Canada will consistently be recognized as a land of opportunities, and this is because there is always an employment opportunity for everyone, whether you’re a citizen or a foreigner. Canada is also known for warmly embracing foreigners looking for a job in the country as long as they have a valid work permit and are law-abiding.
The Canadian healthcare sector is fast growing and developing, thereby making the services of various health practitioners like nurses in high demand.
The country experienced a shortage of nurses even before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in the first quarter of 2020. As a result of the dire need for nurses in the country, the Canadian government has established programs that would encourage qualified foreign nurses to work in Canada as many vacant positions need to be filled.
If you are a qualified nurse residing outside Canada and might be interested in working in Canada as a nurse, read along as this article will list out the most uncomplicated way to immigrate to Canada as a nurse.
How to immigrate to Canada as a nurse
For a nurse living outside Canada, the fastest route to immigrate to Canada and also get a job upon arrival include:
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Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
The skilled federal worker program is under the express entry system, a widely recognized Canadian immigration option. It takes up to 6 months to get processed, which isn’t time-consuming.
The federal skilled worker program is targeted at foreigners with the skills, qualifications, and experience to contribute to the growth of the Canadian economy and get decent pay at the end of the month.
Eligibility is open to foreigners with professional work experience in an occupation listed in the National Occupation Classification (NOC).
Applicants must also possess a professional work experience in managerial, professional, or trade/technical occupations. This will make your application process faster; upon approval, successful applicants can now travel down to Canada to work as they’ll be given a work permit which provides them with the legal right to live and work in Canada.
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Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
The provincial nominee program is also one of the easiest ways of working as a nurse in Canada, provided you have a province in mind where you’d love to work as a nurse and the area being among the regions where nurses are in demand could be your pathway towards working in Canada as a nurse.
Suppose you would love to apply through this program. In that case, all you need to do is apply for the particular province you wish to reside in, after which the province would consider such an individual’s application based on the immigration and labor needs of the region and also do a background check to assess if the individual candidly wants to reside in that province.
The top participating provinces for the provincial nominee program in Canada are:
- Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP)
- British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP)
- Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP)
- New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NB PNP)
- Newfoundland & Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NL PNP)
- Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP)
- Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program (NS PNP)
- Ontario Provincial Nominee Program (OINP)
- Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP)
- Saskatchewan Provincial Nominee Program (SINP)
- Yukon Nominee Program (YNP)
The above-listed provinces are the top participating provinces for the provincial nominee program in Canada. Applying through these provinces, especially if the area has a dire need for nurses, could get you a hassle-free entry into Canada to work as a nurse.
Note: when applying, ensure you have all your credentials before submitting them; make sure it includes the institution you went to and your work experience (must be updated). Doing this could cause your processing time to be faster than you anticipated.
Benefits of working as a nurse in Canada
Aside from being a peaceful and safe country to live in, several benefits are accompanied by working in Canada, some of which are:
- Earning a remunerative salary
- Health insurance
- Child care assistance
- Job security
- Flexible work hours
In summary, I believe this article has been able to highlight how to immigrate to Canada as a nurse, as it should serve as a guide to foreign nurses who might be interested in coming to Canada to work as a nurse.
