International Qualifications Assessment Service is under the authority of the Government of Alberta.

INTENT

The International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) was established by the Alberta Government to help immigrants obtain recognition for the education they received in other countries. IQAS issues assessment certificates that generally indicate how an educational credential received in another country compares to an educational program in Canada. IQAS certificates may help immigrants enter the labour market, gain membership in professional licensing bodies and admission into post-secondary institutions. Employers, professional licensing associations and educational institutions use the certificates to understand educational programs outside of Canada.

POLICY

• Recent immigrants seeking employment and requesting Government of Alberta assistance receive an Employability Assessment and develop a Service Plan.
• If the Employability Assessment indicates that an IQAS assessment will assist the individual to move to employment, either a referral to a Basic Assessment or an Assessment for Educational Institution may be appropriate.
• IQAS assessments are not required for entry into Government of Alberta programs.
• The Government of Alberta does not authorize IQAS assessments for approval by professional associations.
• The Government of Alberta will refer appropriate individuals to IQAS for assessments to be completed at no cost to the individual.

Description of IQAS Assessments

• Basic Assessments provide a certificate for general employment purposes indicating the level of education achieved outside of Canada and how that generally compares to a credential in Canada. In the majority of cases, Basic Assessments are the most appropriate for Government of Alberta individuals seeking employment.
• Assessment for Educational Institutions is for admission into an educational institution such as NAIT, SAIT and other institutions. This assessment evaluates an individual’s course work to determine how it generally compares to courses required for admission in Alberta. A complete listing of the institutions using IQAS assessments can be found on the IQAS website.

PROCEDURES

After an Employability Assessment determines that an individual can benefit from an IQAS assessment, the following forms are completed:

• Authorization for Payment of IQAS Assessment, and
• an IQAS Application form.

1. Authorization for Payment of IQAS Assessment
   
   • The form must include a contact phone and fax number.
   • The form must be signed by an authorized official to ensure payment.
   • The Government of Alberta Region field on the referral form must be completed so that individual utilization statistics can be accurately developed.
   • The form must not be modified in any way.
   • A copy of the referral form should be placed in the individual’s physical file and an entry should be made on the Government of Alberta individual tracking system.
     
2. IQAS Application Form
   
   • The form must not be modified in any manner. 
   • The form must be submitted by mail to IQAS, 9th floor, 108 Street Building, 9942 – 108 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2J5. Individuals in the Edmonton Region can drop off their application in a mail slot by the IQAS office.
   • IQAS will provide both the individual and the Government of Alberta referring staff person or service provider with a copy of the assessment result. The Government of Alberta individual utilization will be tracked by IQAS. The individual assessment result will be faxed to the referring staff if Step 5 of the IQAS Application is completed.
   • Authorization for payment of IQAS assessments is attached to the IQAS application.
   • IQAS assessments require a 4-8 week period for completion.
   • A copy of the assessment result should be placed in the individual’s physical file
   • An entry must be made on the Mobius system (Mobius User Manual).

FORMS

• Authorization for Payment of IQAS Assessments (EP3641)  
• IQAS Checklist (EP3649)
• IQAS Application Form can be obtained directly from IQAS or through their website