What You Need to Apply to Be a Nurse Immigrant to Canada

The epidemic has made Canada’s nursing shortage worse. One strategy to fill open positions in the sector is to provide avenues to permanent residency for foreign nurses.

Canada has a nursing deficit even before the pandemic. The federal and provincial governments have been putting measures in place to attract more nurses to enter the workforce since COVID-19 swept the globe in March 2020. The need for nurses in Canada is growing, thus the nation is actively looking for foreign-trained nurses to fill the gap. For a multitude of reasons, including competitive pay, great employment opportunities, and a high standard of living, many nurses from around the world find Canada to be an enticing location.

On the other hand, becoming a nurse immigrant to Canada can be a challenging and complicated procedure that calls for meticulous planning and preparation. In this blog, we’ll examine the procedures involved in becoming a nurse immigrant to Canada, as well as the prerequisites, chances, and career prospects, as well as the difficulties and solutions faced by newcomers. You will have a greater knowledge of what it takes to seek a nursing profession in Canada by the end of this blog, as well as what tools are available to help you navigate the immigration process effectively.

The epidemic has made Canada’s nursing shortage worse. One strategy to fill open positions in the sector is to provide avenues to permanent residency for foreign nurses.

Canada has a nursing deficit even before the pandemic. The federal and provincial governments have been putting measures in place to attract more nurses to enter the workforce since COVID-19 swept the globe in March 2020. The need for nurses in Canada is growing, thus the nation is actively looking for foreign-trained nurses to fill the gap. For a multitude of reasons, including competitive pay, great employment opportunities, and a high standard of living, many nurses from around the world find Canada to be an enticing location.

On the other hand, becoming a nurse immigrant to Canada can be a challenging and complicated procedure that calls for meticulous planning and preparation. In this blog, we’ll examine the procedures involved in becoming a nurse immigrant to Canada, as well as the prerequisites, chances, and career prospects, as well as the difficulties and solutions faced by newcomers. You will have a greater knowledge of what it takes to seek a nursing profession in Canada by the end of this blog, as well as what tools are available to help you navigate the immigration process effectively.

What Justifies Nursing Immigration to Canada?

As one of the biggest and most diversified nations in the world, Canada has a strong healthcare system that offers its inhabitants high-quality care. However, the nation is currently experiencing a nursing deficit, which has increased demand for nurses with international training to fill these gaps. Being a nurse in Canada is a smart choice for the following reasons:

High need for Nurses: The Canadian Nurses Association projects that by 2022, Canada will experience a 60,000-nurse deficit, driving up the need for nurses with foreign training. In Canada, nurses can find employment in a range of places, such as community health centers, long-term care homes, hospitals, and clinics.

Canadian nurses are among the highest paid in the world, and benefits and pay are competitive. According to the Canadian Nurses Association, a registered nurse in Canada makes an average of $80,000 a year. Additionally, competitive benefits including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off are available to nurses in Canada.

Opportunities for Growth and Advancement: Canadian nurses can advance their careers in a variety of ways. Emergency medicine, critical care, oncology, pediatrics, and mental health are just a few of the specialties that nurses can choose from. There are additional advanced degrees available, such a Master of Science in Nursing or a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

Canada regularly scores highly in indices of quality of life, which measures the standard of living. The nation is highly renowned for its social programs, universal healthcare system, and high level of living. Canadian society is varied and multicultural, with a safe and friendly atmosphere for new immigrants who are nurses.

Diversity and inclusion: Canada is renowned for its inclusive culture. People of various ethnicities, cultures, and beliefs feel welcome there. Because of this, Canada is a great destination for nurses to live and work, especially foreign-trained nurses who may experience prejudice in their native countries.

Better Work-Life Balance: Compared to many other nations, Canada has a better work-life balance. In Canada, nurses frequently work 12-hour shifts, which reduces the number of days off they have each week to engage with friends and family or pursue other interests.

Educational Background of International Nurses

These nurses may find it simple to immigrate to Canada in one, two, or three steps.

A nurse who is thinking about immigrating to Canada should first have their academic credentials reviewed to determine whether they fit Canadian criteria.

The Canadian government accepts five organizations for the evaluation of international educational credentials:

World Education Services (ICES) offers a variety of services, including World Education Services (WES), International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS), Comparative Education Service (CES), International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS), and International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES).

The potential immigrant must have their nursing credentials recognized in Canada by the National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS), which costs US$650, after the educational and background investigations are finished.

In order to become a nurse in Canada, a foreign national must first create a profile on the NNAS application page.

This calls for:

A completed nursing education form that can be downloaded from the website, filled out, and signed before being sent to the school where the nurse was educated for those officials to complete and then send directly to NNAS along with academic records or transcripts, course curriculum, and course descriptions and syllabi; and submission of two pieces of identity that must be notarized.

In Canada, how to Become a Nurse

As a nurse, you can immigrate to Canada in a number of ways. Through one of the numerous federal and provincial economic immigration programs, you can be qualified to immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker.

Finding out if your academic credentials fulfill the standards necessary for practicing as a nurse is the first step. This step is necessary in order for World Educational Services, a corporation authorized by the Canadian government to carry out education checks and verification, to assess your qualifications.

Having your nursing credentials recognized in Canada is the next step. You must register online at the National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS), which oversees this procedure. Your credentials are essentially converted by NNAS to a North American standard, which is then compared to and evaluated to see if it meets the Canadian requirement.

The first step in getting both a Canadian visa and a nursing registration in Canada is to complete the NNAS assessment process, which costs CAD 650.

The next step is to apply for NNAS by creating a profile on the NNAS application page when you have finished your NNAS evaluation.

At this point, you should take the following actions:

Kindly present two different forms of identification.

Proof of identity must be provided in the form of notarized copies of original documents that are signed, dated, and stamped with your signature.
Your birth certificate, marriage certificate, driver’s license, international passport, or any other form of government-issued identification may be among these records.
A government-approved official must prepare any documents that need to be notarized.
Complete and send the nursing education form. The form would be downloaded from your online profile, signed by you, and sent to the nursing school where you received your training.
Each school official must fill out the form and mail or deliver it directly to NNAS, together with copies of your academic records, transcripts, nursing program curriculum, course descriptions, and/or course syllabi.
The Nursing Registration Form must be filled out and returned.
Download this form, sign it, and send it to each nurse licensing body where you held a license or registration outside of Canada. NNAS will not accept a nursing registration form if it is not sent directly from your licensing body. Request that the institution that gave your diploma give an official copy (not the original) of it to NNAS if it qualifies you to practice nursing in your home country.
The nursing practice/employment form must be completed. To each of your prior employers over the last five years, please sign and return this form. The year we are in now is the first year. The NNAS won’t accept your nursing practice/employment form if it wasn’t supplied by your employer.
IELTS test results should be submitted. You must complete language testing, and your accredited language testing agency must send the findings directly to NNAS. If English or French is your first language and it is the dominant language where you live and work and your nursing education program was taught in English or French, you might not need to take language tests.
Submit your application and choose the provincial association and nursing group to which you are applying once NNAS has received all of your supporting documentation.

You would have first chosen a province in Canada where the standards are consistent with your background as an internationally qualified nurse in terms of abilities, education, and experience. The full list of provincial nursing regulatory organizations in Canada, together with a description of each one’s requirements, is available here.

You would then submit an application to the Nursing medical board in your selected Province or Territory following the NNAS evaluation. Your ability to work as a nurse in Canada will ultimately be decided by the provincial regulatory agencies, who will receive your completed files from NNAS.

Every territory will use the NNAS report to evaluate a candidate’s credentials to those set forth by their separate Nursing Boards and the applicant’s worldwide nursing expertise, experience, and training. You will be required to start the registration process as soon as your preferred provincial regulatory agency receives the NNAS report.

The next step is to choose the right immigration program after completing your nursing registration with the provincial regulating agency and acquiring a license. There are three main immigration options available to prospective immigrants who want to work as nurses in Canada:

If a nurse satisfies the criteria, they may be qualified for the express entry system under the Federal Skilled Workers program. In many cases, they must obtain a score of 67 out of 100 based on elements like education, age, work experience, and language proficiency. The IELTS score needed for nurses to qualify for Express Entry is based on their whole profile. You need to score at least 6.0 in each of the four language abilities in order to be eligible for Express Entry.
Skilled Worker from Quebec: Nurses may be eligible for the Quebec Skilled Workers (QSW) program if they receive at least 50 points on the Quebec Selection Grid. There isn’t a set minimum IELTS score needed to qualify for the Quebec Skilled Workers Program. However, you might need to achieve a minimum score to be eligible, depending on your profile. There is no need for an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for your degree. Furthermore, for this immigration option, you are not needed to provide proof of funds.
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs): PNPs are immigration initiatives managed jointly by the federal and provincial governments. Although each Canadian province has its own PNP with a variety of streams, all PNPs result in Canadian permanent residency. Only applicants who have been admitted to the federal Express Entry pool are eligible for some PNPs. Many PNPs need a relationship to the province in order to function, such as family members residing there or prior education or employment there. Other PNPs aim to fill the province’s skill shortfalls by taking on qualified candidates with experience in in-demand professions.

Nursing Career Opportunities and Job Prospects in Canada

In Canada, there is a huge need for nurses, and those who work in the field have excellent job prospects. The need for nurses is anticipated to grow further as a result of an aging population and rising healthcare needs, opening up a wealth of employment prospects for nursing experts.

One of the main factors contributing to Canada’s strong demand for nurses is the country’s aging population. Demand for healthcare services like preventative care, managing chronic diseases, and end-of-life care increases as the population becomes older. In a number of contexts, including hospitals, long-term care institutions, home healthcare, and community healthcare, there is a shortage of nurses as a result of this demand.

Nursing is also a highly specialized job, with nursing workers having the option to focus on fields like oncology, critical care, pediatrics, mental health, and emergency care, among others. These specialities provide nurses with a variety of employment options that enable them to follow their hobbies and passions.

The high level of education and training that nursing professionals undergo is another element that makes nursing a desirable career option in Canada. To become a registered nurse in Canada, you must complete either a two-year Registered Nursing Diploma program or a four-year Bachelor of Nursing degree program. After completing their schooling, nurses must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) in order to become licensed as nurses.

Geographical location has an impact on Canadian nurses’ employment chances and possibilities. More nurses are needed in some provinces and territories than others. In contrast to territories like Nunavut and Yukon, which have smaller populations, provinces like Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia have greater demand for nursing personnel.

Depending on experience, expertise, and region, the typical yearly income for a registered nurse in Canada ranges from $60,000 to $90,000. Taking on additional hours or working overtime are other ways that nurses might increase their pay.

Conclusion

A gratifying and life-changing event, nursing immigration to Canada takes careful planning, preparation, and study. Nurses can increase their chances of success in the Canadian healthcare sector by being aware of the requirements, immigration policies, and employment prospects. In addition, although settling into a new nation can be challenging, the Canadian government offers a wealth of tools and assistance programs to aid immigrants in integrating and thriving. Finally, pursuing a profession in nursing in Canada can offer a rewarding work, a competitive wage, and a great quality of life for those prepared to take on the challenge of immigration.

Smart Godwin | August 21, 2023.

Tags: Canada

Categories: Guides

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