Labour mobility for workers

Overview

Labour mobility opportunities apply to:

• workers in regulated occupations or designated trades certified by another province or territory in Canada and seeking to work in Alberta
• Alberta certified workers or workers in designated trades seeking to work in the same regulated occupation in another province or territory in Canada

Trades occupations

• Labour mobility applies to journeyman Certificate of Qualification holders (with or without the Red Seal endorsement) seeking to work in Alberta.
• To work in Alberta designated trades, out-of-province certified workers do not have to register with Apprenticeship and Industry Training (the regulatory authority for trades in Alberta).
• Certified out-of-province workers in designated trades apply directly to an employer in Alberta with their Certificate of Qualification for job opportunities.
• Employers unfamiliar with a Certificate of Qualification from a province/territory can call Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT) directly to verify the certification with one of the many AIT office in Alberta by contacting Tradesecrets.
• Employers may also access the online database for certified trades persons in Alberta at Tradesecrets – Check Your Tradesperson’s Certificate. 
• To learn more about your trade in Alberta please visit the AIT website Tradesecrets – Find your Trade.

Worker Certification

Out-of-province certified workers (not including certified trades workers) wanting to work in Alberta must apply to have their certification in a regulated occupation recognized by an Alberta regulatory authority before they can work in Alberta.

Your occupation needs to be regulated both in your current province/territory and in Alberta to be covered by Labour Mobility under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) and the New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA).

Labour mobility does not apply to:

• uncertified workers such as apprentices, interns or students
• occupations for which there is no certification or licensing requirements such as restaurant services, clerical workers, retail, service employees or administrative and others

How to apply

Certified workers in regulated occupations must follow certain steps to have their certification recognized in Alberta.

Step 1. Determine if your occupation is regulated

Alberta workers wanting to work elsewhere

To find out if your occupation is regulated in the province or territory, you wish to move, contact the regulatory authority in that province or territory.

If you are having difficulty contacting your regulatory authority, contact the Labour Mobility Coordinator of the specific province or territory you are moving to.

Non-Alberta workers moving to Alberta

To find out if your occupation is regulated in Alberta, see the list of regulated occupations and trades in Alberta.

Step 2. Determine if there is a labour mobility exception (legitimate objective) for your occupation

For some occupations, specific job duties can vary substantially between Canadian jurisdictions.

A province or territory can apply a labour mobility exception for an occupation, allowing a regulatory authority to impose additional requirements on workers.

See Exceptions to Labour Mobility (legitimate objectives) to find out if an exception exists for your occupation in your destination jurisdiction.

Step 3. Visit the Alberta regulatory authority website for your profession and identify what the application requirements are to apply via labour mobility

Step 4. Submit your application

To start the application process:

• contact the Alberta regulatory authority in the province or territory where you are seeking certification to determine application requirements
• gather required supporting documents (limited to those identified in the Labour Mobility Regulation) and
• complete and submit your application (with fees, if necessary) to the appropriate regulatory authority in the jurisdiction where you are seeking certification

Note: The application process should not include reassessment of your qualifications or additional testing or training requirements except if an exception (legitimate objective) is publicly posted on www.workersmobility.ca.

Allowable application requirements

Under the Labour Mobility Act and Regulation regulatory authorities may request any of the following documents (please verify which documents are being requested of you on the Alberta regulatory authority website):

• pay an application or processing fee
• obtain and provide proof of insurance/malpractice coverage
• post a bond and provide proof that it has been posted
• provide one or more criminal record checks or vulnerable sector checks
• statement of good character
• a statement regarding whether there are any conditions, restrictions or limitations imposed on your license by your current registering body
• a statement whether your current or past registering body is aware of any complaints, investigations, disciplinary proceedings or criminal proceedings against you
• a letter or certificate of good standing from your current registering body
• provide proof of identity
• provide results of an assessment of knowledge specific to the practice of the occupation in Alberta
• provide proof of language proficiency
• provide a declaration that the information provided is true and accurate

Step 5. After you apply

Processing time

The application and registration processing time varies from one occupation to another, and from one regulatory authority to another.

To find out how long it may take to process your application, visit the Alberta regulatory authority website for your occupation.

If you have concerns

If you believe your certification from Alberta is not being properly recognized in another Canadian jurisdiction, or your certification from elsewhere in Canada is not being properly recognized in Alberta, contact Alberta Labour Mobility.

Resources for workers

Resources available from Workers Mobility include:

• Certified Workers brochure
• Labour Mobility Certified Worker Video
• FAQs for workers

Contact

Connect with Alberta Labour Mobility:

Phone: 780-422-5450 (Edmonton and area)
Toll free: 310-0000 before the phone number (in Alberta)
Email: [email protected]

Address:
9th floor, 108 Street Building
9942 108 Street
Edmonton, Alberta  T5K 2J5