I am a clinical psych grad student in the US and want to move to Canada. Should I finish my degree first or transfer?

[nocturnal-sunlight]

Hi all. I am finishing up my first year in a PsyD program over here in the states but am looking to eventually move to/practice in Canada. I'm not sure whether it would be better to finish my degree here in the US and then attempt to transfer my licensure over to Canada and apply for a work visa, or attempt to transfer schools mid-degree on a student visa so I can obtain licensure as part of graduating from a Canadian program. While I know that either of these routes will come with a ton of work, money, and waiting on my part, I'm curious if one of these options may be easier than the other or not. While I am only in my first year, I am hoping to move within the next couple of years (possibly after obtaining my master's in my current program and then applying to a doctoral program in Canada...could this also be an option?). I would greatly appreciate any advice!

(Also, if anyone is confused over why I didn't apply to Canadian programs to begin with: I wasn't originally planning to relocate, but some life stuff has come up and now this seems like the best option for me long-term)

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[WisNeuro]

APA and CPA have reciprocal accreditation. No idea about master's level licenses.

 

[nocturnal-sunlight]

APA and CPA have reciprocal accreditation. No idea about master's level licenses.

Thank you! Do you know if this covers PsyD programs as well as PhDs?

 

[WisNeuro]

Thank you! Do you know if this covers PsyD programs as well as PhDs?

Yes, as long as they are accredited.

 

[albatross_at_crossroads]

Hi there,

Requirements to get licensed vary province by province. You can find here the requirements for each - Provincial and Territorial Licensing Requirements - Canadian Psychological Association.

If the program you are attending is APA accredited, they might consider it as equivalent to CPA accreditation but they will still review your documents to make sure it is similar for coursework, requirements, clinical hours and supervision, etc.

Transferring might be the hardest path - usually programs don't accept transfers, but they might give you advanced standing for some courses completed. Most programs don't accept outside practicums, so you may have to redo those. Even if you graduate with a master's, that might not give you an edge time-wise. Also keep in mind that programs in Canada are as competitive or in some cases even more competitive than US ones - there are only a handful of programs in the country and many qualified applicants each year, plenty of them with a lot of research experience and master degrees. There are a few PsyD programs, but the tuition costs might be quite high as an international student.

From my perspective, the "easier" path would be to at least finish your degree in the US and try to do your supervised hours and fulfill licensure requirements in Canada. Depending on the job, the employer may be willing to sponsor your work permit.

Another thing to consider is doing your internship year in Canada - you can relocate even before finalizing your degree and build your network/learn more about the job market and licensing requirements.

Hope this helps!

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Transferring isn’t really a thing in doctoral training because the mentorship model doesn’t really line up. The vast vast majority of students will basically apply to a new program, interview, etc. Then they’d withdraw from their original program. A student might be able to get a few core 1st year classes waived, but it’s basically like starting over. The only exception I’ve seen was when a program closed abruptly, but that’s a worst case scenario I wouldn’t want anyone to have to navigate.

 

[PsyDr]

Here's some advice that cost me a lot of money to obtain:

Foreign licensure does not help you get residency. It might make it a lot harder to move to your desired country.

 

[albatross_at_crossroads]

Here's some advice that cost me a lot of money to obtain:

Foreign licensure does not help you get residency. It might make it a lot harder to move to your desired country.

I completely agree, it is not an easy path. However, Canada has almost no diploma mills accredited (yet) and clinical psychologists are sought after, so an employer (hospital, private practice) may be inclined to sponsor a work permit for a good candidate.

Another thing to consider is getting in the pool of economic immigration - it is based on points, and age and advanced degrees can give you an edge. Some provinces have their own nomination schemes through which they target professionals based on province needs as well - it works somewhat easier for physicians, nurses and IT specialists, but you may be nominated if you already have your degree.
Moving before obtaining the degree is less feasible though.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

The rule of thumb for ppl who want to work in another country is to get licensed in the USA and THEN look at other countries. The USA (& Canada) tend to have some of the highest requirements. If any training is done outside of the USA, getting licensed later in the USA will be very difficult. APA/CPA internship equivalency helps, but I’m not sure how post-doc hours are viewed these days. I’ve been out 10+ years, so YMMV.

I have only done a cursory review of the requirements for practice in Canada, as I had a Uni try to recruit me a few years back. According to them, the immigration policies and VISA requirements for a psychologist are generally not a problem if you are going to an institution and they can demonstrate unique skills and/or specialized training; I can’t speak to private practice. I’ve seen both Uni-based positions and hospital-based positions actively recruit from the USA. It can really help to have institution support and have speciality training via formalized post-doc/fellowship.

“Specialized” classification (according to Canadian job standards, not spec to psych) can fast-track an applicant. I’ve seen it w physicians, nurses, and in more senior-level Tech. Preference for public positions goes to Canadians first, but jobs can also be classified as difficult to fill, so that opens the door to immigrants.

Each province (territory?) has their own licensure requirements, so that can be tricky. I’ve heard of minimum years of experience (5?) requirements for some work VISAS. Suffice to say there are s bunch of hoops that will need to be navigated.

I don’t mean to put you off of your goals, it’s just important to know that even the closest equivalent to USA training is a complicated endeavor. I’d suggest get to/thru post-doc in an APA-acred program and then re-visit licensure req. for Canadian provinces/territories.

 

[psychkc91]

Hi there, I can add a bit to what has been said previously. The APA and CPA have a reciprocity agreement which makes using US credentials much easier in Canada. You will want to look at province/territory specific requirements as well. With respect to how easy/difficult it will be to transfer this depends upon where in Canada you hope to practice as each provincial/territory college of psychologists have different requirements. For instance, if you were to want to practice in Ontario, you can transfer your license from the US if you have been licensed for 5 years or more already. Otherwise you will have to complete supervised practice (1500 post-doctoral hours) in Ontario (I may be wrong- make sure to double check this). Other provinces may be more straightforward such as British Columbia which only requires completion of a doctoral degree and pre-doctoral internship for licensure.

If you hope to enter a doctoral program in Canada and are a US or Mexican citizen I believe securing a student visa is relatively straight forward and easy (but will have some limitations such as number of off-campus hours you can work). As others mentioned you would likely have to start fresh. Similarly, if you wish to work in Canada as a psychologist you can apply for a CUSMA work visa (equivalent to TN visa in the US). This would allow you to work legally in Canada as long as you have an employer and job as psychologists fall under eligible professions. The CUSMA visa is a non-immigrant visa and you may be able to simultaneously apply for permanent residency if you wish to immigrate. Anywho, I am not a lawyer and you should definitely double check all this with someone who handles these things professionally. Hope it helps!

 

[nocturnal-sunlight]

Thank you all so much for your advice. It sounds like, while this process will likely be difficult to achieve, it is doable. I will try to stay in the US to finish my degree before moving and will see if I can complete my internship abroad, if possible, to relocate earlier. I appreciate the input!