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Agency: International Qualifications Assessment Services (IQAS)

Alberta, Saskatchewan

The International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) assesses educational qualifications for immigrants in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The results of an IQAS assessment are provided in evaluation reports.
The evaluations are expert opinions for information purposes only and are not binding. However, you may find them useful in applying for employment, an adult education program, or becoming a member of certain professions. You must complete an IQAS Application Form for credential evaluation. You can obtain your assessment before you leave your home country or after you arrive in Canada. For more information visit www.learning.gov.ab.ca/iqas

Below are documents you should obtain from your home country for assessment of your educational qualifications by IQAS. Licensing and other occupational bodies may have additional requirements. Be sure to check for these requirements by selecting your occupation and province in this Document Information Tool or by visiting the relevant licensing body’s website. You may want to print this page.
Original documents issued by educational institutions in the original language are required for an IQAS assessment. IQAS will conduct assessments using “certified” copies of documents in some circumstances, but it will be clearly indicated on assessment certificates that the evaluation was based on copied documents. If you use “certified” copies for assessment and translation, both sides of each page should be copied.
A complete additional set of photocopies of all educational documents must also be submitted to IQAS.

Document Translations

All documents must be translated word for word into English and submitted in the same format as the original documents. Translations may be conducted by certified or non-certified translators in Canada or in your home country. IQAS will review the translations and decide if they are satisfactory. You may provide translators with copies of documents. To contact translators go to www.translationscanada.ca or www.learning.gov.ab.ca/iqas/Trans-Services.asp.

To Obtain an IQAS Credential Assessment:

IQAS has several types of assessment. To obtain an IQAS assessment of your credentials you will be required to submit the following documents:

  1. Original education degrees, diplomas, or certificates.
  2. Original transcripts, marksheets, or grade reports. Certified copies may be accepted in some circumstances but when these are used, it will be noted on the IQAS assessment certificate. IQAS may still ask for original documents as work is done on your assessment. These will be returned to you with your completed IQAS assessment.
  3. Registration and license certificates that authorize you to practice your profession/trade (e.g. medicine, accounting, dentistry, nursing, midwifery, pharmacy, teaching, etc.)
  4. Proof of name change: if the name you are using is different from the name on your educational documents (for example, following marriage), you must send a photocopy of your proof of name change (such as a marriage certificate or record of landing).
  5. Other documents that help to explain your entire formal educational history.
    If you are applying for an Assessment for Educational Institutions, secondary or high school transcripts are required in addition to university/college documents.
    If you are applying for a Description of Course Work Assessment, official documents showing the number of hours, or credits of course study that you have completed are also required.

To Apply for Employment

There are many agencies in Alberta and Saskatchewan that can help you find employment in your field or in other occupations if you are not able to practice your current occupation. To assist you with this, we also recommend that you obtain the following documents from your home country and arrange for their translation into English:

  1. Certified copies of previous job descriptions and other documentation that presents details of your past work experience and knowledge.
  2. Copies of detailed courses descriptions of non-degree courses previously taken at college and university.
  3. Documents that describe courses you took through work or in the community.
  4. Documents that describe community organizations that you did volunteer work with and descriptions of your volunteer duties.
  5. Original letters of reference from previous employers and community organizations for whom you did volunteer work.
  6. A resume prepared in a style consistent with Canadian business practices.
  7. Samples of your work.

Prepared by the Canadian Institute for Recognizing Learning (CIRL), March 2004