Canada qualifications exempt from assessment

At a glance

This page lists Canadian qualifications that are exempt from an International Qualifications Assessment (IQA) for the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC). Exemption still depends on matching the award to an approved institution, the qualification abbreviation, and the year range specified in the operational manual. [C-canada]

Qualifications listed generally attract 50 points and are equated to NZQF Level 7 or Level 8. [C-canada]

Definition

Section C-canada of the operational manual provides a closed list of qualifications and awarding institutions that do not require assessment by NZQA. To use this exemption, an applicant must satisfy all five conditions below. [C-canada]

1. The qualification appears in the Academic Qualifications Table.
2. The awarding institution appears in the Awarding Institutions Table.
3. The qualification abbreviation in the right‑hand column of the Awarding Institutions Table matches the abbreviation in the Academic Qualifications Table.
4. The qualification was awarded within the year range shown in the Awarding Institutions Table for that institution and qualification.
5. The qualification is not excluded by the notes under the Academic Qualifications Table.

Both tables are contained in section C-canada and are authoritative. [C-canada]

Academic Qualifications Table

The table lists recognised qualifications, their abbreviations, the NZQF level (7 or 8), and the points claimable under SMC (50). It also records whether the qualification is acceptable with or without honours. Specific notes address:

• Honours designation – must appear on the award certificate as ‘Honours’, ‘(Honours)’, ‘with Honours’, or ‘Honours Bachelor of’ (spelling variants accepted). [C-canada]
• Degrees marked ‘***’ are acceptable whether awarded with or without honours. [C-canada]
• The degree ‘Maîtrise professionnelle en (Speciality)’ must be referred to NZQA for an IQA. [C-canada]
• Where an applicant believes their qualification is higher than the stated level, they must apply to NZQA for an International Qualifications Assessment. [C-canada]

Awarding Institutions Table

This table lists each approved Canadian institution and the qualifications, with their abbreviations, that are recognised from specific dates. For example, Brock University’s BAH, BSH, MA, and MS are accepted from 1984, and its BBA from 1994. The exact year windows and qualification–institution pairings are mandatory. [C-canada]

Mandatory referrals to NZQA

The following must be referred to NZQA for an International Qualifications Assessment, even if the qualification otherwise appears in the tables: [C-canada]

• All honorary degrees.
• Any listed qualification where study was completed at an institution outside Canada, including overseas campuses of a listed institution.
• Qualifications containing cross‑credited courses or papers.
• All initial teacher training degrees.
• All qualifications awarded after 2019.

Award certificates must be provided in their original language. French‑language universities may issue certificates in French; McGill University, the University of New Brunswick, and the University of Saskatchewan may issue certificates in Latin. In those cases, translated copies from the university must also be presented. [C-canada]

Application in decisions

Immigration officers use this section when an applicant claims points for a Canadian qualification without an NZQA IQA. If the qualification, institution, abbreviation, and date all match the tables exactly, the officer must award the points shown (50 for most listed qualifications). [C-canada]

If any condition is not met, or if the qualification falls into a mandatory‑referral category, the officer must request an IQA from NZQA before points can be granted. [C-canada]

Interpretation & edge cases

• Language and translation: French and Latin certificates are acceptable only with an official translation from the issuing university. [C-canada]
• Honours degrees: The recognised honours wording is specified; degrees that explicitly state ‘Honours’ in the award title are treated as Level 7/50 points if the institution and dates align. [C-canada]
• Post‑2019 awards: No qualification awarded after 2019 can be exempt from assessment by reference to this table alone; an NZQA IQA is always required. [C-canada]
• Cross‑credited study: Even if the course is listed, any cross‑credited component pulls the qualification out of the exempt list. [C-canada]
• Maîtrise professionnelle: This French‑language master’s level qualification is not automatically assessed and must be referred to NZQA. [C-canada]
• Date windows: The effective date of the list is 13 May 2019. Qualifications awarded outside the years shown are not covered, even if the institution otherwise appears. [C-canada]

Citations

• C-canada — Canada