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If you are a licensed professional such as a doctor, nurse or
accountant, you should apply to the professional associations that set the
standards for licensing in Canada. You can find out how to contact them from
immigrant services societies.
If you are applying for jobs in Canada with a degree from a
foreign university and you find prospective employers asking what the Canadian
equivalent is, it may be useful to get your degree assessed. The Open Learning
Agency (OLA) has a program called Assessment of Foreign Credentials.
This service is for employment only. It is not for universities. There is a fee
and it takes a couple of months to complete the process. You can get more
information about this program by calling the Open Learning Agency at 431-3000
in the lower mainland or toll-free at 1-800- 663-1678.
Generally, foreign degrees are valued less than Canadian degrees
so it may not be a good idea to get your degree assessed unless employers want
it.
Family
adjustments
Going back to school means a lot of adjustments. It
is important to have the support of your family and to make sure you are not
doing all the homemaking as well. Think about both your short-term and
long-term goals. While going through this challenging process you will probably
experience many personal and family changes. The dynamics in your family will
probably change, especially the roles and expectations of husband and wife.
Talking to a counsellor might help, especially one who understands your culture
and speaks your language. Counsellors always keep these conversations
confidential. See The miracle minute (page 18) for
ideas about how other women made these adjustments.
Remember, you're not alone. Building support for yourself and
talking to someone helps. In the following chapter you will read about Sushila,
an immigrant woman from Fiji whose strength and persistence helped her find her
place in this new country.
Contacts in the lower mainland:
Immigrant and Visible Minority Women of BC
Vidya
Sharma, Box 38601, 121 First St. East,
North Vancouver V7L 4T7 . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .941-6427
Immigrant Services Society of BC
#501-333 Terminal
Ave.
Vancouver V6A 2L7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . .684-2561
MOSAIC
1720 Grant St. Vancouver V5L 2Y6 . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .254-9626
OASIS (Orientation Adjustment
Services for Immigrants Society)
Vancouver . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324-8186
Surrey . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .590-4622
SUCCESS (United Chinese Community
Enrichment Services
Society)
Vancouver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 684-1628/324-1900
Richmond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273-9878
Burnaby/Coquitlam . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .936-5900
Surrey-Delta Immigrant Services
13719-72nd Ave.
Surrey V3W 2P2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 597-0205
For reference books helpful to immigrant women see Other resources (page 51). |