UK people have been migrating to Canada to live and work for decades. Fully qualified nursery, primary & secondary teachers from the United Kingdom are school teachers in Canada today as they’ve taken the opportunity and completed all requirements to relocate, teacher registration and visa.
As with Wales, N Ireland, Scotland and England going to teach in Canada means there’s competition for good jobs in popular towns & cities and more teacher jobs available in small cities.
UK school teacher requirements Canada 2023
- Teacher registration for the Canada province/territory you’ll be teaching.
- One of BEd, BA, BSC, PGCE, PGDE teacher certification for 5 to 12 or 11 to 18 school students.
- Medical check up.
- Residency & work visa issued by Canada immigration.
- Fluent English or French for Quebec province language ability.
- Specialist or major 3-4 year bachelor degree in your teaching subject.
- 2 teacher references from present or former schools.
- ACRO UK police background check issued within 6 months, you may need one for Canada visa immigration and another for teacher registration.
Each province or territories in Canada have similar teacher requirements although some differ where they ask for additional documentation. All documents require being in English or French.
One of more provinces in Canada require British teachers to complete a one year training to top up to become fully qualified for teaching school children.
Can a British teacher teach in Canada? Yes they can, if you are a qualified teacher with a 3-4 year bachelor degree and with a teaching qualification for the school age children you’ll teach. You require to be registered with the teacher board in for the area your school is and have a temporary or permanent Canada work Visa.
Is QTS recognised in Canada? Qualified teacher status (QTS) is accepted as part of a UK teacher showing they’ve completed an initial teacher training course successfully according to Canadian teacher standard.
You also must also have one of BEd, PGDE, BSC or BA teaching qualification to apply, and become recognised as qualified school teacher by one of the 13 teacher boards in Canada.
Steps how to become a Canada school teacher
Gather all qualifications and other documents required for moving to Canada as a teacher, including ACRO police check.
Register with a teacher board in the area you will teach. (See below)
Apply for and secure a work permit that’s temporary or permanent immigrant visa for Canada.
Evidence of sufficient funds to live in Canada (Required for a work visa)
Successfully pass a medical check for a visa.
Teacher registration Canada
All school teachers in Canada require to be registered to teach in the province or territory where the school is located. For example, a UK citizen choosing Ontario. Canada to become a teacher means you must first be fully registered with Ontario College of Teachers before you can start teaching children in a school classroom.
Many applicants who have completed their teacher education programs in the United Kingdom meet the College’s registration requirements for certification. Some applicants may be required to complete additional teacher education coursework that will be listed as conditions on the certificate.
Each application will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Ontario College of Teachers
UK teachers who qualified in UK with the following are unacceptable to Ontario College of Teachers and other parts of Canada for registration to teach 5-18 year old students in schools.
- Post Compulsory Education (With or without QTLS).
- School based teacher training.
- Graduate teacher program (GTP).
- Assessment only
Registration boards for teachers Canada
| Province/Territory | Teacher Registration boards |
| Alberta | Alberta Education, Professional Standard |
| British Columbia | Ministry of Education |
| Manitoba | Department of Education and Literacy |
| New Brunswick | Department of Education |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Department of Education |
| Northwest Territory | Department of Education |
| Nova Scotia | Department of Education |
| Nunavut | Nunavut Educators’ Certification |
| Ontario | Ontario College of Teachers |
| Prince Edward Island | Department of Education |
| Québec | Ministère de l’Éducation and here |
| Saskatchewan | Saskatchewan Department of Education |
| Yukon | Yukon Education Teacher Certification Unit |
Teacher registration board Canada step process
Academic records: Get your degree & transcripts and teaching qualification records sent to the teacher registration board in the Canadian area you want to teach. All documents require to be sent direct from the university/college to Canada.
Statement of professional standing Send a document in relation to where you completed you’re initial teacher training, comes from either England, Scotland, NI Ireland or Wales.
Teaching certificate: Forward a photocopy the teaching qualification you hold and also a registration card, if issued.
Registration and documents require may differ depending on the teacher board you apply. In all cases it take weeks to gather or arrange for documents to send and processing time of the application.
Look on here Ontario College of Teachers process
Country specific information from you depends if you qualified as a teacher in Scotland, Wales, NI Ireland or England.
Can I teach in Canada with a UK degree?
Teachers from the UK with a bachelor’s degree in education (BEd), BA, BSC or subject specific degree can teach in Canada schools with UK teaching qualifications. Secondary school teachers will find they’ll require a 3-4 year bachelor in a specific subject or major and minor.
Primary teaching in Canada from UK requires you have one or more years full time teaching experience in a primary school as a teacher of 5-12 year olds and appropriate teaching qualification. In Canada once registered you can work in independent or state schools as a general primary teacher for a specific age or specialise teaching, maths, PE or music.
(You first require having your degree qualification assessed by one of the Canada boards:
The Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada.
International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) – Alberta.
The International Credential World Education Services (WES) – Ontario Evaluation Service (ICES) – British Columbia.
The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC).
The Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada.
UK PGCE recognised in Canada for teaching
A Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) studied in England or Wales is recognised and accepted for meeting the Canadian skilled migrates visa and teachers registration board requirements. A UK PGCE requires be accompanied with qualified teacher status (QTS) and studying through a UK university.
Teaching in Canada with a PGCE from the UK for example is meets the requirements of all 13 Canadian teacher boards. Educators are already in Canada schools teaching where they used a PGCE & QTS from England to verify they are overseas qualified teachers with a comparable school teaching qualification.
Being recruited by a Canadian school you’ll find out UK degree and qualifications as a teacher must be appropriate for the school key stage and age of student learner.
Nursery school teacher Canada: Early years PGCE or bachelor degree in education covering 3-5 year olds with QTS or qualified teacher.
Primary school teacher Canada: You require a PGCE primary with QTS for school student’s age 5-12 years.
Secondary teacher Canada: A subject teacher in high school in Canada for 11-18 year old students requires a PGCE secondary.
Teacher salary in Canada schools
All 13 provinces in Canada have different levels of teaching salary per month with income tax payable. You’re salary per annum paid is according to the type of school, teacher position, experience and qualifications you hold.
Quebec school teacher salary minimum per year C$46,115 & maximum C$127,282
Northwest Territories have the highest starting salary for teachers C$86,516 to maximum C$127,282.
British Columbia as a popular location to live and for teaching salary is between C$ 53,260- C$85,761.
Look at teacher in Canada for salaries
School options in Canada for teachers
Government schools: Vast majority of UK teachers migrating to Canada will apply and be employed in of the many thousands of state schools. Almost all school children in Canada attend state school free 5 days a week from 8am to 3.30pm Monday-Friday.
Independent school: Options around Canada for qualified teachers from UK are in private fee paying schools, day or boarding in towns, cities and rural areas, although less jobs available and competitive applications.
Nursery school: Teachers who are qualified in early childhood education have an option to become a nursery teacher in Canada. Jobs in Canada nurseries for UK teachers are available, but there’s a good amount of competition for each job position.
Skilled immigration visa to Canada
- Express entry in Canada visa, although more criteria to meet. As a teacher your classed as a skilled worker.
School demand for subject teachers in Canada
Some parts of Canada there’s a shortage of certain subject teachers for secondary schools, and primary school teachers. Mathematics, physics, French, chemistry, special needs and technology educators are in greasiest need by schools all around Canada.
From British Columbia to Toronto, Ontario, and Calgary much fewer jobs are available for UK or Canadian teachers as there’s not much of a shortage in other subjects. There are job vacancies as school teachers in Canada primary and secondary schools in 2022, you just need to keep waiting and applying.