Balisimo

Hows it going everybody?

I got a visa and I am moving to Vancouver. I recently got approval to challenge the Red seal Construction Electrician Exam. Im sitting the exam on the 25th of January and I have been studying the last few months but I have just been told by a lady at the ITA that I will need to produce a Canadian ID on the day of the test such as a driving license or national ID card. My problem is I do not land in Canada till the 21st of January which only gives me 4 days to get an ID or I cannot sit the exam, a national ID card takes 4 to 6 weeks to be posted out to you.

Does anybody know if its possible to get a Canadian ID on the day by bringing my passport ect with me?

Has anybody else encountered a similar problem? I have my passport and driving license but the ITA will not accept these. It is a bit ridiculous considering the amount of foreign people that sit their exams.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

JonboyE

Note that is is a BC ID card not a national one.

As far as I know there is not a work-around. The only foreign passport they will accept is a US one. The photo driver's license and/or BCID card takes about 7-10 days to arrive. Unfortunately, the best I can suggest is that you contact them and ask to re-schedule the exam to the next available date.

Former Lancastrian

Have you contacted ITABC and informed them that you are not a resident of Canada and therefore have no Canadian Govt issued ID.
If you are admitted into Canada then your passport should have been stamped and possibly issued a document by CBSA.
Ask them are there any restrictions on who can take the exam i.e residents of Canada only. If it is open to non residents then I think your passport should suffice as ID.

Balisimo

Thanks for the Help
I have contacted the ITABC and the test is open to everybody who is eligible to work in Canada. They approved me for the exam, the application process took over 10 weeks. What I cant understand is that they knew I would not be arriving in Canada until 4 days before my exam so how did they expect me to get a ID card!
I rang them again and tried explaining my situation but they insist a canadian ID is necessary.

Think I will have to re-schedule

Former Lancastrian

Check your red seal thread.
I guess common sense does not prevail in BC then

mandymoochops

Hmmmm I suppose that they are presuming that if you are eligible to work in Canada you , by default, will have some form of id with you.

Rescheduling is not a big deal - it gives you more time to study

As an aside does the id need to be a photo one? What if you swapped your driving license the day you get here - they give you a paper one until the real one comes through in the mail - but it would still be classed as a piece of government issued id would it not?

Almost Canadian

SIN card should do it. We got ours when we attended - 10 min job. We obtained this the day after we landed.

Knowing Canadians, then will then refuse it as it is not a photo one

mandymoochops

But isn't that the same issue as the driving license? They give you a temporary paper one and the legit plastic one comes later.

JonboyE

Yes, it must be photo ID. One of these ... http://www.itabc.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=2329

mandymoochops

what if you're an unsecure indian?

Almost Canadian

We left with a plastic one (mine, the wife's and the kids'). SIN card plus passport would suffice in any sensible place. Welcome to Canada the land of unadulterated protectionism!

BristolUK

Good lord. Same day issue in NB. Photo ID Cards took about 35 minutes (total) for me, Mrs BristolUk and the mother in law last year.

JonboyE

a SI card does not work because it does not establish the person taking the exam is who they say they are.

Almost Canadian

The passport would do that unless, of course, the Canadian authorities believe that they are the only ones in the world that check the credentials of applicants before they issue the ID.

SIN would show the government of Canada has satisfied itself of the credentials of the holder to issue it to them. The passport would provide the necessary photo and, comparing the names would, in any sensible part of the world, suffice.

I know this is Canada and one must play by Canada's rules and I know you will defend the whole "that is how it is done here", doesn't stop it being nonsense though!

JonboyE

I invigilate exams for CGA-BC. To be a student of CGA-BC you have to be resident in the province. Therefore, to sit an exam you are expected to have your student card and photo ID issued by the BC government.*

It is not a world away from ITA-BC requirements and I don't think it unreasonable. The OP has put himself in this position by wanting to sit the exams within four days of becoming resident. I appreciate that it is not convenient for him but I don't think it invalidates the ID requirements.

* That said, if someone did not have BC government issued photo ID we are instructed that they are still allowed to sit the exam. We just note this on our exam report. I guess this means it is up the the powers that be to determine if the candidate was eligible to sit the exam.