Newcomers · Jobs and credentials
Your degree, diploma and years of work in Kenya count. The trick is knowing which door to knock on. Everything below comes from the government or the organisation that runs the service, and we link you to the source.
Last checked October 20, 2026. Rules change, so confirm on the linked page before you go or pay anything. Soma kwa Kiswahili.
In Ontario some jobs are regulated. That means you need a licence from a regulatory body before you can work in that job or use its title. Nursing, medicine, engineering, teaching, accounting and many skilled trades are examples. For any other job, the employer decides whether your experience is enough.
Source: Government of Ontario, "Work in your profession or trade" and Ontario Health (formerly HealthForceOntario)
An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) says what your Kenyan degree or diploma is equal to in Canada. You need one for some immigration programs, such as Express Entry and the Thunder Bay RCIP.
The organisations most people use for an ECA:
Doctors, pharmacists and architects use their own professional body instead. The source page explains which.
Source: Government of Canada, "Education credential assessment"
To become a Registered Nurse (RN) or Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) in Ontario, you apply to the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO).
Source: College of Nurses of Ontario, "Registration guide: educated outside Canada"
Electricians, plumbers, mechanics and many other trades can have their experience from outside Canada assessed by Skilled Trades Ontario. If your experience meets the standard, you can write the certifying exam. Pass it and you get a Certificate of Qualification. There are fees.
Source: Skilled Trades Ontario, "Trade equivalency assessment"
Ontario's bridge training programs help skilled newcomers get work that matches their qualifications from home. They offer training for your job, help getting your licence or certificate, and help finding work. Search the list for your field.
Sources: Government of Ontario, "Ontario Bridge Training Program"; "Ontario Bridge Training bursary"; Settlement.Org, "Alternative Jobs"
The regional network for adult literacy, upgrading and employment skills in Thunder Bay, Kenora and Rainy River.
Hands-on support for innovative businesses, manufacturers and entrepreneurs in Northwestern Ontario: advice, help finding funding, workshops, and meeting space. It sits alongside the Thunder Bay CEDC Entrepreneur Centre, which gives free business advice. Details of that centre are in starting a business.
Sources: Government of Ontario, "Employment Ontario"; Thunder Bay Multicultural Association; Literacy Northwest and its contact page; Literacy Northwest, "About"; Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre; Thunder Bay CEDC, support programs
Since January 1, 2026, an Ontario employer with 25 or more employees may not ask for Canadian experience in a public job ad or its application form. The same ads must also:
If you are interviewed, the employer has to tell you whether a hiring decision has been made.
Source: Government of Ontario, "Requirements related to publicly advertised job postings"
Sources: Government of Ontario, "Minimum wage"; "Temporary help agencies"; Office of the Worker Adviser, Thunder Bay and appointment notice; Government of Canada, "Get to know your rights while working in Canada"
Having trouble with an employer or an immigration consultant? See free legal and immigration help.
If you went through this as a nurse, engineer, teacher or tradesperson, your story will help the next person. Tell us what worked and what we should add.
Share your storyThinking of working for yourself? Our guide to starting a small business in Thunder Bay covers what your permit allows, registering, HST and grants.
No. An Educational Credential Assessment says what your Kenyan degree or diploma equals in Canada, and some immigration programs need one. It does not give you a licence or promise a job in your field. For a regulated job, such as nursing or engineering, you still apply to the regulator.
Not in public job ads. Since January 1, 2026, an Ontario employer with 25 or more employees may not ask for Canadian experience in a public job ad or its application form. The same ads must show the expected pay or a pay range.
Ontario's general minimum wage is $17.95 an hour from October 1, 2026. On a work permit you have the same workplace rights as Canadians, and your employer may not take your passport or work permit.
Literacy Northwest connects you to a local provider for adult literacy, upgrading or employment skills, including Get SET. It does not run the programs itself. Call 807-622-6666, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
No. A temporary help agency in Ontario must hold a provincial licence. It cannot charge you to find work or to help with your resume, and it cannot stop a client employer from hiring you permanently or from giving you a reference.
The Office of the Worker Adviser gives free representation to non-unionized workers on WSIB cases and on health-and-safety reprisals. The Thunder Bay office is 435 South James Street, Suite 335, Thunder Bay, ON P7E 6S7, by appointment. Call 807-475-1280 or toll-free 1-800-465-3966.
If you are enrolled in an approved Ontario bridge training program, you can apply for a one-time bursary of up to $5,000 for tuition, books and equipment. Settlement.Org's Alternative Jobs tool lists related work that may not need the licence you are still waiting for.
This guide is general information, not legal, immigration or career advice. For your own situation, speak to the regulator for your job, Employment Ontario, or the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association.
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