The Honourable Lin Paddock, Minister of Jobs, Growth and Rural Development, today introduced legislation proposing amendments to the Fair Registration Practices Act that will provide a more flexible and responsive approach to designating regulatory bodies subject to the act.

The Fair Registration Practices Act helps ensure registration processes for regulated professions are transparent, timely and fair. This helps qualified individuals, including internationally educated professionals and people trained elsewhere in Canada, obtain recognition of their qualifications so they can participate in and strengthen the province’s workforce and build a life and career in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The proposed amendments would move the list of regulatory bodies covered by the act from the legislation into regulations. This would allow the Provincial Government to update the list more easily to add new regulatory bodies, ensuring a fair, timely and efficient process for assessing whether internationally trained professionals meet the necessary standards for in-demand occupations. By making it easier to add regulatory bodies under the act, the changes help reduce red tape by providing qualified individuals and prospective employers with greater clarity around licensing requirements and a defined timeline.

The change would also help the province respond more quickly to labour mobility commitments and workforce demands without requiring legislative amendments each time a regulatory body needs to be added or removed. This supports the Provincial Government’s commitment to recognize professional credentials and required training across provinces, helping qualified workers move more easily between jurisdictions.

The proposed amendments would not change the purpose of the Fair Registration Practices Act or the role of regulatory bodies. Regulatory bodies would continue to establish and assess the qualifications, standards and requirements needed to practice in their professions and carry out their public protection mandates.

These changes are intended to strengthen the Provincial Government’s ability to respond to changing workforce demands while supporting transparent, timely and fair registration processes for qualified professionals seeking to enter Newfoundland and Labrador’s workforce.

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“Newfoundland and Labrador’s workforce needs continue to evolve, and our legislation must be able to respond efficiently. These amendments will provide a practical and flexible mechanism to ensure the Fair Registration Practices Act remains aligned with provincial labour market priorities while maintaining the integrity of regulated professions and supporting fair registration processes for qualified individuals seeking to work in our province.”
Honourable Lin Paddock
Minister of Jobs, Growth and Rural Development

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