The Canadian Citizenship Test is designed to help make sure that applicants are able to participate in Canadian civic life.

The test has questions on topics such as:

• Canadian History
• Canadian Geography
• Canadian Politics and Voting
• The three levels of Canadian government
• Responsibility and rights of Canadian Citizens
• Recent or Current Events in Canada
• Canadian Culture

For the most part, applicants who put a reasonable amount of effort into preparing for the test should be able to pass it.

How to Prepare

Many Immigrant service and English as a Second Language (ESL) organizations offer Citizenship classes for free, or at very low cost.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) offers test preparation guides for free on their website and as a PDF Citizenship Guide to download.

Where to Practice

Most places that offer citizenship classes also offer practice tests. However, there are a variety of free practice tests online. Among the best is the Citizenship Test offered by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC):

• CBC Canadian Citizenship Practice Test

More Information

Applying for Canadian Citizenship - from CIC
How to Become a Canadian Citizen - from CIC

Why Volunteer

Alberta has a booming job market, but that doesn’t mean it’s as easy as walking into a job. In reality, employers often like to see local experience - especially if you are new to Canada. Canadian and Alberta work experience can help you set your resume apart from your competition.

Volunteering, especially for positions that are related to your field, is a great way to add relevant local work experience to your resume.

You can gain:

• Knowledge of your local work market
• References you can use on your resume
• Experience in your field
• Contacts in your professional network

How to Approach a Volunteer Opportunity

Almost all volunteering is done in the non-profit and public sector. However, volunteering positions can sometimes be competitive! It’s always best to appear professional and curtious, and even work to sell your skills and talents to your potential volunteer opportunity.

The best way to find volunteer opportunities is through your networks, by researching organizations in your area and approaching them directly, or though organizations like Volunteer Alberta. Contact your local volunteer centre for more information.

How to List Experience

Many people choose to list their volunteer experience on their resumes, especially if it is in their field.

Volunteer experience that is not relevant to your field can often be listed as “other experience” or “volunteer experience” on a resume. Volunteer experience related to your profession can be listed under “relevant experience,” or even as “work experience,” as long as you label it accordingly.

Let your volunteer experience set you apart from your competators in the Alberta job market!

More Information

Volunteer Alberta

Local Volunteer Centres in Alberta

Don’t

Don’t include your high school/secondary school grades or course loads. Providing too much detail about secondary education is not necessary on a professional resume.

Don’t go into too much detail about your work experience. Explain what is important or applicable, but too much detail can make it hard for employers to read your resume.

Don’t use too unusual fonts or formatting. Simple fonts and clear formatting will make it easier for employer to scan you resume and pick out important points.

Don’t share inapplicable hobbies or interests. A few interest outside of work can make you seem well-rounded, but too much information can take up too much valuable space on your resume.

Don’t make spelling or grammar mistakes. Spelling and grammar mistakes make it easy to employers to find a reason to reject your resume.

Don’t include a photo or too much personal information. Canadian resumes do not usually include a photograph or information like marital status.

Don’t use complex technical language or jargon that is difficult to understand. The person who reads your resume may not be an expert in your field, so avoid more jargon than is necessary.

Don’t be too long. Unless you are a professional with many years of experience, there is usually no need for a resume to be over 3 pages long - 2 pages is usually best.

Don’t oversell your skills or experience. Be sure that your accomplishments and experience are applicable to the job and are more-or-less in line with your professional level.

Don’t undersell your skills or experience. Take credit where you deserve it and clearly explain any initiatives that you have overseen.

Do

Do be concise. Clear explanations of your experience and accoplishments can set you apart from the competition.

Do remember to include your name and contact information. Make sure you supply a number and email address that you can easily be reached on.

Do make sure that you get a professional email address. It is best avoid email addresses that include do information or inappropriate nicknames.

Do follow the instructions in your job application. Some jobs require specific resume formats and you should follow the instructions to the letter.

Do make a custom resume for each application. It is fine to have a base template for your resume, but each resume you send out should be tailored to the particulars of the job you are applying for.

Do organize your resume under clear headings. Headings like education and previous employment make it easy for employers to find relevant information and set you apart from your competition.

Do make sure that you send your resume in a standard format. When sending a resume online or by email, most employers use a standard format like PDF or DOC (ms-word).

Do use nice stationary. It is best to print copies on your resume on clean, crisp heavy white paper to create a professional image.

Do include a cover letter. Unless the job application specifically asks you not to, it is best to include a concise cover letter for your resume.

Do use “action words.” Employers are scanning for keywords “maintained,” “managed,” and “initiated.”

Where to find more information

Find more information by asking a question in the Alberta Employment Discussion Area.

Why would I need a Notary Public?

In some cases, such as for a legal proceeding, you may be asked to swear an oath, sign an affidavit or another kind of agreement. Oaths and signed agreements overseen by a Notary Public can be legally binding - meaning you are bound by law to do what you promised to do in the oath. If you violate the terms of your agreement, civil or legal penalties could be applied.

Notaries Public are also authorized to certify copies of original documents. This means that they can make copies of original documents that are, in many cases, considered as legally valid as an original.

In most cases, you can take an original document, such as a birth certificate or university degree, to a Notary Public. The Notary Public will verify your identity, verify your original document, copy it for you, and stamp the copy with a seal.

Certified documents are considered to be more secure than a normal copy because they can be traced back to the Notary Public who certified them, and thus to the person who has the original.

Documents, oaths and affidavits certified by an Alberta Notary Public can be used outside of Alberta. However, certified copies are not always acceptable, such as for the new Alberta Driver’s License. Check if you need originals or copies before getting your documents certified.

How can I find a Notary Public in Alberta?

Notaries public are usually private businesses, and charge a fee for their services. You can find Notaries Public in your local telephone book - usually under Notaries, Notary, or Legal.

Where can I find more information?

Canadian Legal FAQs - Commissioners of Oaths and Notaries Public in Alberta

How can I exchange a driver’s license from outside Alberta?

Canadian Driver’s Licenses

If you have a valid driver’s license from another part of Canada, you can exchange it for an equivalent Alberta license without having to write a test or pass a driving exam. However, you will have to show that you have no medical or vision problems that could stop you from driving safely.

United States Driver’s Licenses

If you have a valid driver’s license from the United States, you can generally exchange it if it is a normal license, as above.

Driver’s Licenses from other countries

Some countries have agreements with Alberta to recognize international lisences. If you have a valid license from one of these countries, you can exchange it for an Alberta Class 5 license:

Austria, Belgium, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, United Kingdom (not including Northern Ireland).

Documents

To apply for your driver’s license you will have to to prove your identity. You will need to prove your in three ways: who you are, what you have and what you know.

Who you are:
To satisfy this criteria, you must show photo documentation that lists your legal name and your date of birth. At least one of the pieces of identification you choose to fulfill this requirement must prove that you are in Canada legally. This can include a Canadian passport, permanent residence card, or a foreign passport with a valid visa or permit.

Other forms of identification can include a driver’s license from another place, or most forms of government issued photo identification that proves who you are.

What you have:
To satisfy this criteria, you must be able to provide supporting documents proving that other agencies, people or companies have contact with you - and that you live in Alberta. These supporting documents must have at least two data elements, such as your date of birth, your signature or your address.

Supporting documentation can include supporting documentation like a Credit Card (with your signature), bank statements, income tax statements, property tax bill, mortgage bill, etc.

What you know
To satisfy this requirement, you may have to demonstrate that you know your personal details, and have your details checked against any information in the Alberta government’s Motor Vehicles System database.

All your documents must be originals or certified copies. You cannot use a photocopy of a document.

You can learn more about the documentation requirements from the Service Alberta Driver’s License Website.

Where to apply

You can apply for your Alberta Driver’s License at an approved Alberta Registry Agent.

You can find a registry agent here: http://www.servicealberta.gov.ab.ca/617.cfm

Where can I find more information?

Alberta’s New Driver’s License website.

Once you find a doctor who is accepting new patients, you can use your AHCIP card to receive medical services from them.

Finding a doctor

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta, which regulates doctors in Alberta, keep a list of all the doctors registered to practice in the province. They make the list available to search so that you can find a doctor near you who is taking new patients.

Find the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta Online Directory at:

http://www.cpsa.ab.ca/findaphysician/medical_directory.asp

To find a doctor near you, you can search the directory by postal code:

http://www.cpsa.ab.ca/mapsearch/

You can also find doctors in your area by using your local telephone directory. You can call a doctor’s office to find out if they are accepting new patients.

Finding a doctor in Calgary

It can be a challenge to find a family doctor in Calgary. Calgary’s high growth rate means that the number of available family doctors has not kept pace with the population. However, you can still find a family doctor in Calgary with some effort.

The Calgary Health Region keeps a list of doctors who are currently accepting new patients:

http://www.calgaryhealthregion.ca/doctor/

You can also call the Calgary Health Region toll free at 1-888-408-5465.

What if I don’t have a doctor?

If you have an AHCIP card, you can visit a walk-in medical clinic free of charge. They provide the same services as a regular clinic, but without the need to be a patient of the clinic.

Walk-in clinics do not have easy access to your medical history, so if you visit one, be sure to give the doctor as much information as you can if you have any unique or important medical needs.

Walk-in clinics should be listed in your local telephone directory.

If any of your family are applying to immigrate with you, you will need to prove that you have enough money to support yourself, your partner or spouse, and any dependant children. This amount of money is called your settlement funds.

Settlement funds are in addition to your visa application fee and Right of Permanent Residence fee.

If you already have a job set up in Alberta (or anywhere else in Canada), you will not need to prove that you have any funds. CIC assumes that your employment income will be enough to cover the costs of settlement for you and your family in Alberta.

Here is how much you need:

Please note, the table above is regularly changed by CIC. These numbers represent the latest figures at the time of this writing. Please visit the CIC Settlement Funds website for the most up-to-date figures.

How can I prove how much money I have?

CIC needs to see that your funds are unencumbered and readily transferable. This means that you need to be able to show that you can access the money easily and bring it to Canada without any problems.

Your settlement funds can be in the form of a gift from another person, but they cannot be borrowed. Your settlement funds must be your own to dispose of as you wish.

You must have your settlement funds in your possession when you land in Canada, or have them already transferred to Canada before you arrive.

Here is how you can prove your funds if they have already been transferred to Canada ahead of time:

• Evidence of a savings balance, in the form of an official bank statement on bank letterhead, not printed from a bank website. OR
• A current bank certification letter from the bank that holds your funds. OR
• A fixed or timed deposit statement from your bank, on bank letterhead.

Carrying more than $10,000

When some people enter Canada for the first time, they choose to carry a large portion of their savings with them in person. This often includes:

• cash
• securities in bearer form (such as stocks or bonds)
• any negotiable instruments in bearer form (such as money orders or travelers cheques)

If you arrive in Canada with more than $10,000 CAD, you must tell a customs officer when you enter. You will also have to declare this amount of your landing card. Bringing over $10,000 into Canada without informing the authorities can be punished with a prison term.

If you transfer money to Canada ahead of time, your bank should ask you to fill out paperwork to declare that you are moving a large sum of money across the border.

Where can I find more information?

• CIC Settlement Funds website

A Skilled Worker Visa can take anywhere between 6 months to over 5 years to process. Demand is high, so the wait-times can be very long.

You can find more information for the processing times in your local Canadian visa office from Citizenship and Immigration Canada: Processing times for Skilled Worker Visas.

Popular visa processing centers

Here are the processing times for a few of the most popular Canadian visa offices.

• Accra
  • 65 months to 72 months
• Damascus
  • 63 months to 71 months
• Islamabad
  • 65 months to 70 months
• New Delhi
  • 68 months to 73 months
• Ankara
  • 61 months to 76 months
• London
  • 31 months to 38 months
• Buffalo
  • 16 months to 25 months

How can I avoid delays?

There are a few easy ways to help avoid delays when CIC processes your visa application.

• Make sure that CIC has all the information they need and that your application is complete.
• Tell your local visa office immediately if your contact information or your circumstances change.
• Make sure all copies of your documentation are clear and easy to read.
• Make sure that you provide certified English or French translations of any documentation that is in another language.
• Apply from the country you are a citizen of, or in which a legal permanent resident.
• Do not repeatedly call or visit the visa office to ask for updates on your case.

Anything that causes the visa office to take extra steps to investigate or assess your visa application will cause delays. These can include criminal or security issues and unclear family situations.

Where can I find more information?

You can learn more from the CIC website for Skilled Workers - after applying.

Internationally Trained Accountants

Chartered Accountants in Alberta provide accounting services to business and individuals. Only registered Chartered Accountants (along with Certified General Accounts and Certified Management Accounts) can provide financial services like audits and reviews in Alberta.
Internationally trained accountants are able to registered with the ICAA so that they can practice in Alberta. There are two ways accountants with foreign qualifications can do this.

Path 1 - Equivalence

Accountants from some countries may be able to become members of the ICAA by sitting the Chartered Account Reciprocity Examination (CARE). Alberta has approved some accounting regulators inside and outside Canada, allowing their members to register as foreign designate candidates of the ICAA, after successfully passing the Chartered Account Reciprocity Examination. (In some cases, the ICAA may ask you sit further examinations or meet other requirements.)

If you are a member in good standing with one of these accounting bodies in your home country, you may be able to become a foreign designate candidate of the ICAA:

• The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia
• The Institute des Reviseurs d’Enterprises de Belgique
• Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
• L’Ordre des Experts Comptables et des Comptables Agrs
• The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Hong Kong (if qualified after December 2001)
• The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ireland
• The Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• The Instituto Mexicano de Contadores Publicos (CPC designation)
• The Netherlands Institute of Registered Accountants
• The Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Zealand
• The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland
• Institute of Chartered Accountants of South Africa (with some conditions)
• Many of the Chartered Accounting regulators in the Unite States

Chartered Accountant Reciprocity Exam (CARE)

Internationally trained accountants who are members in good standing of the accounting organizations listed above are required to complete and pass the Chartered Accountant Reciprocity Exam (CARE).

You can enroll in the CARE once you a registered as a foreign designate candidate with the ICAA. You will then have 4 years from the time you register to complete and pass the CARE.
The CARE is available once every year in late October. The CARE is made up of 2 papers, taking 3 hours each to complete, and written over 2 consecutive days. The exam is a mix of accounting case studies, problem solving, single questions and multiple choice.

You can learn more about CARE from the leaflet: Chartered Accountant Reciprocity Exam (PDF)

Practical Experience

Internationally trained applicants will have their practical experience assessed when they register as a foreign designate candidate with the ICAA. ICAA is looking for core practice and experience requirements which are equivalent to those of a domestic candidate.

• You must have worked a total of 2500 chargeable hours
• You must have at least 1250 hours working on assurance (audits and reviews)
• You must have at least 200 hours working on audits
• You must have at least 100 hours working on taxation

Candidates with more than 200 hours of audit work, but less than 625 hours of audit work, will be restricted from unsupervised audit work.

Any hours you use towards the practical experience requirement must be from the last 5 years. Work experience older than 5 years is normally not counted toward practical experience - however, this can be waived by the ICAA registrar in special cases.

Path 2 - Other Applicants

If you are not currently a member of one of the accounting regulators listed above, you must apply with the Chartered Accountant School of Business (CASB).

Depending on the accounting organization you are a member of, you may be exempt from some of the course and exam requirements. This will decision be based on an assessment by the ICAA.

You will then have to meet all the normal requirements that the ICAA asks of Chartered Accountants practicing in Alberta.

Eligibility

To register as a foreign designate candidate with the ICAA:

• You must be a designated Charted Accountant (called a CPC in Mexico, or a CPA in the United States.)
• You must be a registered member in good standing with one of the accounting organizations listed above.
• You must have earned membership with your accounting organization by completed their admission, experience and exam requirements - and not by any other means.
• You must have been resident in the jurisdiction where you earned your membership for at least two years before you were granted membership.
• You must be able to demonstrate your good character and reputation. (For example, you must not have previous criminal convictions.)
• You must be able to provide evidence that you can legally work or study in Canada.

How to Apply

If you meet the eligibility requirements to be a foreign designate candidate, you must provide the ICAA with the following documentation in order to apply:

• The Foreign Designate Registration Application Form (PDF)
• The Application Fee (currently $367.50 for a full years dues)
• Declaration that you have lived for two years in the jurisdiction where you earned membership with your current accounting organization.
• A detailed copy of your resume/CV, outlining your work experience.

In addition, you must also arrange to have the following documents send directly to the ICAA - they should not be sent to you first.

• Formal proof from your current accounting organization, your current employer, or your past employer which describes the specifics of your practical work experience, with a list of your chargeable working hours.
• Written proof from your current accounting organization that indicates:
  • Your current membership and status
  • The date you were admitted as a member
  • The completion of your academic requirements, including the dates you passed your course work an examinations

More Information

• ICAA website for foreign trained accountants
  • The ICAA can be contacted toll-free on 1-800-232-9406
• CA School of Business (CASB)
• Become a CA Website

In Alberta, (and the rest of Canada,) the police are separate from the Canadian and Albertan governments, and from the military. They are non-political civilian organizations.

The police are overseen by a civilian board who ensure professional standards, and provide a safe an open way for civilians to voice complaints.

There are two kinds of police forces in Alberta. Many towns and cities have their own municipal police forces. The rest of Alberta is policed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

How can I contact the police?

In an emergency:

• Dial 911 from any phone to be connected immediately to police, fire and ambulance services.

Non-emergency:

• The police force responsible for your community will have a non-emergency telephone number. This is usually used to report a crime or problem that does not pose an immediate threat.

In Person:

• Most police stations have a public reception desk where you can speak to an office to report a crime, problem, or ask a question.

On the street:

• You can almost always approach a uniformed police officer on the street, or flag them down if they are in a car. The police are there to serve you.

Note: if you dial 911 for emergency services, the police will arrive at your location even if you dial 911 by accident, or if you cannot speak.

Where can I find more information?

• Calgary Police Service
• Edmonton Police Service
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police
• Alberta Victim Services