How to immigrate to Canada as a nurse in 2022

There are a number of pathways for nurses to immigrate to Canada.

Canada was experiencing nursing shortages even before the pandemic. Ontario, for example, is planning to invest $342 million over the next five years to hire more than 13,000 healthcare workers to the province. BC has promised to provide up to $16,000 to about 1,500 internationally educated nurses to cover application fees, English language tests, and educational upgrading. Also, Quebec is investing $65 million to recruit and train nearly 1,000 nurses from francophone countries.

With all these incentives for nurses, you may be wondering how you can move your career to Canada. Or if you are in Canada already, you might want to learn which immigration programs are available to you.

Canada has more than 100 economic immigration programs alone. Because nursing is oftentimes considered “skilled work” nurses may be eligible for just about any program that has “skilled work” as a requirement.

NOC code and skill level are important for eligibility

Nursing falls into one of two categories in the Canadian government’s National Occupation Classification (NOC). Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses fall under NOC skill level A and the code is NOC 3012. Licenced practical nurses, NOC 3233, fall under skill level B.

Express Entry programs for nurses

Nurses may be eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). These two federal immigration programs are managed by the Express Entry system.

FSWP eligibility

The FSWP requires an applicant to have at least one year of continuous work experience within the past 10 years in a skilled occupation. The work experience may have been completed abroad.

CEC eligibility

The CEC requires one year of skilled work experience within the last three years. The work experience must have been completed in Canada.

Neither program requires a person to have a job offer,but having one may increase your likelihood to receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

Provincial Nominee Program

Some PNPs are dedicated specifically to nurses, others just require skilled work experience. Sometimes, PNPs will hold immigration nomination draws specifically for nurses.

Multiple provinces have more than one program that welcomes nurses. Sometimes PNPs draw candidates from the Express Entry system and invite them to apply for a provincial nomination.

Here is a list of some of the PNP pathways for nurses:

  • Ontario invites nurses to apply through its Human Capital Priorities Stream.
  • British Columbia offers a Healthcare Professional category under its Skills Immigration and Express Entry pathways.
  • Saskatchewan has recently launched an International Health Worker EOI pool specifically for nurses.
  • Nova Scotia’s Labour Market Priorities Stream occasionally holds draws inviting nurses to apply for a provincial nomination.
  • New Brunswick’s Internationally Educated Nurses (IEN) program is a pathway for foreign nurses who can speak English or French.

Quebec

Quebec operates its own immigration system. While Canada still has the final say on Quebec immigration applications, certain programs like the PNP and Express Entry are not available in Quebec.

Instead, Quebec offers its Regular Skilled Worker Program and the Quebec Experience Program. Nurses may be eligible for either of these programs. Both of these programs require the workers to have a working knowledge of the French language.

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