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Assessment of International Applicants

Applicant Portal Instructions

Introduction

In Canada, provincial paramedic regulators have the legislated authority to grant registration/licensure/certification to individuals to practice as paramedics and Emergency Medical Responders (EMRs).  The Canadian Organization of Paramedic Regulators (COPR) assists many of the regulators in assessing credentials of international applicants prior to those applicants completing provincial regulatory requirements. COPR will assess both the Primary Care Paramedic and Advanced Care Paramedic designations. 

NOTE: Applicants seeking licensure/registration/certification in British Columbia, Ontario, New Brunswick, or Quebec need to contact the provincial paramedic regulator for those jurisdictions.

To be assessed for the Emergency Medical Responder or Critical Care Paramedic designation, or inquiries related to the assessment process for non-paramedics, individuals are required to contact the provincial paramedic regulator of the province where registration/licensure/certification is sought. 

COPR’s assessment process consists of four steps. Upon completion of those steps, COPR will provide a summary of assessment findings, and a recommendation of designation equivalency, to the respective provincial paramedic regulator for consideration. Applicants will then be contacted by the regulator regarding completion of provincial regulatory requirements. It should be noted that regulatory requirements differ in each provincial jurisdiction. For more information on provincial regulatory requirements click here. 

NOTE: In early 2026, COPR will transition the assessment criteria for international applicants from the National Occupational Competency Profile (NOCP) to the Canadian Paramedic Competence Framework (CPCF). More information about the CPCF is available here.

Review the International Assessment Application Instructions.

COPR Assessment of International Applicants Handbook

The COPR Assessment of International Applicants Handbook offers candidates detailed information regarding the following assessment application process:

  • Initial Application Requirements
  • Competency Self-Assessment Tool
  • Eligibility Assessment Application Requirements
  • Examinations
  • Application File Review
  • Fees
  • Translation of Documents
  • Next Steps

Steps to Complete the COPR Assessment Process

Step 1 – Complete the Initial Application Form

  • The online initial application form is used for providing demographic information and to create a COPR “account”.
  • Applicant portal questions? Review the troubleshooting guide.

Step 2 – Complete the Competency Self-Assessment Tool

  • A scoring scale is included as a pre-assessment tool to assist international applicants in determining their readiness for registration/licensure/certification in Canada at the Primary Care or Advanced Care Paramedic level. The tool is based on the 2011 National Occupational Competency Profile (NOCP) for Paramedics working in Canada.

Step 3 – Complete the Eligibility Assessment Application Form

This step requires the applicant to identify the province for which they wish to apply for registration/licensure/certification.

Applicants will be required to upload/submit the following documentation:

    • Two forms of government issued, notarized identification.
    • Course outlines or curriculums
    • Verification of Currency in Practice
    • Credential Authentication Report
    • Language Proficiency Requirements
    • Letter of Regulatory Standing (if applicable)
    • Verification of Employment (if applicable)
    • Curriculum Vitae (resume)

 To verify regulatory standing and/or employment, the following forms must be completed and submitted directly to COPR by the regulator and/or employer. For those having trouble accessing the electronic forms, please have the regulator and/or employer email or mail a letter of standing to COPR.

All documents must be translated and uploaded/submitted in English or French dependent on the jurisdiction the applicant is seeking registration/licensure/certification in.  For more information refer to the  Assessment of International Applicants Handbook.

It is important to provide all of the information requested, as only fully completed applications can be processed. You can move between questions and upload documents as they become available. You can save your work at any time and come back to it later.

Step 4 – Examination  

Upon completion of steps 1-3, applicants will be advised regarding next steps involving completion of an examination.  Applicants pursuing registration/licensure/certification in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador are required to complete the COPR examination. 

NOTE: COPR is transitioning its Examinations from the NOCP to the new Canadian Paramedic Competence Framework (CPCF). While the transition will be gradual and include an overlap of the NOCP and CPCF, candidates are encouraged to be aware of the timelines and informed as to which examination they are applying. Click here for the timelines.

Assessment Fees

  • Initial application fee – $100 (Note: This fee is non refundable)
  • Eligibility assessment application fee – $600
  • COPR Examination $650

COPR payments can be made online using VISA or MasterCard.

It should be noted that paramedic regulators also levy a fee to applicants to complete respective provincial regulatory requirements. Those fees can be found by using the Cost Estimator.

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