Attn: Canadian Foreign Trained Professionals

CALALILY · Dec 14, 2006

Hello All,

I just happened to pick up the Toronto Star today which had an article on Foreign Trained Graduates of various professions residing in Canada. In this article it said that the Bill has now officially been passed on easing up on foreign trained graduates and making it easier for them to enter into the mainstream via getting their foreign credentials recognised. Did anyone else read this article or come across any information pertaining to this?

I am not sure whether that means that foreign trained professionals can now work without having to go through a lengthy program or is it that credentials can just be easily evaluated and information passed onto everyone as to how to proceed once you are here? Considering that the Bill has now been passed - this means that it is the law. For something to become the law, it has to go through 3 hearings before it actually becomes the law. They have been talking about this for a very long time on the "OMNI Television" News network (the Indian and Chinese News at 8pm every night).

The article said that an office will be set up beginning on Monday December 18, 2006 at Ryerson University, in downtown Toronto. If anyone is interested for themselves or for someone else, please go to Ryerson University on Monday and enquire.

Also, the article said that it might be easier now with this Bill that foreign graduates can work with professionals already practicing here (to act as supervisors). Again, I am not sure whether this means that dentists can actually work on patients per se or not? So, if possible, it might be a worthwhile trip to Ryerson on Monday!

Hope this piece of information has brought a little smile on some peoples' faces.. it just might be the start of a light at the end of our dark and lenghty tunnell.

Regards... 🙂

jayBora · Dec 14, 2006

Great Job calily........God bless ya!!

HYDBDS · Dec 15, 2006

Thanks for the great news... we hope that this is of some benifit to us all who are foreign trained professionals... hope something positive is in store for us all.....

homby81 · Dec 15, 2006

Yup. I just read this article from Torontostar and i've pasted this here. Anyone interested, take a look at this article.

Foreign professionals promised `fair access'
New legislation aims to reduce red tape so highly skilled immigrants can practise
Dec. 14, 2006. 01:00 AM
NICHOLAS KEUNG
IMMIGRATION/DIVERSITY REPORTER

Ontario will open a resource centre Monday to help highly skilled immigrants jump through the hoops required to get into the province's 34 regulated professions, as part of an unprecedented piece of legislation called the Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act.

Bill 124, which passed into law yesterday, aims to ensure that "fair, clear and open" licensing processes are in place among self-governing bodies that guard access to professions including physicians, nurses, engineers, accountants and many others so that foreign-trained professionals trying to return to practice won't be caught up in unnecessary red tape.

"This legislation is long overdue," Ontario Immigration Minister Mike Colle said at a ceremony to mark the bill's passage yesterday. "It will go a long way to ensure that newcomers are a brain gain for Ontario, not a brain waste."

The province plans to appoint a fairness commissioner, whose job will be to audit registration and licensing procedures at the self-regulatory bodies and decide whether an independent tribunal is needed to hear appeals of registration decisions.

Under the law, professional governing groups, often criticized by immigrant advocates as self-serving gatekeepers to their professions, must submit a yearly internal review of their registration decisions. Those that don't comply fully could face court-imposed fines of up to $100,000.

The bill's audit provisions met with muted opposition from some professional bodies, such as the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, which has a tradition of fiercely guarding its independence. But others, such as the Certified Management Accountants of Ontario, jumped on board.

"This legislation, together with the right regulations and the commitment of all regulators, can place Ontario at the forefront of fair access for the internationally trained," said David Hipgrave, president of the accountants group, who plans to travel to India to explore opportunities for expanded programs for prospective CMAs there.

MPP Peter Tabuns (Toronto-Danforth), the NDP's immigration and citizenship critic, cautioned that an independent appeal mechanism must be in place to review cases in which foreign-trained candidates fail to make the mark, to ensure fairness in the accreditation process, which is often "arbitrary, prolonged and expensive."

"This legislation is not a silver bullet, as there is a host of barriers that keep international professionals from working in their fields, such as scarcity of opportunities to get the requisite Canadian experience that both regulatory bodies and employers demand," Tabuns said.

"Instead of passing my amendment on independent appeals, the Liberals passed their amendment to study, again, the topic of independent appeals."

The Access Centre for Internationally Trained Individuals will open its doors at Ryerson University next week, as a one-stop shopping facility to help immigrant professionals seeking information, internships and job-shadowing opportunities.

The centre will provide information on professional standards, licensing and registration procedures, referrals to appropriate professional bodies, and contact and research materials.

CALALILY · Dec 15, 2006

Yes, that is the article I was talking about! Thankyou for posting it..

Regards...

PHDentist · Dec 15, 2006

Does this news apply to Medical Professionals ?

BlueToothHunter · Dec 15, 2006

homby81 said:
Yup. I just read this article from Torontostar and i've pasted this here. Anyone interested, take a look at this article.

Foreign professionals promised `fair access'
New legislation aims to reduce red tape so highly skilled immigrants can practise
Dec. 14, 2006. 01:00 AM
NICHOLAS KEUNG
IMMIGRATION/DIVERSITY REPORTER

Ontario will open a resource centre Monday to help highly skilled immigrants jump through the hoops required to get into the province's 34 regulated professions, as part of an unprecedented piece of legislation called the Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act.

Bill 124, which passed into law yesterday, aims to ensure that "fair, clear and open" licensing processes are in place among self-governing bodies that guard access to professions including physicians, nurses, engineers, accountants and many others so that foreign-trained professionals trying to return to practice won't be caught up in unnecessary red tape.

"This legislation is long overdue," Ontario Immigration Minister Mike Colle said at a ceremony to mark the bill's passage yesterday. "It will go a long way to ensure that newcomers are a brain gain for Ontario, not a brain waste."

The province plans to appoint a fairness commissioner, whose job will be to audit registration and licensing procedures at the self-regulatory bodies and decide whether an independent tribunal is needed to hear appeals of registration decisions.

Under the law, professional governing groups, often criticized by immigrant advocates as self-serving gatekeepers to their professions, must submit a yearly internal review of their registration decisions. Those that don't comply fully could face court-imposed fines of up to $100,000.

The bill's audit provisions met with muted opposition from some professional bodies, such as the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, which has a tradition of fiercely guarding its independence. But others, such as the Certified Management Accountants of Ontario, jumped on board.

"This legislation, together with the right regulations and the commitment of all regulators, can place Ontario at the forefront of fair access for the internationally trained," said David Hipgrave, president of the accountants group, who plans to travel to India to explore opportunities for expanded programs for prospective CMAs there.

MPP Peter Tabuns (Toronto-Danforth), the NDP's immigration and citizenship critic, cautioned that an independent appeal mechanism must be in place to review cases in which foreign-trained candidates fail to make the mark, to ensure fairness in the accreditation process, which is often "arbitrary, prolonged and expensive."

"This legislation is not a silver bullet, as there is a host of barriers that keep international professionals from working in their fields, such as scarcity of opportunities to get the requisite Canadian experience that both regulatory bodies and employers demand," Tabuns said.

"Instead of passing my amendment on independent appeals, the Liberals passed their amendment to study, again, the topic of independent appeals."

The Access Centre for Internationally Trained Individuals will open its doors at Ryerson University next week, as a one-stop shopping facility to help immigrant professionals seeking information, internships and job-shadowing opportunities.

The centre will provide information on professional standards, licensing and registration procedures, referrals to appropriate professional bodies, and contact and research materials.

I doubt if this will ever fly well with the Canadian dental qualification authorities... it all sounds good on paper but no one really puts forward a sound solution. Perhaps the industry will support it; but the combined health professions and the insurance industry may find this very hard to swallow. This has been suggested in New Zealand but didn't get very far.

CALALILY · Dec 16, 2006

Thankyou Jay!
I only posted whatever I came across and deemed useful to those here.

Regards..🙂

jayBora said:
Great Job calily........God bless ya!!

CALALILY · Dec 16, 2006

Hey bluetoothhunter...
well, you never know! i am sure that this is the start of things.. it may jsut be on paper. I am sure that there will be hurdles and complications (as was probably encountered in New Zealand as you said), however, it may be worth ones' time to go to Ryerson and find out for themselves.

Regards... 🙂

BlueToothHunter said:
I doubt if this will ever fly well with the Canadian dental qualification authorities... it all sounds good on paper but no one really puts forward a sound solution. Perhaps the industry will support it; but the combined health professions and the insurance industry may find this very hard to swallow. This has been suggested in New Zealand but didn't get very far.

CALALILY · Dec 16, 2006

Hey PHDentist,

I know that they mention doctors (medical) int he article, but in thenews they have been talking to FTDs as well. they interview a lady on tv as well who graduated from India.
However, that point may need to be clarified..

Regards....🙂

PHDentist said:
Does this news apply to Medical Professionals ?

PHDentist · Dec 17, 2006

CALALILY said:
Hey PHDentist,

I know that they mention doctors (medical) int he article, but in thenews they have been talking to FTDs as well. they interview a lady on tv as well who graduated from India.
However, that point may need to be clarified..

Regards....🙂

Hi Calalily,

It was really kind of you,for this information. Thank you very much. Request you to keep posting on this,

Thanks & Regards,

inquest · Dec 19, 2006

did anyone visit ryerson..any news..?

KAPARK · Dec 21, 2006

inquest said:
did anyone visit ryerson..any news..?

friends
any update on that .
did anyone visit Ryerson?
pl post ur experience.

Attn: Canadian Foreign Trained Professionals

CALALILY

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jayBora

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HYDBDS

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homby81

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CALALILY

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PHDentist

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BlueToothHunter

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CALALILY

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CALALILY

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CALALILY

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PHDentist

New Member

inquest

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KAPARK

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