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Recognition of newcomers' foreign credentials and work experience
Studies by...
By René Houle and Lahouaria Yssaad
Among immigrants who had foreign academic credentials, just over one-quarter (28%) had received recognition for these credentials within 4 years after landing. Foreign work experience was more likely to be recognized as 39% of immigrants with foreign experience had it recognized within 4 years.
Newcomers were most likely to have their work experience recognized within their first 6 months of settlement. The rate of foreign experience recognition dropped in each subsequent period: from 6 to 24 months after landing and from 24 months to 4 years after landing. The likelihood of credentials recognition was similar 6 months and 2 years after landing before falling by one-half after four years of settlement.
Recognition rates for newcomers who landed as skilled-worker principal applicants (selected for their labour market attributes) were higher than for any other immigrant group. These newcomers were also most likely to have their credentials and work experience recognized (39% and 56% respectively) after controlling for the effect of other individual characteristics.
Four years after landing, newcomers with university degrees had a 43% likelihood of having their work experience recognized and a 29% likelihood of having their education credentials recognized.
Newcomers who had completed their highest level of education or worked in the United States or the United Kingdom prior to landing were most likely to have their credentials and work experience recognized after controlling for the effect of other characteristics.
Having a pre-arranged job at landing was the strongest correlate of work experience recognition: the predicted percentage of newcomers with pre-arranged employment who had their work experience recognized was 87%, compared to 42% for those without such an arrangement and 56% for those who were selected as skilled-worker principal applicants.
The predicted percentage of newcomers with a pre-arranged job who had their credentials recognized was also significantly higher (40%) than for those who did not have pre-arranged employment (29%).
