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Out-of-Province Applicants

Last updated on December 19, 2024

Out-of-Province Applicants

In order to transfer to British Columbia (BC) as an Emergency Medical Assistant (EMA), you must be in good standing and licensed or registered as an EMA or equivalent in your current jurisdiction. The Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Board does not accept applications from applicants transferring to BC based on training, employment and/or examinations only. Out-of-Province and Out-of-Country Applicants Policy

All out of province applicants applying to BC that have a lapse in practice will be assessed under the Out of Province Assessment Policy and examinations/training may be required in order to be eligible for BC licensure.

All applicants are required to successfully complete the BC jurisprudence exam before a licence is issued.

Canadian Applicants

As per the Canadian Free Trade Agreement and the EMA Regulations, all Canadian applicants must be registered or licensed as an EMA in another province to apply for licensure in BC.

The EMA Licensing Board CFTA Comparison Chart shows any restrictions and endorsements that will be placed on your BC licence based on province of origin.

To remove restrictions or add endorsements to a BC licence, please see the list of Board Recognized Training for Endorsement and Restriction Modules. Any training taken outside of BC will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, certificates and course outlines can be submitted to the Clinical Advisor at clinical.advisor@gov.bc.ca

To apply for a BC licence, follow these steps:

  • Complete Section A of the COPR Labour Mobility form (PDF, 288KB) for each province you are currently and/or previously registered in and send it to your regulating body(s). The regulating body(s) will complete Section B and send it directly to our office.
    • Ontario Applicants- Applicants that are not currently certified through a base hospital will be assessed under the Out of Province Assessment Policy (examinations/training may be required).
    • The COPR Labour Mobility form must be completed by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
  • Complete and electronically submit the Application for Licence form and attach a copy of your program certificate or transcript.
  • Complete and electronically submit the EMA Professional Experience Record form
  • Undergo a criminal record check.

Once our office has received all of your documentation, you will be advised of your eligibility for licensing in BC and your exam requirements.

International Applicants

All International applicants must be registered or licensed as an EMA or equivalent in another country to apply for licensure in BC. The applicant will also be required to complete any examinations or training for any equivalency shortfalls where the Board feels that their qualifications, examinations, or training are not equivalent to an EMA in BC

The checklist of services is used as a reference to determine which licence category most closely aligns with your training and experience. Please keep in mind that your licence category includes the services for your category plus all services in the categories below i.e., each license builds on preceding licence category.

In BC, there are four licence categories an international applicant may be eligible to apply for Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), Primary Care Paramedic (PCP), Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP), or Critical Care Paramedic (CCP).

To have your credentials assessed:

  1. Have your regulatory body complete and email the Practitioner Essential Competencies Comparison form.
  2. Complete and electronically submit the Application for Licence form and attach a copy of your program certificate or transcript.
  3. Complete and electronically submit the EMA Professional Experience Record.
  4. Undergo a criminal record check.
  5. Language Proficiency Requirements may be required.

Once our office has received all your documentation and your assessment is complete, you will be advised of your eligibility for licensing in BC and your exam requirements.

Note: There are fees associated with the licensing process when a written and/or practical exam is required.

Transferring from BC

To transfer from BC to another jurisdiction, you will need to verify your BC registration. The verification process is as follows:

  • Get the COPR Labour Mobility form from the jurisdiction you want to transfer to.
  • Complete Section A of the form and send by email to getalicense@gov.bc.ca.
  • Our office will fill out Section B of the COPR Labour Mobility form and then e-mail the form directly to the regulating body of that jurisdiction.

Useful Links

Canadian Emergency Medical Assistant Regulators

You must report any current licences or previous licences you have held in any jurisdiction.

You need to provide the Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Branch the name and contact information of the organization that issued the licence. The branch will enquire about your status.

All licensing applicants for the EMR, PCP, ITT, ACP, or CCP level are required to successfully complete the jurisprudence examination. Applicants have three attempts to successfully complete the jurisprudence examination. The jurisprudence examination consists of 25 questions with two hours to complete and 80% is required to pass.

You must be in good standing in all jurisdictions where you have held a licence.

You cannot have a licence revoked or suspended from a previous jurisdiction.

The Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Board will consider, on a case-by-case basis, situations where an applicant is not in good standing and determine if a licence should be issued.

For more information about transferring to or from B.C., please contact us.

Mailing Address:
EMA Licensing Branch
Ministry of Health
PO Box 9625 Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, B.C. V8W 9P1

Courier Address:
EMA Licensing Branch
Ministry of Health
1515 Blanshard Street,1st Floor
Victoria BC V8W 3C8

Phone: 250 952-1211

Toll-free: 1 877 952-1211

Email: getanexam@gov.bc.ca