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Conflict Resolution Specialist, Diplomat, Dispute Resolution Specialist, Trade Commissioner, Cultural Interpreter, Immigration Officer Abroad, Political Economic Officer
In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.
The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used.
Here is how this occupation has been classified over time.
2006 NOC
2006 NOC-S
2011 NOC
2016 NOC
2021 NOC
2023 OaSIS
In general, foreign service officers are responsible for:
All foreign service officers must keep informed about the latest developments in Canadian policy including current immigration regulations, guidelines and policies.
Foreign service officers are recruited and trained by the Canadian government for service in one of four streams. The responsibilities of those in each stream vary depending on whether they are working abroad in diplomatic offices or in Canada.
The duties of foreign service officers in the political economic stream when abroad include:
When stationed in Canada, they may be responsible for:
The duties of foreign service officers employed in the immigration stream when abroad include:
In Canada, foreign service officers in this stream may be responsible for:
When abroad, foreign service officers in the international trade stream are responsible for helping Canada to gain a greater share of the world market. The duties of international trade officers may include:
In Canada, when stationed in Ottawa or assigned to a regional International Trade Centre elsewhere in the country, foreign service officers in this stream may be responsible for policy formation and specialized areas of trade development.
When abroad, officers in the management and consular affairs stream are responsible for managing administrative programs at Canadian Missions. Their duties may include:
Foreign service officers are based in Ottawa or regional offices across Canada. Commitment to being rotational (moving to positions throughout headquarters, to regional offices in Canada and to any of Canada's 170 offices worldwide) is required. Assignments for foreign service officers usually are two to four years abroad.
Foreign service officers must be prepared to work anywhere in the world. In some countries, there are restrictions on personal movement for political or safety reasons. The housing provided is normally in good condition but, in some countries, water must be filtered and food disinfected. Food products may be unfamiliar in local markets and there may be endless line ups. It usually is not possible for spouses to work abroad.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2006 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Interest in co-ordinating information to organize the logistics and administration of elections within constituencies and to ensure that electoral and voting procedures are followed; and in planning logistics and overseeing diplomatic protocol of official visits to Canada by foreign politicians and dignitaries
Interest in co-ordinating administrative support services for legislative committees, royal commissions and tribunals
Interest in consulting with and advising politicians and diplomats on the social, economic and political effects of government decisions on other governments in Canada and abroad
To identify or change your interest codes, complete the Interests Exercise in CAREERinsite.
The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation.
It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective, and Social.
Each set of 3 interest codes for this NOC group is listed in order of importance.
A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.
A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.
To fill in or change the values for your abilities, complete the Abilities Exercise in CAREERinsite.
A Quick Guide
You are born with abilities that help you process certain types of information and turn it into action. These abilities influence which skills you can learn more easily.
The abilities or aptitudes shown for this NOC group come from the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). The GATB measures 9 aptitudes. It groups them into 3 categories: mental, visual, and physical.
The abilities scores range from 1 to 5, with 5 being stronger.
In general, foreign service officers need:
In addition, those employed in the political economic stream need:
Those employed in the immigration stream need:
Those employed in the international trade stream need:
Foreign service officers should enjoy coordinating information and taking charge of situations, finding innovative solutions to problems, and consulting with and advising people.
Applications for foreign service officer positions are accepted once a year (usually in the fall) by the Public Service Commission of Canada. To be eligible to apply, applicants must be:
The academic qualifications required are subject to change. For recent competitions, eligibility was open to candidates who had a degree in any field, except for the management and consular affairs stream for which the requirement was a graduate degree in administration, management, accounting, industrial or labour relations, psychology or sociology.
Process and Training
Applicants are required to take a written examination. The examination usually is administered in universities and government offices across Canada in the fall of each year by the Public Service Commission of Canada. The examination measures verbal, numerical and reasoning ability, situational judgment and written communication skills.
The names of those who have achieved satisfactory scores are forwarded by the Public Service Commission to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for screening. The screening process for candidates includes reference and security checks, an interview to assess competencies and a test to assess the applicant's capacity to learn Canada's official languages.
Offers of employment are made once the selection process is complete and a match is made with available positions.
Newly selected foreign service officers are placed on probation for one or more years depending on their stream. Training is provided in the stream for which they were selected.
Political economic and international trade stream officers train for up to four years in Ottawa through the Foreign Service Development Program (FSDP). Their extensive in-class and on-the-job training includes:
Immigration stream officers train for eight months to two years in Ottawa. They receive training in:
Management and consular stream officers spend up to two years in Ottawa being trained in departmental administration systems and procedures, consular policies and program requirements.
Foreign service officers receive foreign language training if required prior to their posting abroad.
To expand or narrow your program options, visit Post-Secondary Programs and start your search with:
Completing a program does not guarantee entrance into an occupation. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should look into various sources for education options and employment possibilities. For example, contact associations and employers in this field.
Applicants are required to take a written examination. The examination usually is administered in universities and government offices across Canada in the fall of each year. The examination measures verbal, numerical and reasoning ability, situational judgment and written communication skills.
The names of those who have achieved satisfactory scores are forwarded by the Public Service Commission to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade for screening. The screening process for candidates includes reference and security checks, an interview to assess competencies and a test to assess the applicant's capacity to learn Canada's official languages.
Offers of employment are made once the selection process is complete and a match is made with available positions.
Newly selected foreign service officers are placed on probation for one or more years depending on their stream. Training is provided in the stream for which they were selected.
Political economic stream officers train for up to four years in Ottawa. Their training includes:
Immigration stream officers train for eight months to two years in Ottawa. They receive training in:
International trade stream officers train in Ottawa for up to four years. The first year is generally divided into assignments of a trade promotion nature. The second year is spent training for their assignments and receiving the necessary foreign language training.
Management and consular stream officers spend up to two years in Ottawa being trained in departmental administration systems and procedures, consular policies and program requirements.
All officers receive foreign language training if required prior to their posting abroad.
Source: 2021-2025 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Political economic stream officers, international trade stream officers and management and consular stream officers are employed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Immigration stream officers are employed by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
Five to six thousand applications are received each year. From those applicants, only several hundred make it to the screening stage and approximately a quarter of those interviewed are selected as potential candidates. The number of positions available varies from year to year.
After a probation period, officers whose performance satisfies the needs of the program are promoted to the next level. For the management and consular stream, advancement is dependent on work performance and the availability of positions at the next level.
Foreign service officers may request cross-stream assignments to broaden their knowledge.
This section shows the industries where the majority of people in this occupation work. The data is based on the 2016 Census.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Program officers unique to government
2016 NOC: 4168
92.0% of people in this occupational group work in:
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
This section shows the short-term demand forecasted for this occupation in Alberta over a 3-year period. It also shows the number of people employed in the occupation.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2021 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Source: 2023-2025 Alberta Short-Term Employment Forecast
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
To see data for all occupations, visit Occupations in Demand.
This section shows the employment outlook for this occupation in Alberta over a 5-year period.
Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Source: 2021-2025 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Annual growth is from 2021 to 2025. New positions created each year are in addition to job openings created by employment turnover.
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
New recruits entering the Foreign Service Department Program whose proficiency in either official language is not sufficient will receive official language training for up to 52 weeks. During this period, participants will not be employees of the federal government but will receive a stipend of 80 percent of the starting salary for the training period. If they cannot achieve the required proficiency in the 52 weeks allotted, they will not receive an offer of employment into the Foreign Service Officer Development Program (FSDP) or the Management Consular Officer Training Program (MCTP).
In addition to their salaries and their health, dental and pension benefits, foreign service officers may receive a premium for serving abroad, a cost-of-living allowance or a hardship allowance. Foreign service officers also may receive:
While serving abroad, foreign service officers and their families are usually housed in government leased and furnished accommodations but must pay rent. In certain regions, mainly in Western Europe and the United States, foreign service officers are required to seek a private lease, but will not be required to pay rent above the levels paid by their colleagues housed in government leased accommodations.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.
All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.
To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.
Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources [pdf] to supplement this data.
Good Reliability, represents a CV of between 6.01% and 15.00% and/or fewer than 30 survey observations and/or if survey observations represent less than 50% of all estimated employment for the occupation.
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $25.64 | $74.73 | $51.40 | $39.10 |
| Overall | $29.88 | $82.97 | $59.45 | $50.69 |
| Top | $33.33 | $91.21 | $64.18 | $50.69 |
Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.
* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Pay brackets for hourly wages
| ALL INDUSTRIES | $109,640 |
|---|---|
| Public Administration | $84,868 |
Global Affairs and International Trade recruitment website: www.international.gc.ca/global-affairs-affaires-mondiales/corporate-ministere/contact-contactez/jobs-emplois.aspx?lang=eng
Citizenship and Immigration Canada website: www.canada.ca/en/services/immigration-citizenship
Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.
Updated Mar 02, 2021. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.
