Assessment of International Credentials

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Application Procedure

Before proceeding, please review the CASW Assessment of International Credentials Terms and Conditions.

Please follow the Steps outlined in Parts 1, 2 and 3 to have your Social Work qualifications assessed. Please read all instructions carefully.

Documents may be submitted in any order, or all at once, however, a file will not move forward to the evaluation stage until CASW has received all the necessary documents and payment.

CASW opens a file in the applicant’s name when we receive their first document. All subsequent documents are added to this file as they arrive at our offices. Documents may be submitted in any order. Unfortunately, due to the volume of mail received, CASW is unable to provide proactive updates regarding the receipt of mail, or status updates. Applicants may inquire about the status of assessments at any point in the process by email.

The time it takes to assess the file can vary greatly depending on demand, and CASW is unable to guarantee specific timelines in terms of completing evaluations. However, once all the required documentation has been received, assessments generally take between 6-12 weeks.

Submitting Documents

Please do not submit any original documents to CASW. As per our Terms and Conditions, CASW will not return documents submitted by applicants. CASW does not retain hard copies of documents.  Any original documents received by CASW will not be returned and will be destroyed by CASW at its sole discretion (effective October 1, 2023).

CASW will only accept documents sent via email in the following formats: PDF, Microsoft Word, JPEG, or PNG as attachments. Documents must be sent in an organized manner and be clearly labeled. It is not possible for CASW to access documents sent via Google Drive.

Part 1: The documents in Part 1 of the application must be received directly from the educational institution attended. This must be arranged by the applicant.

Parts 2 and 3: All documents in Part 2 and Part 3 may be sent to CASW directly by an applicant or by a third party on behalf of the applicant. Please send these documents via email to: caswassessment@casw-acts.ca.

If it is not possible to send the documents in Parts 2 and 3 via email, applicants may mail documents to:

Canadian Association of Social Workers
M229 - 1554 Carling Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario K1Z 7M4

Translations

If any documents are in a language other than one of Canada's two official languages (French or English), CASW will require translations. CASW will accept translations of documents from either the applicant, the educational institution, or a third party on behalf of an applicant. However, if any discrepancies were to be found during the evaluation process, CASW could then require that translations be submitted by a certified translator.

Questions

Applicants may inquire about the status of assessments at any point in the process by email: caswassessment@casw-acts.ca. Applicants can expect responses to inquiries within 5 to 10 business days.

Part 1

The documents in Part 1 of the application must be received directly from the educational institution attended. This must be arranged by the applicant.

1. CASW Verification Form

CASW must receive the CASW Verification Form relating to the primary credential/degree to be assessed directly from the educational institution attended. CASW does not accept Verification forms electronically (e-mail attachments).

The CASW Verification form must be printed, signed, and sealed by Dean or Director of School/Faculty of Social Work at the applicable academic institution and sent by mail directly to the CASW offices, not to the applicant. The applicant cannot forward a sealed envelope.

Click here to view or download the CASW Verification Form.

Canadian Association of Social Workers
M229 - 1554 Carling Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario K1Z 7M4

2. Official Credentials/Transcripts for Primary Credential/Degree to be assessed

Official transcripts should include a record of all courses taken, as well as grades and credit hours received.

The primary credential/degree is considered the highest level of professional social work education completed by an applicant. If CASW receives the primary degree transcript from an applicant, whether in a sealed envelope or not, CASW will request that a new transcript be sent directly to CASW from the educational institution before proceeding with an evaluation. No exceptions.

The official transcript of the primary credential/degree to be assessed must be received directly by postal mail or courier at the CASW offices from the educational institution attended.

Canadian Association of Social Workers
M229 - 1554 Carling Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario K1Z 7M4

In recognition that many educational institutions have shifted their delivery of academic records from traditional postal mail to using secure online document sharing platforms, CASW will accept documents shared on the following platforms (effective December 1, 2023):

Digitary CORE
Gradintelligence
My eQuals
Diploma registry (Norway)
Parchment

If the educational institution where you received your social work credentials issues documents through one of the CASW accepted platforms, please request that the educational institution or the online platform send the access information to: caswassessment@casw-acts.ca

This must be completed by the applicant. CASW does not contact universities or sharing platforms directly. The applicant is responsible for any costs associated with delivery of documents.

Part 2

The following documentation is also required by CASW to proceed with an assessment. All documents in Part 2 may be sent to CASW directly by an applicant or by a third party on behalf of the applicant. Please send these documents via email to: caswassessment@casw-acts.ca.

3. The CASW Application Form

The CASW Application Form must be completed by the applicant.

Click Here to view or download the CASW Application Form

Please note: CASW opens a file in the applicant’s name when we receive their first document. All subsequent documents are added to this file as they arrive at our offices. Documents may be submitted in any order. CASW would recommend submitting the application form when you begin the application process.

4. Course Descriptions

Course descriptions are required for each class as listed on the transcript. Ideally course descriptions should come from an academic institution’s syllabus or other official document. Most academic institutions use course descriptions to help students decide which classes to take. Photocopies of the original course descriptions from the academic institution attended are acceptable.

If course descriptions are not available from the academic institution attended, CASW will accept one to two paragraphs stating the purpose, content and learning objectives of each class listed on the transcript summarized by the applicant. Click here to see an example of what is required.

5. Social Work Field Practice Descriptions

Ideally Field Work, Practicum, or Placement descriptions should come from your academic institution’s syllabus or other official document. If Field Work, Practicum, or Placement descriptions are not available from the academic institution attended, CASW will accept an overview of the type of setting, hours of practicum per semester (as applicable) and a general description of your on-site experiences, including the methods of supervision and evaluation by the agency and by the university.

Click here for an example of what is required

Note that the evaluation is purely academic in nature and does not consider work or volunteer experience.

6. Pay the Application Fee

The fee is $395.50 ($350 plus 13% HST) and covers the professional assessment and administrative costs.

Applicants may make the payment at any point during the assessment process; however, a file will not move forward to the evaluation stage until a payment has been received.

CASW accepts payment in Canadian funds only and the preferred payment option is by credit card through PayPal.

If using the PayPal option, applicants must forward a copy of the PayPal receipt to CASW.

Money order and certified cheques made payable to the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) are also accepted and should be mailed with your application form. Please be aware that CASW will not proceed with an assessment until confirmation is received from our banking institution that payment has cleared.

The CASW refund policy can be found here

7. Document Checklist

Please download the Document Checklist to ensure that all necessary documents are submitted to CASW.

While CASW will provide support and answers to enquires, it is the applicant’s responsibility to provide CASW with the necessary documents for your evaluation.

CASW evaluators require all relevant documents listed on the checklist to fully understand an applicant’s credentials.

Please note: Missing documents could lead to an outcome of non-equivalency to a Canadian Bachelor or Master of Social Work. If your credentials are found non-equivalent to Canadian Standards due to missing documents (most often education completed is in an unrelated discipline or unsubmitted field placement hours) you will be required to pay another full assessment fee to conduct a review or reassessment. Please find the CASW Review policy here.

The completed document checklist should be the final document submitted to CASW. This indicates to CASW that you have reviewed the full Document Checklist and submitted all the documentation required for your assessment.

Once has been submitted, CASW will review your file. You will then receive an update via email regarding the status of your file.

Part 3

The following documents MUST be submitted if applicable to you. These documents may be sent to CASW directly by an applicant or by a third party on behalf of the applicant. Please send these documents via email to caswassessment@casw-acts.ca.

8. Secondary Credentials

Generally, secondary credentials are considered all post-secondary education completed by an applicant prior to the completion of their highest level of social work education. CASW does not require post graduate continuing education seminars, courses, or diplomas. CASW does not assess Secondary School credentials.

CASW requires official transcripts and course descriptions of secondary credentials (degrees/diplomas) obtained, even if the education completed is in an unrelated discipline.

Copies of secondary credentials may be sent to CASW directly by the applicant.

Course descriptions are required for all courses, including secondary credentials or non-social work degrees.

Transcripts and course descriptions relating to secondary credentials may be sent to CASW directly by an applicant or by a third party on behalf of the applicant.

9. Supporting Documentation

Supporting documents are not mandatory and need only be sent if applicable to the applicant.

Supporting documents include:

Proof of name change - If your name has changed since you completed your education, CASW needs proof of the change of name.
For example, a copy of an applicant’s Marriage Certificate.

A copy of the title and abstract of an applicant’s Thesis or Major Research Paper, if one was completed.

Proof of membership in professional social work associations(s) from another country

A copy of Social work Certificate(s) or Diplomas(s) obtained

10. Waiver Form

What is the CASW Waiver Form?

The Waiver Form allows CASW to share the results of your assessment including all required and supporting documentation with the Social Work Regulatory Body in the province or territory where you intend to practice. There is no fee for this service.

When should the CASW Waiver Form be submitted?

The waiver form may be submitted at any point during the assessment process or after the assessment has been completed. The waiver form should be submitted when an applicant begins the process of registration with a provincial regulatory body.

Do all Canadian Social Work Regulatory bodies accept the CASW Assessment?

CASW's assessments are currently accepted in all provinces/territories except for British Columbia and Quebec.

If you wish to practice social work in the province of British Columbia, please contact the British Columbia College of Social Workers (BCCSW): https://bccsw.ca/. If you wish to practice social work in the province of Quebec, please contact l’Ordre des travailleurs sociaux et des thérapeutes conjugaux et familiaux du Québec (OTSTCFQ): www.otstcfq.org.

How should the waiver form be submitted?

The Waiver Form should be completed and submitted by the applicant via email: caswassessment@casw-acts.ca.

Click here to download the Waiver Form

Applicants with limited internet access may choose to download the application package. For the most up to date information, please consult the CASW website whenever possible.

Download the Questions and Answers Page here

Download the Application Procedures here

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