Assessment of International Applicants

Handbook

Assessment of International Applicants l Handbook Page 1

Table of Contents

Overview of COPR Assessment Process ...................................................................................................... 2

Step 1 - Initial Application Form.................................................................................................................. 4
Government Issued Photo Identification .................................................................................... 4
Step 2 - Competency Self-Assessment Tool ................................................................................................. 4
Step 3 - Eligibility Assessment..................................................................................................................... 5
Language Proficiency Requirements ........................................................................................... 5
Credential Authentication ........................................................................................................... 6
Course Outline and/or Curriculum .............................................................................................. 7
Verification of Education ............................................................................................................. 7
Currency in Practice..................................................................................................................... 7
Verification of Employment ........................................................................................................ 8
Letter of Regulatory Standing ..................................................................................................... 8
Curriculum Vitae (CV) .................................................................................................................. 8
Step 4 - Examination .................................................................................................................................. 8
Next Steps Following COPR Assessment ..................................................................................................... 8
Assessment Fees ........................................................................................................................................ 8
Translation of Documents .......................................................................................................................... 9

Overview of COPR Assessment Process

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In Canada, provincial paramedic regulators have the legislated authority to grant registration/licensure/certification to
individuals to practice as paramedics. These regulators utilize the Canadian Organization of Paramedic Regulators
(COPR) to assist them in assessing credentials of international applicants prior to those applicants completing provincial
regulatory requirements. COPR will assess at both the Primary Care Paramedic and Advanced Care Paramedic levels.

COPR’s assessment process consists of four steps. Upon completion of those steps, COPR will provide a summary of
assessment findings, and recommendation of practice level equivalency, to the respective provincial paramedic
regulator for consideration. Applicants will then be contacted by the regulator regarding completion of provincial
regulatory requirements. It should be noted that regulatory requirements differ in each provincial jurisdiction.

Steps to Complete the COPR Assessment Process:

Step 1 Complete the Initial Application Form

The online initial application form is used for providing demographic information and to create a COPR “account”.

Applicants will be required to upload two forms of government issued, notarized identification.

Step 2 Complete the Competency Self-Assessment Tool within your account.

A scoring scale is included as a pre-assessment tool to assist international applicants in determining their readiness for
registration/licensure/certification in Canada at the Primary Care or Advanced Care Paramedic level. The tool is based
on the 2011 National Occupational Competency Profile (NOCP) for Paramedics working in Canada.

Step 3 Complete the Eligibility Assessment Application Form within your account.

This step requires the applicant to identify the province for which they wish to apply for
registration/licensure/certification.

Applicants will be required to upload the following documentation/information:

• Proof of Language Proficiency

• Credential Authentication Report
• Course Outlines or Curriculums
• Verification of Currency in Practice
• Verification of Education
• Verification of Employment (if applicable)
• Letter of Regulatory Standing (if applicable)
• Curriculum vitae (CV)

All documents must be translated and uploaded in English or French. The type of language is dependent on the
province that the applicants is seeking registration/licensure/certification (see more information in the translation
section on page 9).

It is important to provide all information requested, as only fully completed applications can be processed. Applicants
can move between questions and upload documents as they become available. Applicants can save their work at any

time and come back to it later.

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Step 1 - Initial Application Form
The online initial application form is used for providing demographic information and to create a COPR “account”.

Applicants are required to upload two forms of government issued, notarized identification.

Government Issued Photo Identification

Identity documents must be “notarized”, i.e., copies of original documents must be signed, dated, and complete with
the applicant’s and appropriate official’s signature as described below. COPR does not accept original identity
documents in Canada, notarized copies must be prepared by a notary public or a lawyer. A notary public is an officer
who attests or certifies writings to make them authentic. Outside of Canada, notarized copies must be prepared by a
government-approved official.

Applicants must be in attendance with the notary at the time the original documents are copied and certified as true
copies.

A notary must apply his/her official signature and seal to each reviewed document, include their address and phone
number, declare in a written statement that they have seen the original documents, made the copies, can certify that
they are true copies, and confirm that they, as individuals, are not in any way related to the applicant.

Applicants are responsible for all fees related to preparation of notarized documents. Copies of expired identification
documents will not be accepted. At least one form of identification must contain a current photo of the applicant.

Acceptable forms of photo identification include:

• Passport
• Driver’s licence
• Other government-issued identification

Other acceptable forms of identification include:

• Birth certificate
• Legal name change affidavit
• Marriage certificate
• Divorce decree (Decree Absolute)

COPR will confirm that all names on the identification documents match. If the names do not match, applicants will
need to send supporting documents to explain why.

Step 2 - Competency Self-Assessment Tool

The competency self-assessment tool can be accessed within the applicant portal. The purpose of the tool is to assist
international applicants in determining their readiness for registration/licensure/certification in Canada at the Primary
Care or Advanced Care Paramedic level. Following completion of the competency self-assessment applicants can
decide if they want to proceed with the eligibility assessment or discontinue their application. The tool is based on the
2011 National Occupational Competency Profile (NOCP) for Paramedics working in Canada.

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The NOCP competencies provide a common way to describe paramedic practice requirements in most Canadian
provinces.

The NOCP describes eight (8) general competency areas as follows:

1. Professional Responsibilities
2. Communication
3. Health and Safety
4. Assessment and Diagnostics
5. Therapeutics
6. Integration
7. Transportation
8. Health Promotion and Safety

The eight (8) areas are further broken down into more specific competencies and sub-competencies. As individuals
complete the self-assessment, he/she will be asked to compare their current knowledge, skills, and judgement to the
requirements of the specific licence level they are seeking.

Step 3 - Eligibility Assessment

This step requires the applicant to identify the province for which they wish to apply for
registration/licensure/certification.

Applicants are required to obtain the following documentation/information:

• Proof of Language Proficiency

• Credential Authentication Report
• Course Outlines or Curriculums
• Verification of Currency in Practice
• Verification of Education
• Verification of Employment (if applicable)
• Letter of Regulatory Standing (if applicable)
• Curriculum Vitae

All documents must be translated and uploaded in English or French; the language used in the province in which the
applicant is seeking registration/licensure/certification in (more information can be found in the translation section on
page 9).

It is important to provide all information requested, as only fully completed applications can be processed. Applicants
can move between questions and upload documents as they become available. Applicants can save their work at any
time and come back to it later.

Language Proficiency Requirements

An applicant must verify that he/she can listen, speak, read, and write in English or French. Language is dependent on
the province that the applicants is seeking registration/licensure/certification in. All provinces except for Quebec and
New Brunswick require proficiency in English. Quebec requires proficiency in French and New Brunswick accepts
proficiency in both English or French. Verification of language proficiency can be
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demonstrated by successfully meeting one of the following test requirements (below). Results must be uploaded to
the applicant portal and can’t be older than six months old at the time of application.

Applicants are responsible for any costs involved in the translation process.

English
Test of International CANTEST Canadian Canadian
English as a English Academic Language
Foreign Language English Benchmark
Language Testing System Language (CLB)
(TOEFL) (IELTS) (CAEL)
Academic
and/or
General
Listening 24 Listening 7 Listening 5 Listening 80 Listening 9
Speaking 24 Speaking 7 Speaking 4.5 Speaking 70 Speaking 8
Reading 22 Reading 7 Reading 4.5 Reading 70 Reading 8
Writing 20 Writing 7 Writing 4 Writing 70 Writing 8
Overall 90 Overall 5 Overall 70 Overall 8

French

TESTCAN Test De Français Test D'Evaluation de Français

International (TFI) (TEF)
Listening 5 Listening 410 Overall 5
Speaking 4.5 Speaking 410
Reading 4.5 Reading 400
Writing 4 Writing 400
Overall 5 Overall 810

If an applicant’s first language is either English or French, he/she may not have to complete language testing however
must live and work in an area where English or French is the primary language and must have completed a paramedic
education program in one of these two languages. Online and distance education programs are not accepted.

Credential Authentication

Applicants are required to have their credentials assessed by one of the following approved agencies: World Education
Services (WES) or the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS). Contact information for both
agencies is included below.

If WES and ICAS are unable to perform a credential review on your education, please contact COPR to determine next

steps at [email protected].

Specific reports are required based on the applicants chosen agency:

• WES - International Credential Advantage Package (ICAP) report

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 • ICAS - Postsecondary Comprehensive Assessment Report (also known as a postsecondary course-by-course
assessment)
The purpose of the credential evaluation is to identify and describe:

• The name of the credential

• The program length
• Equivalency
• A list of all courses completed at the post-secondary level
• Authentication

Note that processing times vary and can take up to 25-30 weeks following submission of the required documentation.

WES/ICAS require applicants to pay a fee to have their credentials assessed. This fee is the responsibility of the
applicant.

World Education Services

2 Carlton Street, Suite 1400
Toronto, Ontario M5B 1J3
Canada
Telephone: (+1) 800.361.6106
Fax: (+1) 416.972.9004
www.wes.org/ca

ICAS of Canada
100 Stone Road West, Suite 102
Guelph ON N1G 5L3
Canada
Telephone: 519-763-7282
Toll Free in Canada: 1-800-321-6021
Fax: 519-763-6964
www.icascanada.ca

Course Outline and/or Curriculum

COPR requires a copy of the applicant’s paramedic education course outline and/or curriculum. These documents can
be submitted to COPR by WES and/or ICAS as part of the Credential Authentication Report or uploaded to the member
portal by the applicant.

Verification of Education

A copy of the applicant’s certificate, diploma and/or degree, specific to paramedicine, must be uploaded in the
applicant portal.

Currency in Practice

Applicants are required to demonstrate currency in paramedic practice. Applicants who have not practiced as a
paramedic within the previous twelve months and/or completed a paramedic educational program within the previous
twelve months may need to meet additional requirements based on the jurisdictional regulator in order to become
eligible for registration/licensure/certification.
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Verification of Employment

If the applicant is, or has been, employed as a paramedic in the previous twelve months, his/her employer must
complete the online verification of employment form that can be found on the COPR website or by clicking here.

Letter of Regulatory Standing

If an applicant is licensed/registered/certified in their home jurisdiction, he/she must have their regulatory authority
complete a letter of good standing. The online Regulatory Standing form can be found on the COPR website or by
clicking here.

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Applicants are required to submit a CV that details professional and academic history. If an applicant has practiced as a
paramedic, the CV shall include a list of duties performed in the practice environment.

Step 4 - Examination
Upon completion of steps 1-3, applicants will be advised regarding next steps involving completion of an examination.
Applicants pursuing registration/licensure/certification in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Prince
Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador are required to complete the COPR examination. Applicants pursuing
registration/licensure/ certification in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, are required to complete the approved
provincial examination, as per jurisdictional requirements. Applicants pursuing registration/licensure/certification in
British Columbia will be advised of next steps and may be required to complete the COPR examination.

Next Steps Following COPR Assessment

Following the assessment, COPR will provide a summary of the findings, and a recommendation of practice level
equivalency, to the provincial paramedic regulator (as identified by the applicant in the Eligibility Assessment
Application). Applicants will be contacted by the regulator regarding completion of any provincial regulatory
requirements. It should be noted that regulatory requirements differ in each provincial jurisdiction.

Assessment Fees
• COPR Application fee - $100

• COPR Eligibility Assessment Application Fee - $600

• Examination
o COPR Examination $650
o Ontario Examination $250

o Quebec Examination $0

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 o New Brunswick Examination $600
• Applicants will be subject to additional fees for language testing, credential authentication and where
applicable, translation of documents. These fees are the responsibility of the applicant and are in addition to
the COPR assessment fees.

COPR payment can be made online in the applicant portal using VISA or MasterCard.

An estimate of fees can be found by using the Cost Estimator on the COPR website (www.copr.ca).

Translation of Documents
If any of the required documents are written in a language other than English or French applicants must include a
translated copy into either English or French. Language is dependent on the province that the applicant is seeking
registration/licensure/certification in. All provinces except for Quebec and New Brunswick require documents in
English, Quebec requires documents in French and New Brunswick will accept documents in English or French.
Applicants are responsible for any costs involved in the translation process.

Translations can be done by a source agency (for example, a school or licensing authority) or by a certified translator
and must include:

• The translator’s official stamp and/or identification number, address, phone number, and the date of
translation.
• A statement by the translator that it is a true representation of original document(s).
• The printed name and original signature of the translator.

COPR will not accept documents translated by either the applicant or anyone related to the applicant.

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