One of the challenges skilled immigrants face in having their credentials recognized in Canada is the high cost of relicensing or training. Due to a lack of Canadian credit history and score, many newcomers are unable to obtain loans and, unless they draw from their savings, cannot afford these high costs. Thankfully, there are organizations working to reduce these barriers and assist newcomers to secure the financing they need to pay for these expenses.
Windmill Microlending is a Canadian non-profit organization serving newcomers to Canada since 2005. Windmill offers low-interest loans of up to $15,000 to pay for the credentials, licensing, retraining or professional development needed to achieve career success in Canada.
A Windmill loan may be used for:
- Short-term (two years or less) training
- Exam fees with a professional licensing association
- Travel expenses to write an exam
- Qualification assessments
- Professional association fees
- Books and course materials
- English or French language courses specific to employment
- Living allowance during study time
- Other related expenses
To be eligible, an applicant must:
- Be an Immigrant: Permanent Resident, Provincial Nominee, Refugee/Protected Person or Canadian Citizen.
- Plan to pursue training, licensure or a course of study to achieve their career goals
- Be living in Canada
- Not have an undischarged bankruptcy
Applications can be submitted online.
If you have any questions, please contact Ipek Tezol, Partnership Specialist - ipek@teamwindmill.org
This blog post was written by the staff of Windmill Microlending.
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