to them that what is on the resume matters less than “who you know.” Some noted that networking can be difficult for someone new to the country who does not know anyone.
Importance of Certifications in Some Nonregulated Fields: Some newcomers (e.g., human resources, public relations, finance) said they had not known the importance in Canada of certifications in their field of interest. They discovered this only after arriving in Canada and starting to apply for jobs, and finding out that employers would require a particular certification.
Some barriers particularly mentioned by newcomers in regulated occupations included:
Generally, across all three target groups, awareness of GC actions and initiatives was relatively low.
General Public: In the general public survey, the large majority of Canadians (82%) had not heard anything about what the Government of Canada is doing to help skilled immigrants get their foreign education, credentials or experience assessed or recognized more quickly in Canada. Further, among the relatively small percentage of Canadians who say they have heard the GC is doing something to speed up FCR, there is very little recall of specific initiatives.
The relatively small percentage of Canadians (18%) who say they have heard the Government of Canada is doing something to speed up FCR are not particularly favourable in their evaluation of what the Government is doing. For example, out of the 18%, 10% said the Government should be doing more than it is now. This should also be viewed in the larger context noted above that the large majority of Canadians have not heard of the Government doing anything related to speeding up FCR.
Aided awareness of the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications is relatively low, at 9% of Canadians. Awareness of the Foreign Credentials Referrals Office (FCRO) is also relatively low, at 13%. Note that awareness of the FCRO is higher, at 18%, among people who moved to Canada from another country, and higher still (24%) among the subset who moved to Canada in the past 10 years.
Newcomers: With regard to labour market integration, many participants had gone to a GC website before arrival in Canada, and so had some awareness that the GC provides information related to employment – although they tended to view it as “general” in nature. After arrival in Canada, the focus was more on local ISOs and perhaps provincial resources, and there appeared to be relatively little ongoing use of GC resources directly aside from the Job Bank. In this context, awareness and perception of Government of Canada involvement in labour market integration can perhaps best be described as “vague.” Overall, participants tended to view the GC as involved in promoting labour market integration, but had trouble naming anything beyond the assumption that it, along with the province, provides funding to ISOs and perhaps to some financial assistance programs.
It should be noted that a couple of participants knew of the Working in Canada website and were very positive about the range of information they found on the site. However, most had not heard of it. An implication is that many skilled immigrants might find the website useful if they were aware of it.
Awareness of the GC’s actions on FCR was very low. Only a few participants described the substance of the Pan-Canadian framework when asked what the GC is doing in the area of FCR, and none of the participants recalled hearing of the “Pan-Canadian Framework” in those words.
A few participants in regulated occupations (health care and engineering) mentioned using a GC website for information on FCR, and one cited the actual website address – credentials.gc.ca (the website address of the Foreign Credentials Referral Office). This website was perceived as very helpful, and it enabled these participants to identify/link to specific requirements and programs directly relevant to their profession. However, the issue is that awareness of the website appears to be low. It was more common for those in regulated professions to mention using the website of the relevant regulatory authority for FCR information or a provincial website.
Employers: With only one or two exceptions, all employers who hire for regulated positions said they would look to the regulatory body in their discipline if they needed information. There is little or no awareness of what the Government of Canada (or provincial government for that matter in any jurisdiction) is doing related to foreign credential recognition.
When employers hiring for nonregulated positions were asked what sources of information they use for assessing the qualifications or credentials of skilled immigrants, they invariably said they were not aware of any sources of information to assist employers in this regard. When asked specifically about any resources or assistance from the Government of Canada or their provincial government, none were aware of any such resources related to foreign credential recognition.
All employers were asked their awareness of the Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO), the online guide The Employer’s Roadmap to Hiring Internationally Trained Workers, and the Working in Canada website. Note that none of the employers made reference to any of these resources or tools spontaneously. The majority of employers were not aware of any of these tools and resources.
Newcomers:The most common theme in newcomer suggestions for government action involved addressing the barrier of getting Canadian work experience. Two widely mentioned suggestions were to provide financial subsidies or incentives for employers to hire newcomers for at least limited-term positions, and to communicate with employers to encourage them to hire skilled newcomers. With regard to the latter, there was particular emphasis on conveying the value and relevance of foreign work experience, as participants felt employers do not always understand or appreciate this.
In the area of FCR, there were two main suggestions from newcomers:
Employers: A considerable number of employers said they were uncertain about what assistance the Government of Canada could offer to their company or industry sector specifically related to the foreign credential recognition process, nor did they generally believe any such help is required.
The following needs related to FCR were identified by some employers:
In all three target groups, the majority preferred “qualifications” over “credentials” because they perceived “qualifications” as having a broader meaning encompassing both education and experience. “Credentials” tended to be perceived as more narrowly referring only to diplomas and other formal certifications/licences.
I hereby certify as a Senior Officer of Sage Research Corporation that the deliverables fully comply with the Government of Canada political neutrality requirements outlined in the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada and Procedures for Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research. Specifically, the deliverables do not include information on electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, standings with the electorate or ratings of the performance of a political party or its leaders.
Signed:
Rick Robson
Vice-President
Sage Research Corporation