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CIC News / 2011 / January / Foreign-trained Nurses are Just What the Doctor Ordered

Foreign-trained Nurses are Just What the Doctor Ordered

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An aging population combined with a shortage of nurses is a dangerous combination for the Canadian health care sector. The number of practicing nurses is declining worldwide and in Canada, the shortage of nurses is causing longer hospital wait times and a decrease in the quality of service provided.

Canadian nurses themselves are part of the problem. In the province of Quebec alone, over 71,000 nurses are now over the age of 55 and are quickly approaching retirement. Canadian nursing schools are not producing enough graduates to fill the nursing vacancies and because of this shortage, countless nurses are required to work over-time. As Canada is not producing enough nurses, foreign-trained nurses may be the best prescription.

Canadian immigration programs, such as the Federal Skilled Worker Program, target specific occupations that are in high demand in Canada, like Registered and Licensed Practical Nurses. Last June, the Federal Skilled Worker Program was adjusted so that only 1,000 applications would be accepted for each of the 29 eligible occupations. As of December 2010, Registered Nurses had already reached the cap limit.

Attorney David Cohen offers the following advice for nurses, “Although the Registered Nurses occupation has reached its cap limit under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Licensed Practical Nurses still have over 800 spots available. An applicant needs one year of paid work experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse within the past 10 years in order to qualify, even if they are not currently working as a nurse. As well, there are many other immigration programs available for nurses, such as the Quebec Skilled Worker Program and the numerous Provincial Nominee Programs. Nurses can also obtain a work permit for Canada once he/she has a job offer from a Canadian employer.” Many Canadian hospitals are currently in desperate need of nurses. Because of its shortage of nurses, one hospital in Quebec, has recently announced that they respond to any nurse who submits a resumé within 1 hour.

All nurses, including those who are internationally trained, are required to be certified by a provincial regulation body before they are able to practice in Canada. Registered Nurses, except those wishing to practice in Quebec, must also pass the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination. Canada’s Economic Action Plan and the Foreign Credential Recognition Program are working together to assist foreign workers to better integrate into the Canadian workplace. The assessment of foreign credentials and experience is currently being streamlined for 8 priority occupations, including Registered Nurses, meaning their credentials will be evaluated in less time compared to other occupations. The next set of 6 priority occupations will include Licensed Practical Nurses.

If you are a foreign-trained nurse who wants to immigrate to Canada, there has never been a better time to apply.

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Comments

  1. Hello, my name is Kyle Wheatley, i am a born and raised 4th generation Canadian Citizen. I have some friends who are currently living in the United States, they are immigrants from Phillipines. I know that they are both registered nurses and are in desperate need of a Hospital to sponsor them, they are husband and wife. They have been vastly looking for work in Canada but havn’t had any luck yet. I am hoping that if a longtime Canadian citizen such as myself gives a strong reference for them that their luck would change. If there is any information i can convey to them that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much for taking the time to read this. I know Canada is in great need for nurses, especially foreign experienced nurses and i know that they would be a great addition to any hospital who would take them on.
    Sincerely
    Kyle Wheatley

  2. Hi Kyle,

    There are indeed programs available for nurses. If your friends would like to know more information, you can direct them to fill out our free online assessment. The Canadavisa facebook page is a good forum to ask questions and receive responses from one of our specialists.

    -The CIC News Team

  3. I am disappointed with the English requirement in BC for internationally educated nurses. I took the IELTS 3 times already for my clinical consolidated course at Kwantlen but they wont accept me because one component of my english score is 0.5 lower to their new required score. I am stuck now with this English exam. CRNBC changed the English requirement score. How can they fill in nursing positions if they were to tight with the new English requirement?… I believe like the rest IENs that we have the nursing knowledge and skills to share in this country. and imagine I am earning less the minimum in a month now and i need to take over and over again the English exam to be accepted in one course. I am still here cannot move forward because of that english requirement score. I have met lots of RNs already that cannot even speak straight english but are working now in hospitals.

  4. Hi! Im a registered nurse in Philippines & United arab Emirates. I also passed NCLEX (California). Can you assist me to get a job in CAnada as a nurse?

  5. hi.. i am currently work here in canada as a care giver, but i have to plan to upgrade my credentials and take the CNRE, what is the requirements for foreign worker like me who wants to take the exam. what is the step that i need to follow?
    thank you..

  6. hi, i am trying to come in canada on skilled worker program. i am working as a cook at 4 star delux hotel since 2007. And one employer has been applied for ALMO almost three months completed and still saying to me wait, my question is that how long it take time, is there possiable still or some thing wrong ?
    thanks

  7. your articles are totally out of date
    just in case you did not updated your knowledge about the Nursing opportunities
    i have to tell you that your article may sound promising, but it is actually total nonsense.
    There are no jobs, especially for foreign trained nurses, there is lot of discrimination when it comes to even accepting you as a nurse.However in a meantime schools are producing zillions of freshly graduated nurses with no jobs. you people should go and actually see what i am talking about, i’ve been there and i am still actively engaged to even get accepted as a nurse. I have been Registred nurse in eastern Europe with almost 20 yrs experience, however here i can not even do nurses aide, which does not make any sense. I think you people are not telling how bad things really are, there are no jobs, and to get licensed if you are coming from eastern europe is impossible !, yet you just lure people to your website anyway by promising lot of jobs, where there are none as well as there is no way you can be accepted for the job even if you have lot of experience in eastern Europe. I think the situation is completely different when you coming from Asia for instance.
    Anyway that is all i can say. Just do your homework and do not make false promises, because people believe you as i did and then when they come here then they find out that they being lied to and have no possibility to ever get a nursing job and never mind even to get a license its impossible, and i am talking about especially Vancouver BC.

  8. Although Canada as mentioned in the article , is facing this much shortage in nursing, still the applicants has to wait and wait for months and months and even years before they get the reply from the CNO!! Iam one example of that!
    When I applied to Canadian immigration process I was informed that nurses are highly required and jobs are plenty ,however,I resigned from my job in my home country and came here to sit jobless ,just waiting and waiting my eligibility to write the registration exam!!

  9. I prefer to keep my identity. I however applied for CNO nursing, naturally, i was denied. Now i was able to enroll at one of the univ. and pass most of my subj. except for one. The school makes it harder and harder for everyone. I waited for so long to get my CNO assessed and then wait again for almost one year for admission in the school. now, they made sure that if one subj. does not meet with the required grade, YOUR’E out… wow… can’t they have a heart to at least let you continue.. CANADA? getting into nursing is WOOOOO…. hard.

    Thanks,

  10. I am a newly landed perminant resident to Canada from the UK. I have completed my application to the College of Nurses of Ontario, but I keep reading how long everyone is having to wait for their registration. This is extremely worrying, I have applied for 5 ICU speciality positions so far and have made relivent professional connections to try and secure an interview. I know there are the jobs out there, but I am not seeing any ‘stream-lining’ of foreign registration to deal with this. Is this political? Has the focus now shifted to another more voter-friendly subject? I am now looking for any other jobs I can do in the mean time. ANY suggestions welcome…

  11. Hi.
    It took me 3 years and cost about 5000 CD to get my RN registration in BC, now i finally have it – and I cannot find a job! I applied for soooo many positions now. I have 6 years ICU experience. Absolutely impossible for international nurses, the process is so long and so frustrating.
    The hospitals all advertise how much they welcome international nurses. So do articles such this one. Its not true whatsoever.

  12. i am a licenced practical nurse(staffnurse) that did training in south-africa where i am a citizen. i did training via life college of nursing SANC – SOUTH AFRICAN NURSING COUNCIL. me and my family are interested in immigrating to Canada. what is the chance for me to find employment, I have most experience in specialized units eg. Adult icu, and i am currently working in neonatal icu. 8 years experience. i am also not unfamiliar with other units in hospital.

  13. Hi, good day! I am a fresh graduate of BS Nursing and a newly registered nurse here in the philippines. I am planning to work in canada because i’ve heard that they are in need of nurses. What is the first step that i need to do for me to be able to get a job in canada and to work there as a nurse aside from passing the nursing licensure exam? I hope i can get an answer to my queries. I really want to work in canada. Any comment and respond would be much appreciated. Thank you.

  14. How about paying market wages, is the true title nurses are in short supply at half the wage of retiring nurses (for the same number of years of experience)?

  15. That there is shortage does not mean as you get off the plane a job is waiting for you. It is statistics used to help policymakers steer the wheels in a general direction. It is projected there will be a huge shortage of nurses in the Middle East too. To provide adequate care for a growing population there will be a need for 3 million nurses. The same trend in Europe and Canada. Nurses need to learn to use their skills and knowledge to establish or own a healthcare business instead of working for low wages for others. If interested, let me know how I can help.

  16. Hi,I am a nurse.I hab 1.5 years job experience in nepal and now i’m interested about this advertisement.what process should I do for immigration in canada?

  17. Hi I’m a new grad. From a Bachelor R.N. program in the country of Belize and would like to migrate to Canada and work as a Registered Nurse. What are the requirements for me a foreign educated nurse need to do in order to migrate to Canada
    Thanks For Your Help

  18. I am nurse midwife and degree in public health. Work experience over twenty years. I need nursing job opportunities in Canada. Many thanks.

  19. I would like to talk with neonatology

  20. Hii…can someone tell me how much time does CNO takes for acessment nowdays in 2015????
    I have been waiting for my acessment from 4 months.All my documents are full filled and now i ham waiting for outcome of my acessment from CNO???
    HAVE ANYONE GOT HIS/HER ACESSMENT DONE RECENTLY FROM CNO???
    CAN U GUIDE ME ABOUT THE TIME FRAME AS CNO DOESNT HAVE ANY TIME FRAME.

    THANKS!!

  21. Hi
    My name is Antoinett Barkhuizen.
    I am a General Registered Nurse in South Africa specialising in Wound care.
    We are interested in immigrating to Canada.

  22. I am MSc Nursing certificate holder having more than two and half years experience (one and a half year as staff nurse and one year as Lecturer (in a nursing college) and I also hold a valid IELTS overall 7.5 points.

  23. i AM A NIGERIAN REGISTERED NURSE , HOW DO I MIGRATE TO CANADA

  24. Interesting reading, am an Enrolled Nurse trained and working in Zambia. Would like more info on how I can work in Canada