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Qualifications exempt from assessment

Canada qualifications: do you need an NZQA assessment?

Immigration New Zealand lists 25 qualifications from Canada that do not need an IQA at NZQF levels 7 to 8, awarded by 36 listed institutions. One more is named specifically as still requiring assessment by NZQA.

If your qualification is on this list, was awarded by a listed institution within the listed years, and is not excluded by the notes, Immigration New Zealand accepts its level without an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) from NZQA.

All of the conditions below have to be met together. Meeting one of them is not enough, and this is where most people go wrong: the qualification and the awarding institution are two separate checks.

When is a qualification from Canada exempt?

Immigration New Zealand exempts a qualification from assessment only when every one of these conditions is met. Meeting some of them is not enough.

  1. the qualification is listed in the Academic Qualifications Table
  2. the awarding institution is listed in the Awarding Institutions Table
  3. the qualification abbreviation is listed in the right-hand column in the Awarding Institutions Table
  4. the qualification was awarded from or within the year range listed in the right-hand column in the Awarding Institutions Table
  5. the qualification is not excluded by the notes listed under the Academic Qualifications Table

If any condition fails, you need an International Qualification Assessment from NZQA before you claim points for the qualification. Our guide to the IQA and NZQA assessment explains that process, and the SMC points system explainer covers what a qualification is worth once its level is confirmed.

Qualifications from Canada that still need an IQA

These appear on INZ's list specifically to say they are not exempt. They require assessment by NZQA even when the awarding institution is listed below.

  • Maîtrise professionnelle en (Speciality)

Qualifications from Canada on the list

The NZQF level is the New Zealand framework level Immigration New Zealand accepts for the qualification. It is not a points score.

Qualification Abbrev. NZQF level
Baccalauréat en (speciality)*** Bachelier en (speciality)*** Bachelière en (speciality)*** BACH 7
Baccalauréat en droit*** Bdr 7
Bachelor of Applied Science (Engineering speciality) (with or without honours) *** BAS 7
Bachelor of Arts with Honours Baccalauréat ès arts Baccalaureate in Arts Baccalaureum Artium Bachelier ès arts Bachelière ès arts (Honours must be stated on the award certificate)** BAH 7
Bachelor of Business Administration*** BBA 7
Bachelor of Civil Law and Bachelor of Laws*** BCL 7
Bachelor of Commerce*** BC 7
Bachelor of Engineering*** Bachelor of Engineering Science*** Bachelor of Science in Engineering*** Baccalauréat en Génie*** Baccalaureréate en Ingénierie*** Bachelier en Ingénierie*** Bachelière en Ingénierie*** BE 7
Bachelor of Fine Arts*** BFA 7
Bachelor of Laws*** LLB 7
Bachelor of Pharmacy / Baccalauréat en Pharmacie*** BP 7
Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy / Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy)*** BSP 7
Bachelor of Science with Honours Baccalaureate in Science Baccalauréat ès sciences Baccalaureus in Scientia Bachelier ès sciences Bachelière ès sciences (Honours must be stated on the award certificate)** BSH 7
Bachelor of Social Work *** BSW 7
Doctor of Dental Medicine DDM 7
Doctor of Dental Surgery DDS 7
Doctorat en Médecine Dentaire DMD 7
Doctor of Medicine / Doctorat en Médecine MD 7
Doctorem Medicinae et Chirurgiae Magistrum DMCM 7
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine / Doctorat en Médecine Vétérinaire DVM 7
Maître en (Speciality) Maîtresse en (Speciality) Maîtrise en (Speciality) Maîtrise en (Speciality) avec mémoire Maîtrise ès Sciences M 8
Maîtrise professionnelle en (Speciality) — Requires NZQA assessment
Master of Arts MA 8
Master of Education MEd 8
Master of Science MS 8

Notes on this table

  • * Abbreviations used are for the purpose of this list only.
  • ** Honours on the award certificate may be stated as ‘Honours’, ‘(Honours)’, ‘with Honours’ or ‘Honours Bachelor of’ and may be spelt as ‘honors’.
  • *** These degrees are acceptable when awarded with or without honours
  • Note: Award certificates must be provided in their original language. French language universities may award qualification certificates in French, while McGill University, the University of New Brunswick, and the University of Saskatchewan may award qualification certificates in Latin. In these instances translated copies from the University must also be presented. The following must be referred to NZQA for an International Qualifications Assessment: - All honorary degrees - All listed qualifications where study was completed at any institution outside of the country, including any overseas campuses of any listed awarding institution - All listed qualifications that contain cross-credited courses or papers - All initial teacher training degrees - All qualifications awarded after 2019

Awarding institutions

Your qualification is only exempt if it was awarded by one of these institutions, the abbreviation appears against that institution, and the award year falls in the range shown.

Institution Qualifications and years
Brock University BAH, BSH, MA and MS: 1984 BBA: 1994
Carleton University BAH, BSH, MA and MS: 1984 BE: 1989 BSW: 1994
Concordia University / Université Concordia BAH, BC, BSH, MA and MS: 1984 BE: 1989
Dalhousie University BAH, BSH, BSP, DDS, MD, MA and MS: 1984 BC and BSW: 1994 BE: 1997 LLB: 1984–2010
Lakehead University BAH, BSH, BSW, MA and MS: 1984 BC and BFA: 1994 BE: 1989
Laurentian University / Université Laurentienne BAH, BE, BSH and M: 2008
McGill University / Universitatis McGill BAH, BCL, BSH, DMCM, MA and MS: 1984 BC: 1994 BE: 1989 DDM: 2000 DDS: 1984–2000
McMaster University BAH, BSH, MD, MA and MS: 1984 BC: 1994 BE: 1989
Memorial University of Newfoundland BAH, BSH, MD, MA and MS: 1984 BE: 1989 BFA: 1994 BSP: 1990
Nipissing University BAH, BBA, BFA, BSH, BSW, MA and MS: 2016
Queen's University at Kingston BAH, BSH, MD, MA and MS: 1984 BC: 1994 BE: 1989 LLB: 1984–2008
Royal Military College of Canada BAH, BE, BSH, MA and MS: 2012
Ryerson University BAH, BAS, BC, BFA, BSH, MA and MS: 2010
Saint Mary’s University (Novia Scotia) BAH, BC, BSH, MA and MS: 2015
Simon Fraser University BAS, BAH, BBA, BFA, BSH, MA and MS: 1995
Trent University BAH, BBA, BSH, BSW, MA, and MS: 2010
The University of Alberta BAH, BSP, BSH, DDS, MD, MA and MS: 1984 BE: 1989 LLB: 1984–2011
The University of British Columbia BAS: 1989 BAH, BSH, DDM, MD, MA and MS: 1984 BC: 1994 LLB: 1984–2010 BSP: 1984-2018
The University of Calgary BAH, BSH, MD, MA and MS: 1984 BC and BSW: 1994 BE: 1989 LLB: 1984–2009 DVM: 2012
The University of Guelph BAH, BSH, DVM, MA and MS: 1984 BC: 1994 BE: 1989
University of Lethbridge BFA, MA and MS: 2010
The University of Manitoba BSE: 1989 BAH, BE, BSH, BSP, DDM, MD, MA and MS: 1989 BC, BFA and BSW: 1994 LLB: 1989–2011
University of New Brunswick / Universitas Novi Brunsviri BAH, BSH, MA, MEd and MS: 1984 BBA: 1994 BE: 1989 LLB: 1984–2014
University of Northern British Columbia BAS: 2017 MA, MEd and MS: 2012
University of Ontario Institute of Technology BAH, BC, BE, BSH, MA, MEd and MS: 2015
University of Ottawa / Université d’Ottawa BAS: 1989 BAH, BSH, MD, MA and MS: 1984 LLB: 1984–2010
University of Prince Edward Island BAH, BBA, BSH, DVM, MA, MEd and MS: 2015
University of Regina BAS: 1989 BAH, BSH, MA, MEd and MS: 1984 BBA: 2008
University of Saskatchewan / Universitas Saskatchewanensis BAH, BSH, DDM, MD, DVM, MA and MS: 1984 BC: 1994 BE: 1989 LLB: 1984–2010 BSP: 1991-2018
University of Toronto BAS: 1989 BAH and BSH: 2006 BBA: 2002 BC: 1994 LLB: 1984–2001 BSP: 1984–2014 DDS, MD, MA and MS: 1984
University of Victoria BAH, BSH, MA and MS: 1984 BC, BSW and MEd:1994 BE: 1989 LLB: 1984–2010
The University of Waterloo BAS: 1989 BAH, BSH, MA and MS: 1984
The University of Western Ontario BAH, BSH, DDS, MD, MA and MS: 1984 BE: 1989 LLB: 1984–2008 BSW: 1994
University of Windsor BAS: 1989 BAH, BC, BSH, MA and MS: 1984 LLB: 1984–2009 BSW: 1994
Wilfrid Laurier University BAH, BBA, BSH, MA and MS: 2005
York University / York Université BAS: 2007–2014 BAH, BSH, MA and MS: 1984 BBA, BFA, BSW and MEd: 1994 BE: 2014 LLB: 1984–2009

Source: Immigration New Zealand Operational Manual . Synced 13 September 2026.

Not sure how yours reads?

Matching an award certificate against this list is fiddlier than it looks: institutions get renamed, award years narrow the exemption, and the notes can rule a qualification out. Talk it through with us and we will listen to your situation and match you with the right IAA-licensed adviser.

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This page reproduces Immigration New Zealand's published List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment and is general information, not immigration advice. INZ revises the list, so check the linked source page before you rely on it. ProVisas is a licensed New Zealand immigration advisory firm (IAA Licence 201301110).