New initiative helps internationally educated teachers launch their careers in Canadian classrooms

Teachers now have an advantage in immigrating to Canada, but internationally trained teachers can face barriers in becoming certified to teach.

Teaching is a regulated profession in Canada, and the certification process varies by province and territory, with foreign credentials often needing to be assessed for Canadian equivalency.

That’s where a new initiative, launched by Pathways to Teach Canada in partnership with World Education Services (WES), could prove beneficial.

Learn About WES Credential Evaluations

What is Pathways to Teach Canada?

Launched in November 2024, Pathways to Teach Canada is a single entry point for internationally educated teachers interested in teach in participating provinces and territories in Canada.

It helps them become certified by offering a streamlined process for credential and language assessments in participating provinces and territories across Canada:

• British Columbia.
• Manitoba.
• New Brunswick.
• Newfoundland and Labrador.
• The Northwest Territories.
• Nova Scotia.
• Nunavut.
• Prince Edward Island (PEI).
• Saskatchewan.

In Ontario, the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) conducts its own credential assessment.

That said, Pathways to Teach Canada can help by providing the Language Competency Assessment for the Teaching Profession (LCATP). This is one of the approved language proficiency tests by the Ontario College of Teachers.

Those interested in teaching in Alberta, Quebec, or the Yukon must complete their certification process directly with that province or territory’s regulatory body.

How are Pathways to Teach Canada and WES supporting internationally-educated teachers?

Pathways to Teach Canada and WES are committed to supporting internationally educated teachers.

Through their partnership, applicants can initiate both their credential and language assessments using a single portal.

Learn About WES Credential Evaluations

Who is eligible?

Pathways to Teach Canada specifically helps those who have already completed a teacher education program. Those who do not have a teacher education qualification cannot use this service.

Applicants must also

• Be a teacher in one or more academic disciplines (for example, mathematics, English, biology); and
• Not have been previously certified in a province or territory in Canada.

The process

Eligible applicants can request

• A credential assessment; and/or
• A Language Competency Assessment for the Teaching Profession (LCATP).

The specific assessments required depend on the applicant's qualifications and the province or territory to which they are applying.

Different fees apply based on the service(s) requested.

The LCATP test is scheduled directly through the Pathways to Teach Canada account.

For the credential assessment section, international teachers can take advantage of Pathways to Teach Canada’s partnership with WES. When applicants create an account with Pathways to Teach Canada, they will be redirected to the WES website to complete an application and submit additional documents.

After their submitted documents have been evaluated, the applicant will receive a Credential Assessment Report.

Some documentation can be sent by the applicant, whereas other documents may need to come directly from an institution or licensing authority. The particular documents required depend on the country where a teacher is educated and the issuing institution.

After the assessments

Getting certified through Pathways to Teach Canada is a two-step process.

After applicants have completed the assessment portion of their application, they will be able to submit their assessment results directly within the Pathways to Teach Canada portal to the regulatory body of the province/territory in which they want to teach.

After submitting their results, the applicant must apply for certification through the provincial or territorial regulatory body’s website.

Applicants can apply to more than one participating provincial or territorial regulatory body. If they do, additional fees will apply.

Pathways to Teach Canada does not grant certifications itself.

Learn About WES Credential Evaluations

Getting certified as an internationally educated teacher in Canada

Apart from language proficiency and educational credentials, those wanting to teach in Canada must meet other criteria.

Many provinces and territories require candidates to prove that they are of good moral character through academic records, police records, and/or character references.

Some provinces have additional requirements, such as completing additional courses to be certified. For example, in British Columbia (B.C.), those who have completed their teacher education program outside Canada must complete a familiarization course approved by the BC Teachers’ Council.

Some jurisdictions have Catholic school boards in addition to secular ones.

If a teacher wishes to work for a Catholic school board, they are typically required to provide a reference letter from a Catholic priest and meet other faith-based requirements, such as having been baptized and confirmed.

While the process may seem daunting, the partnership between Pathways to Teach Canada and WES presents a streamlined process bringing internationally educated teachers one step closer to their dreams of teaching in Canadian classrooms and contributing to Canada’s education sector.

Who is eligible for Canada’s new Education category?

In 2025, education has emerged as one of the most in-demand sectors in Canada, with the federal government adding it as a new category under Express Entry.

This change means that professionals in the field of education have a better chance of getting Canadian permanent residence (PR) compared to other skilled workers who don’t qualify for any of the in-demand categories.

In order to be eligible for the new Education category, candidates must

• Have at least six months of full-time, continuous work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience) in an eligible occupation accumulated within the past three years; and
• Meet all other requirements in the instructions for that round.

The six months' qualifying work experience must be in a single occupation. For example, a candidate cannot qualify by adding up two months of experience as an elementary school teacher with four months of experience as a secondary school teacher.

On May 1, 2025, IRCC held its first Education category-based selection draw, issuing 1,000 invitations to apply for permanent residence.

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score for the draw was 479.

This is considerably lower than the CRS cut-off for Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws that have taken place in 2025, which have ranged between 521 and 547, as of the time of writing.

Learn About WES Credential Evaluations