Employers Frequently Asked Questions

Labour mobility allows certified workers, such as electricians, teachers, and accountants, to practice their regulated occupation anywhere they can find job opportunities in Canada.

According to the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), certified workers in one province or territory must generally, upon application, be certified in another province or territory without any requirements for additional material training, experience, examination or assessment of qualifications. In some cases, additional material requirements for specific occupations have been approved by a government and publicly posted.

A government may only approve and post additional material requirements for an occupation if the purpose is to achieve a legitimate labour mobility objective, such as public safety or consumer protection. A government seeking to impose the additional requirements must identify material differences in education, training or experience that would lead to a recognized gap in skills, knowledge, or ability. The additional requirements will close the gap and allow workers to operate competently and safely in their receiving province or territory.

For general information on certification requirements and timelines, contact the regulatory authority for your occupation in your province or territory.

For other information about labour mobility contact the Labour Mobility Coordinator in your province or territory.

1. All certified workers in regulated occupations (who may also be referred to as regulated, registered, or licenced workers).
2. Workers in trades that require a trade certificate, including Red Seal trades. Note that some provinces and territories allow workers in trades to use the trade certificate from their home province or territory. Contact the regulatory authority to see if you can use the certificate of qualification from your home province or territory for that trade in your new jurisdiction.
3. Holders of a non-compulsory or voluntary certification from organizations recognized by provincial or territorial governments.
4. Internationally trained workers who have been certified in a Canadian province or territory.

Labour mobility under the CFTA does not cover the following:

1. Workers in non-regulated occupations (actors, university lecturers, etc.). If you work in a non-regulated occupation and move to another jurisdiction where a similar occupation is not regulated, you will not need to obtain a licence.
2. Workers who are not yet certified or are in the process of becoming certified. Examples include apprentices, interns, articling students, or other similar categories.
3. International workers who are not yet certified to work in a regulated occupation in a Canadian province or territory. These workers must be certified in a Canadian jurisdiction before becoming eligible for labour mobility. Requirements for certification vary across occupations and regulatory authorities, and may involve qualification reassessment and exams or additional training, work experience and assessment.

For more information about apprenticeship mobility please see the Provincial-Territorial Apprentice Mobility Protocol.

Regulatory authorities are responsible by law for defining what can and cannot be done as part of a regulated occupation. Their main role is to ensure public safety and consumer protection, as well as maintain the occupation’s integrity. Each province or territory is responsible for adopting the occupational standards they believe best protect the public interest.

Regulatory authorities determine occupational standards for entry to practice and post certification requirements. This means they determine the knowledge, skills and abilities a certified worker needs for a specific occupation.

For many occupations, the authority to regulate has been delegated from governments to a non-governmental entity, such as a self-regulating “College,” a professional “Order” or a similar organization or association.

Some occupations are directly regulated by federal/provincial/territorial government departments, and/or independent agencies which may or may not share responsibility for regulating these occupations with government departments. The responsibilities of a regulatory authority are set in legislation.

As an employer, you can:

1. Contact your province/territory’s regulatory authority to determine the application and certification requirements and timelines for becoming certified as a labour mobility applicant – i.e., out-of-province or territory certified worker.
2. Determine if any additional requirements for out-of-province/territory workers exist in the relevant occupation.

You can check with the relevant regulatory authority on their requirements for upgrading or ongoing professional development for their members. These requirements apply only once workers are certified in a jurisdiction, but not upon initial labour mobility certification. They can include continuing education, professional development, hours worked within a certain time period, etc. This information is often available on the regulatory authority’s website.

Under Article 707 of the CFTA, additional material requirements can be imposed for an occupation if there is a significant difference in occupational standards between provinces/territories that create a recognized gap in professional knowledge, skills, or abilities needed to practice safely.  Additional requirements must be approved by a provincial/territorial government and publicly posted. All additional requirements must have the purpose of achieving a legitimate objective for labour mobility (e.g., public safety or consumer protection), defined in the CFTA.

Currently, there are relatively few additional requirements approved by governments, considering the number of regulated occupations that exist in Canada. Jurisdictions continue to review their occupational additional requirements to ensure they are current and still required.

• Approved Additional requirements by Jurisdiction
• Approved Additional requirements by Occupation