International Assessments
In Canada, provincial regulators of emergency medical responders (EMRs) and paramedics have the legislated authority to grant registration, licensure, or certification to individuals to practise as EMRs and paramedics. We at COPR assist many of the regulators in assessing credentials of international applicants before applicants complete provincial regulatory requirements. COPR’s international assessment is called the Paramedic Equivalency Assessment System (PEAS).
Note: The terms registration, licensure, and certification are used across Canada, and for the purposes of this page, the term registration will be used.
For a description of each designation in Canada, refer to the Canadian Paramedic Competence Framework. We assess applicants for the primary care paramedic (PCP) and advanced care paramedic (ACP) designations in most provinces. For information about registration in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, or New Brunswick, contact the provincial regulator for those jurisdictions.
To be assessed for the EMR or critical care paramedic designation or for inquiries about these assessments, contact the regulator of the province where you, the applicant, are seeking registration, licensure, or certification.
To find out which PEAS Assessment Pathway is right for you, click here.
Application Process
2. Review the International Assessment Application Instructions.
3. Select the Pre-Approved Pathway or Standard Assessment Pathway Application.
Review the Pre-Approved Pathway Applicant Handbook, which offers detailed information about the application process including:
• eligibility for the Pre-Approved Pathway
• application requirements
• documentation requirements
• background verification
• examinations
• fees
• next steps
Once you’ve completed the required steps, we will provide the appropriate provincial regulator with a summary of assessment findings and a recommendation of designation equivalency. You must contact the provincial paramedic regulator in your chosen province to determine next steps. Regulatory requirements differ in each province, and provincial regulators have fees to register.
Contact information for each provincial EMR and paramedic regulator is available here.
Review the COPR Assessment of International Applicants Handbook, which offers detailed information about the assessment application process, including the following:
• application requirements
• competency self-assessment tool
• eligibility assessment application requirements, including verification of regulatory standing and/or employment
• examinations
• application file review
• fees
• translation of documents
• next steps
To verify regulatory standing and/or employment, the regulator and/or employer must complete the following forms and submit them directly to us. If you are having trouble accessing the electronic forms, please have the regulator and/or employer email or mail a letter of standing to us.
• Verification of Regulatory Standing
• Verification of Employment
Once you’ve completed the required steps, we will provide the appropriate provincial regulator with a summary of assessment findings and a recommendation of designation equivalency. You must contact the provincial paramedic regulator in your chosen province to determine next steps. Regulatory requirements differ in each province, and provincial regulators have fees to register.
Contact information for each provincial EMR and paramedic regulator is available here. Note: In 2026, we will transition the assessment criteria for international applicants from the National Occupational Competency Profile to the Canadian Paramedic Competence Framework. More information about the framework is available here.