Problems acquiring Canadian recognition for qualifications obtained in other countries negatively affect the employment prospects of new immigrants. The licensing bodies of various trades and professions may not accept foreign obtained certification, and employers may have difficulty assessing educational credentials or may undervalue foreign work experience. Unfortunately, these difficulties too often result in an underutilization of immigrant skills.
Higher Levels of Unemployment
Failure to recognize immigrant credentials contributes to higher levels of unemployment. Data from the 1996 Census shows that in Ottawa, recent immigrants aged 25 to 44 with a university degree are four times more likely that their Canadian-born counterparts to be unemployed (17% compared with 4%). Only after a period of 10 years does the unemployment rate among university educated immigrants fall to the same level experienced by the Canadian-born population. While it is reasonable to expect that new immigrants will experience a transitional period of adjustment, the clear policy objective should be to reduce any barriers that unnecessarily prolong labour market integration. Addressing licensing and certification barriers is an important part of achieving this objective.