Ontario to break interprovincial barriers for regulated professions

Ontario’s provincial government says it will remove interprovincial barriers for workers in regulated professions, allowing them greater mobility when searching for work across the country.

The Labour Day announcement says the province has signed 10 agreements with provinces and territories to remove barriers to let workers come to Ontario to find work in over 50 in-demand professions, including engineers, architects and electricians.

The province says under these agreements, Ontarians in these fields will also be able to find work in other provinces.

As of Jan. 1, 2026, people working in regulated professions will be able to start working within 10 days of having their credentials confirmed by their regulator.

Under the current process, the province says certified workers can wait for several months to become registered to begin a job.

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A news release from the province says the new agreements include reciprocal measures that will make it easier for Ontario-based workers to move to and work in other parts of the country as well.

This historic change to labour mobility will not only make it faster and easier for workers across Canada to come and begin working in our province, but it will also help us secure more of the valuable home-grown talent that our country needs to deliver on the nation-building projects that will make us the most competitive economy in the G7, the release quotes Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy saying.

The Canadian Press with files from CBC News

This article is republished from RCI.