Important:
- All documents must be less than 2 years old at the time of application.
- Do not send documents to the Vancouver office (UBC Point Grey campus).
- If submitting documents by mail, it is recommended not to use registered mail (i.e. anything requiring a signature), as this may cause delays or result in the return of your documents.
- Please send all IEMBP application documents to the following email and/or mailing address:
Email:
iembp.admissions@ubc.ca
Mailing Address:
IEMBP Admissions
UBC Midwifery Program
201 - 13737 96th Avenue (City Centre 1)
Surrey, BC, Canada
V3V 0C6
Before starting an application, please ensure that you have thoroughly reviewed the website and meet all Eligibility Requirements for the IEMBP.
Admission to the program requires a combination of documents. Please refer to the checklist and review the details and instructions in the 'Required Documents' and 'Additional Documents' sections below.
Application checklist:
Required documents to complete your application:
- Educational Credential Assessment (WES↗ is preferred)
- B Form(s) (or approved jurisdictional equivalent)
- D Forms (from 2 different referees)
Additional documents (required depending on background):
- C Form(s) - required if you need additional sources outside of the two D forms to verify the birth number requirement (minimum 100 births in the last 10 years)
- E Form(s) - required if any mandatory documents need to be translated into English
English Language Test Result (IELTS or TOEFL) - required if you do not meet any of the exemption criteria outlined in the IEMBP English Language Requirements
*At this time, the IEMBP does not accept results from any other English language tests (e.g., PTE, CELPIP, CAEL, etc.).
Required Documents
Online Application Form
You will first need to create an account on our application portal in order to start an online application form. This form collects basic information about your demographics and midwifery background, which includes questions about your midwifery education, registration status, and clinical practice history, etc.
Each account is only allowed to submit one application form. Please ensure all information is accurate and complete before submitting.
A Form – Verification of Midwifery, Nursing, and/or Naturopathic Education
This form is required for assessment of educational background, including details such as the duration, location, and content covered in the midwifery education program(s), which might include basic or advanced midwifery training, Bachelor’s, Master’s, and pre-midwifery nursing or naturopathic doctor materials.
Applicants need to complete Part 1 of the form before sending it to every educational institution where they attended a midwifery, nursing, or naturopathic program. The institution must then complete Part 2 and submit the completed form along with all relevant program documentation (e.g., academic transcript, clinical practice record, program syllabus/curriculum) to the IEMBP.
A Form is required for all midwifery, nursing, and naturopathic education programs completed (e.g., diploma, bachelor's degree).
This form must be mailed/emailed directly by the educational institution to be considered valid. If sent via email, it must come from the institution’s official email address.
Educational Credential Assessment
Applicants are required to obtain an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for all their midwifery education programs. Please note that there is a fee for this service that is the applicant’s responsibility.
World Education Services (WES)↗ is the preferred service provider. Please click on the link for information on how the process works and what documents must be submitted to them.
Once a course-by-course evaluation report has been completed, applicants must request that it be sent electronically to the Internationally Educated Midwives Bridging Program (UBCIEMBP).
*If you have previously obtained an ECA through the International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) with BCIT that's less than 2 years old, we will accept a complete course-by-course evaluation report sent to us directly by the ICES. At this time, ECAs from other service providers (e.g., ICAS, IQAS) are not accepted by the IEMBP.
B Form (or equivalent) – Verification of Midwifery Registration & Professional Conduct
This form is required as a verification of registration in good standing from the registering body. Applicants need to complete Part 1 of the form before sending it to the regulatory body.
Most jurisdictions will fill out this form, but the IEMBP recognizes that some jurisdictions have transitioned to an online verification process. The IEMBP requires verification of registration and good standing and will accept any regulatory organization document for verification of standing in lieu of the B Form.
B Form (or approved jurisdictional equivalent) is required from all regulatory bodies where the applicant has held or currently holds midwifery registration.
This form must be mailed/emailed directly by the regulatory organization to be considered valid. If sent via email, it must come from the organization’s official email address.
D Form – Professional Reference & Verification of Midwifery Clinical Experience
Two D Forms are required as the applicant’s professional references and confirmation of clinical experience. Applicants need to complete Part 1 of the form before sending it to their references along with a recent passport photo to complete Part 2 and 3.
Referees are required to sign the back of the photo as verification that it is a true likeness of the applicant. All photos submitted with an application must be identical. Referees who are also able to verify clinical experience will also complete Part 3 of the D Form.
This form must be mailed/emailed directly by the referee to be considered valid. If the form is completed by hand rather than electronically, the original hard copy with a signed passport photo must be mailed to the IEMBP office in Surrey.
Who should you choose to be your references?
We would like at least 2 references who can attest to your recent midwifery work. They should be midwifery managers, team leaders, or senior colleagues who are either currently working with you or who worked with you in your most recent workplace. They must have worked with you in some capacity, preferably during births in some way, or supervised your work. You may use doctors as a referee, but they should have worked directly with you (so not usually the medical director of the hospital) and should be only one of the references. We prefer to have midwifery references where possible.
References should only verify the births that they have direct knowledge of, and not births from other institutions that they have not worked in.
What are the requirements of the passport photo for my application?
The hard copies of your D Form and Notarization Form must have recent passport-sized photos attached. All photos across your application should be identical.
Notarization Form – Legal Verification of Documentation
This form must be completed in the presence of a registered notary, and all pages must be signed and dated during that appointment. The fields should not be pre-printed. The IEMBP must be able to verify that the notary used is legally authorized to practice in their jurisdiction.
Applicants who need to prove their English language proficiency by testing will not need to complete page 1 of the form.
The original hard copy of the completed form must be mailed to the IEMBP office in Surrey, and a scanned copy should be emailed.
Midwifery Practice Questionnaire (MPQ)
This questionnaire gathers important information related to professional conduct, regulatory history, and any past or ongoing investigations, legal matters, or disciplinary actions relevant to the safe and ethical practice of midwifery.
It is preferred that the completed MPQ be submitted via email.
Additional Documents
C Form – Additional Reference & Verification of Midwifery Clinical Experience
One or more C Forms may be required if
- The required minimum of 100 births as primary midwife in the last 10 years cannot be fully verified through the D Forms and A Form, OR
- Your referees filling out the D Forms have only worked with you in non-birth-related settings and are unable to confirm your clinical experience.
Applicants need to complete Part 1 of the form before sending it to a colleague, supervisor, or other qualified person who has observed them in their clinical work or has access to official records and can provide details about your clinical experience.
While the IEMBP prefers that referees have worked with the applicant in a birth setting, we understand this may not always be possible. In such cases, the C Form can be completed by someone who may not know the applicant personally, but has access to hospital records and can verify their number of births.
This form must be mailed or emailed directly by the referee to be considered valid.
E Form – Request for Translation of Documentation
This form is only required if any of the applicant’s required documents (e.g. transcript, syllabus, certificate, etc.) need to be translated into English.
Applicants need to complete the “To Be Completed by Applicant” section of the form before sending it to a certified translator, who will complete the “To Be Completed by Translator” section. Please refer to the instructions on this form about how to proceed with the translation process.
Applicants are responsible for arranging translation services and covering any associated cost. The IEMBP does not accept documents that are not in English.
English Language Test Result
The following countries are considered to be eligible for exemption from English language testing if applicants completed their midwifery education there in English:
American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Belize, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Canada (including Quebec), Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guam, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, New Zealand, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, St. Helena, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Tanzania, Turks & Caicos Islands, Uganda, United Kingdom, USA, US Virgin Islands, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Applicants who do not meet any of the exemption criteria outlined in the IEMBP English Language Requirements must provide a copy of their results from one of the approved English language tests. The minimum required scores for each test component are listed below.
IELTS Academic
Minimum overall score requirement: 7.0
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
| 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
TOEFL iBT
Minimum overall score requirement: 100
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
| 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
*At this time, the IEMBP does not accept results from any other English language tests (e.g., PTE, CELPIP, CAEL, etc.).