Assessing Qualifications

Overseas
2
nd
CA-AU Roundtable on Foreign
Qualifications Recognition


Sophia Lowe
Vancouver, March 2013

World Education Services
International not for profit organization, founded in
1974; recognized service of the Ontario government
Provides credential evaluation reports for over 70,000
people annually, 10,000 in Canada
Proprietary data base with information on 40,000
institutions (8,300 universities), and 22,000
precedents for credentials
All reports based on transcripts received from or
verified directly with issuing institutions or
government authority
Free publically available WES Degree Equivalency:
http://www.wes.org/ca/evaluations/preliminary.asp
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2013 World Education Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

Who Uses WES?
Top 7 countries: India,
Philippines, US, UK,
China, Nigeria, Iran
In 2012, 18% applied
from abroad: India,
US, Nigeria, UK, Saudi
Arabia up from 10%
overseas applications
in 2010

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2013 World Education Services, Inc. All rights reserved.
48%
25%
2%
20%
5%
Education Employment Immigration
Licensing Unspecified
2012 Applications by Purpose
Demographic Profile
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2013 World Education Services, Inc. All rights reserved.
23%
4%
53%
4%
1%
15%
Canadian citizen
International
student / scholar
Permanent
Resident
TFW
Refugee
Other/Unknown
3% 4%
3%
52%
31%
7%
High school diploma
or equivalent
Some college, no
degree
Associates degree
Bachelors degree
Masters degree
Doctoral or
professional degree
Highest Level of Education Attained
Immigration Status

Challenges and Issues in FQR (1)
Diversity and jurisdiction of assessment &
recognition
Regulated professions and post-secondary institutions
are under provincial regulation
Duplicate requests for the same documentation is
common
Portability and consistency of assessment/recognition
FQR in unregulated jobs (80% of jobs)

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2013 World Education Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

Challenges and Issues in FQR (2)
Immigration policy changes & trends
Focus on Federal Skilled program
Huge increase in TFWs, international students
New FQR issues: transfer credit, route to PR tied to
FQR, residency requirements for licensure, etc.
Increased privatization/decentralizing of selection and
assessment
role of provinces, employers, post secondary
institutions, assessment bodies

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Overseas Assessment
Selection & Assessment
New FSWP; assessment of language and credentials required, less
value given to work experience
Self-assessments, pre-assessments, overseas assessments for
Regulated Professions
Future EOI model, employer selection overseas

Support & Orientation
Bridging programs & other overseas training (modularized)
Overseas orientation (Canadian Immigrant Integration Project)
Use of technology in service-provision overseas


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2013 World Education Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

Looking Ahead: Overseas Assessment
Encouraging immigrants to start, if not complete the process
of credential assessment, prior to leaving their home country
beyond FSWP
Verifying and storing documents in Canada prior to
departure helps decrease duplicate requests
Improving and harmonizing documentation practices with
overseas assessment
Harmonizing entry to practice requirements for regulated
professions across provinces
Continuing towards improved inter-provincial labour mobility
and institutional transfer credit agreements
Increasing need to manage expectations (and public
perceptions)

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Questions?
Sophia Lowe
Manager, Community Engagement
WES Canada

slowe@wes.org
www.wes.org/ca

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2013 World Education Services, Inc. All rights reserved.