Canada to launch $97 million fund to speed up foreign credential recognition in key sectors

Canada’s upcoming federal budget (2025) will include creation of a ‘Foreign Credential Recognition Action Fund’, a $97 million initiative spread over five years.At present several immigrants with foreign degrees and professional licenses have to take up menial jobs, which include driving buses, while they wait endlessly for their credentials to be recognized.

“The government will work with the provinces and territories to make credential recognition fairer, faster, and more transparent, helping qualified foreign-trained professionals contribute more quickly to Canada’s workforce, including in fields facing labour shortages such as health care and construction,” states a release issued by the Ministry of Finance and National Revenue. It adds that the funding will be sourced from existing departmental resources.The budget is to be tabled on Nov 4. The focus is on investments to boost the economy, empower workers, create high-paying careers, and protect and support those most affected by trade disruptions.However, with the announcement of a fund to recognize foreign credentials, immigration experts state that the role played by immigrants has not been disregarded. At present a ‘Foreign Credential Recognition Program’ exists, but the $ 97 million action fund is more focused on specific industries and is expected to reduce licensing wait times enabling thousands of immigrants to work in their specialized fields at the earliest.