EDMONTON—The Alberta government wants to set up an office to streamline the systemic hurdles that keep newcomers from finding work in their chosen professions.

Bill 11, the Fair Registration Practices Act, looks to remove barriers in provincial regulatory bodies — such as the Alberta College of Social Workers or the College of Alberta Psychologists — for newcomers with a professional background.

Introduced by the United Conservative government Wednesday, the bill would set up the new office for oversight and would require organizations to issue an interim decision on applications within six months. Interim decisions could outline what an applicant needs in order to be accepted into their professional field in Alberta.

The move is part of a $2.5-million, economy-focused immigration plan that the United Conservative Party campaigned on during the provincial election. It’s unclear how much the office will cost because it won’t be fully fleshed out until the act is proclaimed.

Called the Fair Registration Practices Office, it would be set up in the Department of Labour and Immigration and work with organizations to ensure their processes are speedy and fair. People going through the application process and dealing with regulatory bodies can complain to the office, but the office is not going to deal with individual cases.

“Too many of those newcomers end up facing unemployment and underemployment in Alberta because they can’t get their education credentials or work experience recognized,” Premier Jason Kenney said at a press conference.

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“That means we take a lot of people from the top levels of their societies, where they’re constructively working, often as professionals ... to face underemployment, stuck in survival jobs.”

The office would exist only to deal with systemic oversight of organizations.

There is no stipulation in the act on when a final decision on the applicant must be made, but the minister of labour and immigration would be responsible for ensuring they happen in a “timely” fashion.

The act would impact professionals such as engineers, nurses, and carpenters. It would also affect government departments, such as Advanced Education and Service Alberta. No regulatory bodies in Alberta would be exempt from the act.

Labour and Immigration Minister Jason Copping said there wasn’t a specific deadline for the office since they hope to work with all the regulatory bodies first.

“This is enabling legislation, and our intent is to actually work with the regulatory bodies,” he said.

If the act comes into conflict with some other piece of legislation governing a specific profession, such as doctors or engineers, this act would supersede.

The minister will have the ability to issue a compliance order if an organization is found to be dragging its feet on applications. If the order isn’t followed through on, the act states that a prosecution process, leading to fines, could be started.

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Organizations not complying could be fined as much as $50,000, and individuals could be hit with a fine of $25,000 if a compliance order isn’t followed.

They could go a step further to dedesignate them and “create new regulatory bodies in their place” if they gatekeep and restrict people from getting through, said Kenney.

The minister could also request audits or prescribe professional classes, but the minister can’t provide advice on individual registration decisions or influence individual decisions, the act states.

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