Are you an internationally trained teacher looking to advance your career in a country renowned for its outstanding education system? Then Canada is the ideal destination for you. With its welcoming environment and exceptional professional opportunities that will take your teaching career to new heights, Canada welcomes international educators to meet its growing demand for qualified teachers across various provinces and territories, offering them competitive salaries compared to other countries with numerous immigration pathways, such as the Express Entry system and Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).
To successfully transition into the Canadian education system, it’s vital to navigate the country’s educational system, certification, and educational standards for teachers while staying informed about the current immigration policies. This blog will provide a detailed guide on relocating to Canada as a teacher, outlining the requirements, certification standards, and immigration pathways. Whether you’re looking to advance your career or embark on a new journey in life, this comprehensive guide will help you achieve your goals.
Canadian Education System and Professional Requirements for Teachers
Canada’s education system is decentralized, with provinces and territories overseeing their policies and curricula. This generally encompasses early childhood education, primary education (Grades 1-6), secondary education (Grades 7-12, except Quebec, where it concludes in Grade 11 followed by CEGEP), and post-secondary education (including colleges and universities), with English and French being the primary medium of instruction. Kindergarten and elementary school teachers typically need a bachelor’s degree in education and child development. For those aiming to teach at the secondary school level, it is necessary to have a bachelor’s degree in education along with a degree in the specific subject area. Requirements for advanced teaching roles, such as university professor positions, are more stringent, often necessitating a master’s or doctoral degree in the relevant field. As an international teacher, you can integrate into the Canadian education system through the following steps:
#Step 1: Get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)
If you studied outside Canada, you will need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) to review and evaluate your foreign degrees or diplomas to verify that your credentials are valid and equivalent to Canadian standards. You need an ECA to be eligible for the Federal Skilled Workers Program (Express Entry) or to earn points for foreign education; this can only be done by a designated organization or professional body approved by the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) like WES. Your spouse’s education can also earn points if they are accompanying you. Note that If you are a Master’s degree holder, you only need to assess your highest level of education (e.g., Your Master’s degree).
Step 2: Have relevant teaching experience and knowledge of the Canadian curriculum.
Having relevant teaching experience relating to the Canadian educational curriculum and teaching standards can help you adapt faster to Canadian classrooms, increasing your competitiveness for jobs in public and private schools. It can also contribute to you obtaining your provincial teaching certificate if your province considers both prior experience and curriculum knowledge when granting teaching licenses.
#Step 3: Get a proof of proficiency in English or French
In most provinces and territories in Canada, English and French are often used as the medium of instruction, with English being widely used over French in most provinces except Quebec, where French is the primary language of instruction. As an international teacher looking to relocate to Canada, you need to demonstrate proficiency in the language(s) of instruction of the province you intend to work in by having a standard proof of proficiency like IELTS and TEF or any other language test the province you plan to relocate to prefers.
#Step 4: Apply for a provincial teaching certificate and license
Based on your situation, you need to be licensed by a province or territory before you can work as a teacher in Canada. To do this, you must choose the province where you intend to work, be sure your job requires a teaching certificate, and review the province or territory teaching certification requirements from the respective regulatory body. You can apply for certification from your country of residence by submitting your application along with the required documents, including your academic transcripts, ECA, proof of teaching experience, statement of professional standing from your previous employers, and evidence of language proficiency.
Canada’s Immigration Pathways for International Teachers
Canada offers multiple immigration pathways for international teachers looking to establish their careers within its borders. Here are some notable programs to explore:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), managed through Express Entry, is one of the most prominent immigration programs for skilled professionals in Canada. The program is designed for skilled workers who have foreign work experience and want to become permanent residents in Canada. Under the FSWP, eligible skilled professionals are selected based on education, work experience, language proficiency, and additional requirements. Examples of recognized skilled occupations the FSWP recognizes include:
- Managerial and supervisory roles
- Professions that require:
- A university degree
- A college diploma
- Apprenticeship training
Since a teaching profession in Canada requires a university degree or a college diploma, you can immigrate to Canada through the FSWP if you have a degree or a college diploma. To qualify for immigration as a teacher under the FSWP, you must have:
- At least one year of continuous, paid, full-time, or part-time work experience classified under TEER (Training, education, experience, and responsibilities) 0, 1, 2, or 3 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC); your experience must also be within the last 10 years.
- The minimum required scores in an approved English or French language test (e.g., IELTS, CELPIP, PTE core or TEF, TCF) in all four abilities include reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
- A valid educational credential that has been assessed by an approved Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) organization; if you studied outside Canada but if you went to school in Canada, you must have a certificate, diploma, or degree from a Canadian secondary institution (high school) or post-secondary institution
- Proof of sufficient funds to support yourself and your family, except you have a valid job offer.
Other requirements include meeting the minimum score of 67 points out of 100 based on factors such as age, education, work experience, language skills, and adaptability, as well as being admissible to Canada.
- Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP)
The provincial nominee program (PNP) is for workers with the skills, education, and work experience to contribute to the economy of a specific province or territory where they intend to live as permanent residents. The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allows Canadian provinces and territories to nominate individuals for permanent residence based on their skills, work experience, and ability to contribute to the local economy. Each province and territory has its streams targeting groups like students, skilled and semi-skilled workers. To apply through the Express Entry PNP process, you must first meet the eligibility criteria for both the provincial and one of the three Express Entry programs. After creating an Express Entry profile and indicating your preferred provinces, you may receive a nomination from a province. This nomination adds 600 points to your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, significantly boosting your chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence.
For the non-Express Entry PNP process, you must also check the eligibility requirements for the specific province or territory in which you intend to live. After obtaining a nomination by applying directly to the province, you must submit a separate application for permanent residence to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This process is typically longer than the Express Entry system, but it still provides a pathway to permanent residence for those who may not meet Express Entry criteria.
- Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)
The Atlantic Immigration Program provides a pathway to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers and international graduates who studied in Canada and want to live and work in either New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland and Labrador. The Atlantic Immigration Program also helps employers to hire qualified teachers for jobs they can’t fill locally. To qualify for AIP, you must:
- Have a job offer from a designated employer.
- Be a recent graduate from a recognized Atlantic Canadian institution or a skilled worker living outside Canada or in Canada as a temporary resident.
