Work in your profession or trade
Learn about the services available in Ontario to help you continue working in your profession or trade if you’ve been trained in another country.
Overview
In Ontario, the government sets rules and laws for over 100 professions and trades in the province. This helps to protect the health and safety of workers and the public.
Definitions
Here are some terms you should know about professions and trades in Ontario.
Regulated professions
If your profession or trade is regulated, it means that to work or use a protected title, you will likely need to:
- have a license or certificate
- be registered with the proper regulatory body
A protected title is a professional title that can only be used by those who receive the designation from the regulatory body.
Check with the regulatory body for your profession or trade to find out if you’re allowed to do some work without a license or certificate and other rules you should be aware of.
Please note that not all professions and trades are regulated.
Regulatory bodies
A regulatory body is an organization that oversees a regulated profession or trade. You will likely need to apply to a regulatory body if you want to work in that profession or trade or use a protected title.
Check whether there is a regulatory body for your profession, and visit their website to learn about the requirements to work in your profession.
Regulatory bodies:
- set the standards that all workers need to meet to work in a regulated occupation
- assess the qualifications and credentials of applicants
- register qualified applicants
- discipline members who break the rules
Non-regulated professions and trades
Professions not regulated by law may have professional associations that you can join. These are not mandatory to join.
These provide certification courses and registration that might allow you to find work more easily.
Internationally-trained workers
If you were trained in another country, we can help you get the qualifications you need to practice your profession or trade in Ontario through:
- Ontario Bridge Training Program
- Trade equivalency assessment
- Health Force Ontario
- Global Experience Ontario
Ontario Bridge Training Program
The Ontario Bridge Training Program helps skilled newcomers find jobs that match their international qualifications by providing:
- occupation-specific training
- supports to obtain a license or certificate in your occupation
- assistance finding employment in your profession or trade
Trade equivalency assessment
If you have work experience and training in a skilled trade gained outside of Canada, you can have your experience and skills assessed by Skilled Trades Ontario.
The Trade Equivalency Assessment process assesses your skills and experience based on the apprenticeship program for more than 80 trades in Ontario that have a certifying exam. If you meet all the requirements of the training standard for a trade, you will qualify to challenge the certifying exam for that trade. If successful in the exam, you would pay a fee to be issued a Certificate of Qualification in that trade, commonly referred to as a licence.
Health Force Ontario
Health Force Ontario serves internationally educated health care professionals.
The HFO Access Centre for Internationally Educated Health Professionals can help you integrate into the Ontario health care system, with the goal of helping you become trained, licensed and employed in your profession or an alternative career.
Global Experience Ontario
Global Experience Ontario (GEO) provides information and referrals to help internationally trained individuals learn how to become licensed or certified to work in a non-health regulated profession or skilled trade in Ontario.
Who should use Global Experience Ontario
Contact GEO if you’re an internationally trained immigrant in a non-health regulated profession or skilled trade, before or after you arrive in Ontario.
Service providers who work with internationally trained immigrants can also seek information from GEO.
Contact Global Experience Ontario
Global Experience Ontario provides services by email at geo@ontario.ca or by phone:
Workers trained in another Canadian province or territory
If you're already licensed to practise a regulated occupation in another Canadian province or territory, you may be eligible to obtain a licence to work in Ontario without additional training or testing.
Learn more about labour mobility within Canada.
List of regulated professions and compulsory trades
This list contains the names of regulatory bodies and organizations that oversee a profession or trade.
For information on the full list of regulated professions, you can search the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials directory.