Certification and out-of-province teachers
If you’re recruiting teachers from out of province, they’ll probably have questions about what they need to do to be certified to teach in BC.
Like all teachers practising in BC, out-of-province teachers must have a BC teaching certificate, even if they already hold a teaching certificate from another province in Canada. Out-of-province teachers apply for this certificate through the BC Ministry of Education Teacher Regulation Branch (TRB).
Canadian Free Trade Agreement
The Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) came into effect on July 1, 2017. The CFTA allows teachers certified in other provinces to be recognized as qualified for teaching by all other provinces and territories without having to complete additional studies or exams.
This means that teachers who have a current, valid, unrestricted teaching certificate from another Canadian province or territory will likely be eligible for a Professional Certificate of Qualification under the CFTA. This certification allows teachers to teach in BC’s K-12 public and independent school systems.
Although they don’t have to write exams or complete additional coursework, these teachers will have to complete a comprehensive application process that requires submitting forms and documents. Teachers who completed their teacher education program outside of BC or who hold an out-of-province teaching certificate will need to submit various documents to the TRB, such as:
- an application form,
- a consent to a criminal record check,
- a statement of professional standing from any jurisdiction(s) where they have been certified,
- verification of employment,
- official transcripts of post-secondary studies,
- degree verification,
- copies of identification documents and
- additional documents for trades teachers.
All teachers are required to meet the BC Teacher Regulation Branch standards for “fitness to teach” – that is, a person of good and moral character. This means that teachers from out of province who want to apply for a certificate must submit other documents to the TRB, such as:
- the results of a criminal record check,
- assessment forms and teacher evaluation reports,
- confidential character reference form and
- in some cases, the results of a fingerprint search.
If you’re recruiting teachers from outside of BC, share this information sheet that describes the step-by-step application process!
Learn more
Visit the BC Teacher Regulation Branch for more information on the application process for teachers who’ve completed their teacher programs outside of BC.
What if the teacher you want to recruit is certified outside of Canada or completed their teacher education program outside of Canada? Learn more about certification and international teachers.