Applying for Document Evaluation

Timeline

Submitting Required Hard Copy Documents to PEBC – The time this takes is determined by you and the institutions that must submit documents on your behalf. PEBC recommends contacting your university and licensing authority (if applicable) before completing the online application. Please note, if PEBC has not received your application one year after receiving your transcript, your transcript will be shredded.

Completion of Online Application – PEBC starts tracking your application period when you pay the application fee. It is important to remember the date your fee was paid.

Application Acknowledgement – Within 6 weeks of PEBC receiving the hard copy of the Document Evaluation application, you will be informed via the Portal if there are outstanding requirements.

Completion of any Outstanding Requirements – If you are informed that there are outstanding requirements, the time this takes is up to you based on how quickly you can follow through. The 8 weeks mentioned in the Document Evaluation step do not begin until you have met all application requirements.

Application and Fee Expiry 2 Years After Paying the Application Fee – If PEBC has not received all required documents within 2 years of when you paid the application fee, your file will be closed, and your fee will not be refunded. Your documents will be shredded 6 months after your file is closed. You will need to pay the full fee again if you wish to re-apply for Document Evaluation in the future.

Document Evaluation – Once PEBC has received all required items and determined they are acceptable, candidates will be informed that their file is complete. It will then take up to 8 weeks for Document Evaluation to be completed. If all Document Evaluation requirements are not met 8 weeks prior to the examination application deadline, there is no guarantee you will be able to apply for the upcoming exam.

Document Evaluation Results – A Document Evaluation results letter will be added to the Digital Wallet in your Portal account within one week of Document Evaluation completion.

Examination Application Access – The exam application will appear in your Portal account within one week of a successful Document Evaluation if the application is open for an upcoming deadline. Candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible prior to an application deadline to have enough time to pass Document Evaluation and apply for the next exam.

Applying for the Exam – The application can be completed online with no hardcopy documents required, so you can apply the same day the application is made available to you.

Document Evaluation Expiry

If you graduated outside of Canada and the US – If you do not pass the Evaluating Examination within 5 years of the date on your Document Evaluation results letter, your file will be closed, and you will have to undergo Document Re-evaluation before you can apply for an upcoming exam.

Photo Expiry

If you graduated outside of Canada and the US –  If you pass the Evaluating Examination but are not registered by PEBC within 5 years of the date on your Document Evaluation results letter – your photo will expire, and you will find the Photo Renewal application in your Portal account. The application must be completed and approved before you can apply for an upcoming exam.

If you are a US graduate – If you pass one part of the Qualifying Examination but are not registered by PEBC within 5 years of the date on your US Document Evaluation results letter – your photo will expire, and you will find the Photo Renewal application in your portal account. The application must be completed and approved before you can apply for an upcoming exam.

Items to Submit to PEBC

In addition to completing the application and paying the fee in the Portal, the following items must be submitted for your Document Evaluation to be completed:

Additional documents or information may be requested in support of the application. Incorrectly submitted documents will delay the evaluation of your qualification.

If you are still completing your program outside of Canada and the US – review the instructions for Applying for Document Evaluation if You are Still Completing Your Program

How To Properly Certify a Document

1. Have a copy of the original document made. Do not make a copy of a copy.
2. Have each page of the document stamped and/or signed by someone with a qualification on the acceptable witness list found below. They must attest that the copy is an exact duplicate of the original. The document you send to PEBC must show the original stamps and/or signatures.
3. Do not submit original documents unless you do not want them returned. PEBC does not return documents under any circumstances.

Acceptable Witnesses

• Notary public from anywhere in the world – Stamp/seal and signature required
• Commissioner for oaths from anywhere in the world – Stamp/seal and signature required
• Lawyer from anywhere in the world – License number and signature required
• Embassy/consulate official from anywhere in the world – Stamp/seal and signature required
• Pharmacist or pharmacy technician currently licensed by a Canadian Provincial Regulatory Authority (PRA) –  License number and signature required

The documents you send to PEBC must show the witness’ original stamps and/or signature plus your witness’ license number, if applicable.

Translations

If a required document is not written in French or English, you will need to submit either an English or French translation by following these guidelines:

• The translation must be prepared by an official, certified translator. If you are having a document translated in Canada it must be done by a translator appointed by one of the following organizations. The translator can be appointed by any of these organizations regardless of your location.

• • Alberta – ATIA
  • British Columbia – STIBC
  • Manitoba – ATIM
  • Ontario – ATIO
  • Quebec – OTTIAQ
  • Saskatchewan – ATIS
  • New Brunswick – CTINB
  • Nova Scotia – ATINS
  • Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut & Northwest Territories – CTIC

• Each page of the translation must include the original stamp and signature of your official translator.
• A copy of the original language document must be submitted with the translation and each page of the original language document and the translation must include the original stamp and signature of your official translator.
• The name and credentials of your translator must appear in English or French.
• The version of the translation must be the original. Copies of translations are not accepted, even if certified.
• If you are submitting a translation of your transcript or licensing statement, the original language version you send must match the original language version sent directly to PEBC by your university or licensing authority.

Profile step

Please provide your complete name, address, preferred language and date of birth. When entering your name make sure it appears exactly as it is on the valid, government issued identification you will be submitting to PEBC.

Address – You do not need to use your home address. Enter the address PEBC should use when mailing something to you.

Education step

Please provide your education information.

• Degree Information – Include all your pharmacy degree information. PEBC will evaluate your education credentials to determine that they are comparable to a Canadian-accredited pharmacy degree.
• Education Information – Include information for any education you completed that contributed to your degree(s), such as a one-year pre-pharmacy program, a diploma in pharmacy or any post-professional pharmacy degree (e.g., Masters in Clinical Pharmacy) that you completed after graduation.
• Program Completion Date – If the day you completed your program is not available, enter the 1^st of the month. PEBC only verifies the month and year.

Licensing Information

Please provide the licensing information requested.

Declaration and Terms and Conditions

Please acknowledge the Declaration Statements and PEBC’s Privacy Policy to complete your application. You will first need to read PEBC’s Privacy Policy found here.

Permission for Representative

Here you can indicate whether you would like to give permission for someone else to correspond with PEBC on your behalf. This only allows a representative to email PEBC to discuss your file using the email address you provide. All other correspondence and documents will be sent to you directly.

If you do not want to have a representative correspond with PEBC on your behalf, please answer the first question and skip the remaining questions.

Application – Paper Version

Here you will find the link to the application you must print and complete to submit to PEBC. You will need to follow these steps to properly complete the paper version of the application.

1. PEBC ID – This does not need to be included. You can add it if you have received it, but you do not need to ask PEBC for it before submitting your paper application.
2. After downloading the application, you can fill in the application form before printing or fill it in with pen by hand after printing.
3. Enter your name on your application exactly as it appears on the identification and other documents.
4. Fill out the other information requested.
5. Attach a passport-acceptable photo to the application that was taken within the past year. The photo cannot be a photocopy or have been altered in any way. It must meet the specifications provided on the application.
6. You will need to have your application properly certified. See the Acceptable Witnesses section above for complete instructions.
7. While with your witness:
   • Sign the application in the space provided
   • Have your witness complete the ‘Witness Declaration’ section
   • Have your witness sign/stamp the photo as indicated on the application
8. Once you have completed the application, send it and accompanying documents, with tracking, to PEBC.
9. In the Portal “Application – Paper Version” step, confirm that you will courier your completed Pharmacist Document Evaluation paper application to PEBC.
   Please note: The “Application – Paper version received” step will be completed by PEBC.

Identification Verification

You will need to submit identification and a scanned photo for PEBC to verify your identity. You will need to upload your photo, but you must send the witnessed paper copy of your ID to PEBC with the paper version of your application.

Primary Identification

PEBC requires a properly certified copy of one of the following showing your name exactly as it appears on your application and other documents:

• Your valid (unexpired) Canadian or international passport – identification information pages only
• Your birth certificate
• Both sides of your Canadian citizenship card/certificate (only if it shows all names, including middle names)

* Do not submit your permanent resident card as primary identification.

Name Changes

If your name has changed, you will need to provide the primary ID required above for your original name, as well as documentation to support your change(s) of name. PEBC requires a properly certified copy of one of the following for each name change:

• Your marriage certificate
• Your change of name certificate

If you have been married more than once, you will need to submit marriage or divorce papers for each marriage. Each document must show your surname before and after the marriage so we can track your names from one document to the next.

Identification Alternatives

These are acceptable reasons for not being able to meet the requirements detailed above:

• None of these documents were ever issued to you and cannot be issued
• You no longer have any of these documents and they cannot be reissued
• Your primary ID does not show your full, legal name as it appears on your application
• If your name on your ID is spelled differently than on your application
• The names on your degree, transcript or licensing statement are different than your name on your ID

If you are unable to submit required documents due to any of the reasons listed you will need to make a statutory declaration before a notary public, commissioner for oaths, lawyer, or embassy/consulate official. You must submit the original statutory declaration and it must state:

• The official name as it appears on your application and other documents
• Your date of birth
• The reason you must submit a statutory declaration instead of meeting the primary ID requirements

To support the statutory declaration, you will need to submit certified copies of two pieces of valid, government issued ID, such as a driver’s license or health card. These pieces of ID must show  your date of birth and your name exactly as it appears in your statutory declaration.

Photo Requirements

You must ensure the photo you upload meets these requirements or it will be rejected and will slow down your application process.

• A passport acceptable photo of yourself – it must be same passport acceptable photo that you glue to the hard copy of your application
• Taken within one year of submission of your application
• Have the extension .jpg
• Be less than 200 Kb in size
• Be 400 x 600 pixels minimum and 600 x 800 maximum
• Scanned at 300 dpi
• Cropped so there is no extra space around the perimeter of your photo
• It cannot be part of a scan of an identification document
• Do not upload more than one photo.

Requirements Acknowledgement

In the Portal “Identification Verification – Documentation” step, confirm that you will send your identification documents to PEBC with your application.

Education Verification

Please confirm in the Portal application that the education information you entered in the Profile Phase is accurate and ready for PEBC to review.

University Degree Certificate

If your transcript, or a letter attached to your transcript, states that your degree has been conferred, you do not need to submit your degree certificate.

If that statement is not included in your transcript please submit a properly certified copy of your degree certificate, or an equivalent document. It would need to be certified by one of the professionals who could certify your application and ID.

University Transcript

PEBC requires your university transcript for each of your pharmacy degree programs that you wish PEBC to review.

• It must contain a list of all courses in your degree program(s) with corresponding grades.
• If your university cannot send an original transcript they can provide a photocopy, but each page must be stamped by your university and signed by a university official.
• PEBC does not accept transcripts containing documents, stamps and/or signatures from another organization other than your university. All documents, stamps and signatures must belong to your university.
• The issue date must be within one month of the date PEBC receives it.
• If you have a Diploma in Pharmacy or another degree that contributed to your pharmacy degree, you must also have the transcript for that program sent directly to PEBC by the issuing institution.
• If you attended a German university, PEBC requires certified copies of the certificates of all three stages issued by the university, as well as a certified copy of the pharmaceutical examination certificate with the attached original, official translations.

Having your transcript delivered to PEBC:

• Your transcript(s) must be sent to PEBC directly from your university or affiliated college by courier or email. Please send one or the other. Do not send both a hard copy and a digital version of a document.

By courier:

• If your transcript is sent by courier, it is recommended that you request tracking, do not request signature confirmation and enter $0 as the value.
• If your university or college will not send it themselves, you may have a courier pick up your transcript directly from the university or college and deliver it to PEBC. The university must be indicated as the sender. Do not request signature confirmation and enter $0 as the value.
• PEBC will not accept your transcript if it has been given to you or anyone else first, or if documents that are not from your university are sent with it.
• Your transcript will not be accepted if it is sent with your application.

By email:

• You can request that your transcript be emailed to desubmit@pebc.ca.
• Your document will not be accepted if it is not emailed directly by the university or an affiliated college.
• PEBC will only accept documents from a verifiable email address. The email must contain a position title or department name, rather than an individual’s name.
• PEBC reserves the right to conduct source verification of your transcript by directly contacting the issuing authority.

Syllabus

If the university where you obtained your degree has not already been approved by PEBC you will be asked to submit an official university syllabus. It must meet the following requirements:

• Provide proof that it was issued by the university by displaying the university name, university information and any publishing information available
• State your program level – i.e. Bachelor of Pharmacy
• State the number of years or semesters of your program
• Represent the year you graduated
• Every course from your pharmacy program must be represented by the course title and a description of the course content

It does not need to be certified.

Your program will need to be approved by PEBC before you can proceed with Document Evaluation. Additional documents or information may be requested to complete program approval. Program approval may take up to a month.

You can mail or email your syllabus to PEBC yourself.

Application Step Acknowledgement

Confirm in the Portal application that you will submit all documents required for education verification.

Licensing Verification

You will need to submit documents to prove your current license status. If a licensing statement is required but you submit license registration documents instead, they will be rejected. A registration certificate is not the same as a licensing statement. It does not tell PEBC whether you are in good standing with your licensing authority. Carefully read and follow the instructions below to properly submit the required documents.

If you are currently licensed:

PEBC requires a licensing statement sent directly from all licensing authorities you have been licensed by.

• It must state that you “are currently licensed” and indicate whether you are in good standing.
• PEBC does not accept licensing statements containing documents, stamps and/or signatures from another organization other than your licensing authority. All documents, stamps and signatures must belong to your licensing authority.
• The issue date of your licensing statement must be within one month of the date it is received by PEBC.
• Licensing statements expire 6 months after their issue date. If your Document Evaluation is not complete in six months you will need to submit a new, currently dated licensing statement.

If you have been licensed in the past but are not currently licensed:

1. Submit a statutory declaration made before a Notary Public, Commissioner for Oaths, lawyer or embassy/consulate official.

• It must include the sentence “I am not currently licensed anywhere in the world.” and provide a brief explanation of why you are not currently licensed.
• It must state the country and name of the licensing authority you were licensed by.
• It must state whether your license was ever suspended or revoked and whether you were ever the subject of any disciplinary proceedings.
• Send the document by courier yourself. Do not request signature confirmation and enter $0 as the value.
• Only submit the original document. A copy will not be accepted.

2. Have all licensing authorities you were licensed by send PEBC a statement indicating your standing while licensed by them.

• It must state that you were previously licensed by the licensing authority and include whether or not you were in good standing during that time.
• The issue date of your licensing statement(s) must be within one month of the date it is received by PEBC.
• Licensing statements expire 6 months after their issue date. If your Document Evaluation is not complete in six months you will need to submit a new, currently dated licensing statement.
• PEBC does not accept licensing statements containing documents, stamps and/or signatures from another organization other than your licensing authority. All documents, stamps and signatures must belong to your licensing authority.

If you have never been licensed:

Submit a statutory declaration made before a Notary Public, Commissioner for Oaths, a lawyer or embassy/consulate official.

• It must include the sentence “I have never been licensed anywhere in the world.” and provide a brief explanation of why you have never been licensed.
• You can send this statutory declaration with your application.
• PEBC will not accept a copy. Please be sure to send the original statutory declaration.

Instructions for having your licensing statement(s) sent by courier:

• Do not have your licensing authority send a digital copy as well if you decide to have it sent by courier.
• It is recommended that your licensing authority send your licensing statement by courier with tracking, without signature confirmation and $0 entered as value.
• If your licensing authority will not send your licensing statement themselves, you may have a courier pick up your licensing statement directly from the issuing authority and deliver it to PEBC. The licensing authority must be indicated as the sender on the courier waybill. Do not request signature confirmation and enter $0 as value.
• PEBC will not accept a licensing statement if it has been given to you or anyone else first, or if documents that are not from your licensing authority are sent with it.
• Your licensing statement will not be accepted if it is sent with your application.

Instructions for having your licensing statement(s) sent by email:

• You can request that your licensing statement be emailed to desubmit@pebc.ca.
• If you have your licensing statement emailed, do not have a hard copy sent as well.
• Your document will not be accepted if it is not emailed directly by the licensing authority.
• PEBC will only accept documents from a verifiable email address. The email must contain a position title or department name, rather than an individual’s name.

PEBC reserves the right to conduct source verification of your licensing statement by directly contacting the issuing authority.

Confirmation that documents will be sent

Confirm in the Portal application that the required licensing documents will be sent to PEBC.

Mailing Instructions

The documents that must be mailed to PEBC should be sent by courier, with tracking, to the address found on the Contact Us page. Do not request signature confirmation and enter $0 as value.

PEBC Review

This step of the Document Evaluation application will be completed by PEBC.

PEBC Requirements for an ECA Report

You must successfully complete Document Evaluation before you will have access to the ECA Report application. Your Document Evaluation will determine whether your educational credentials are the equivalent of the basic education requirement to practice as a pharmacist in Canada – a Canadian 4-year, entry-level pharmacy degree.

Applying for the ECA Report

Once your Document Evaluation has been approved the ECA Report application will be added to your Portal account within 5 business days. It is an optional application that you can ignore if you do not require an ECA Report for IRCC.

The application contains two phases. You must complete the first phase before the second phase will be made available to you.

1. ECA Report Application

Read the Terms and Conditions provided in the application and then provide your confirmation as indicated.

2. ECA Report Fee

Once you complete the application you must pay the fee.

• If you have funds on account with PEBC please use the 3rd Party Payment option in the fee section of the application and follow the instructions provided. If you do not have enough money on account to cover the entire exam fee, please contact pebcinfo@pebc.ca for further instructions.
• The fee for each ECA Report is non-refundable.

Steps Following Completion of Application

Once you have completed the application and your fee has been approved, an ECA Report information letter and the PDF of your ECA Report will be uploaded to your Digital Wallet within 5 business days, unless there are issues with your application. Be sure to read the ECA Report information letter first for the information you will need to open your report.

It is your responsibility to submit the ECA Report to IRCC. IRCC will then verify the authenticity of your report with PEBC.

ECA Report Expiry

Your ECA Report will expire 5 years from the date of issue on your report. Once your ECA Report expires you can apply for a new one using the same process and paying the applicable fee.