Assessment of International Applicants
NOTICE OF APPLICATION SYSTEM CLOSURE:
NEW Applicant Portal Instructions
International Assessment Application Instructions
Introduction
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.
Please note: Applicants seeking licensure/registration/certification in Ontario and New Brunswick need to contact the provincial paramedic regulator for those jurisdictions.
For information to be assessed at the Emergency Medical Responder or Critical Care Paramedic level, or inquiries related to the assessment process for non-paramedics, individuals are required to contact the provincial paramedic regulator of the province he/she is seeking registration/licensure/certification in.
COPR’s assessment process consists of four steps. Upon completion of those steps, COPR will provide a summary of assessment findings, and a 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. For more information on provincial regulatory requirements click here. Note – Due to circumstances surrounding COVID-19 some provincial paramedic regulators may have put their assessment processes on hold.
COPR Assessment of International Applicants Handbook
The COPR Assessment of International Applicants Handbook offers candidates detailed information regarding the following assessment application process:
- Initial Application Requirements
- Competency Self-Assessment Tool
- Eligibility Assessment Application Requirements
- Examinations
- Application File Review
- Fees
- Translation of Documents
- Next steps
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.
- Applicant portal questions? Review the troubleshooting guide.
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/submit the following documentation:
- Course outlines or curriculums
- Verification of Currency in Practice
- Credential Authentication Report
- Language Proficiency Requirements
- Letter of Regulatory Standing (if applicable)
- Verification of Employment (if applicable)
- Curriculum Vitae (resume)
- To verify regulatory standing and/or employment, the following electronic forms must be completed and submitted directly to COPR by the regulator and/or employer. For those having trouble accessing the electronic forms, please have the regulator and/or employer email or mail a letter of standing to COPR.
- All documents must be translated and uploaded/submitted in English or French dependent on the jurisdiction the applicant is seeking registration/licensure/certification in. For more information click on the Assessment of International Applicants Handbook.
- It is important to provide all of the information requested, as only fully completed applications can be processed. You can move between questions and upload documents as they become available. You can save your work at any time and come back to it later.
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 Quebec 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.
Assessment Fees
- Initial application fee – $100 (Note: This fee is non refundable)
- Eligibility assessment application fee – $600
- Examination:
- COPR Examination $650
- Quebec Examination $0
COPR payments can be made online using VISA or MasterCard.
It should be noted that paramedic regulators also levy a fee to applicants to complete respective provincial regulatory requirements. Those fees can be found by using the Cost Estimator.