Tips on Immigrating to Canada as a Nurse

Certainly, the pandemic has aggravated the need for nurses in Canada. One of the most effective ways of immigrating to Canada as a nurse is through permanent residency. Due to COVID-19, the world was experiencing a shortage of healthcare professionals and Canada is no different. They faced a shortage of nurses at the time of emergency. And, this led federal and provincial governments to add programs that encourage more healthcare professionals to come into the force.

If you’re wondering how to immigrate to Canada as a nurse, then it’s the right time to make a move as Canada is offering more than 100 economic immigration programs.

Always remember that NOC code and skill level are extremely important for eligibility. Nursing falls into one of the two categories in the Canadian government’s NOC (National Occupation Classification). Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses fall under NOC skill level A with code NOC 3012. Licensed practical nurses with NOC 3233, fall under skill level B. The NOC codes and skill levels are important to determine which immigration program one is applying for. Here’s a quick breakdown of Canadian immigration programs for nurses.

Express Entry Programs for Nurses

Nurses stand eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Both federal immigration programs are managed by the express entry system. It is an online system that exceptionally manages all the immigration applications for the federal government of Canada. The applicants submit their profiles to the system and get a score based on the CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System). Candidates are evaluated based on their skilled work experience, age, education, and language proficiency, among other factors. The highest-scoring candidates are invited to apply for permanent residency in the bi-weekly express entry draws.

Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) Eligibility

This pathway requires a candidate to have at least 12 months of work experience with a tenure of at least 10 years in a skilled occupation. An FSWP candidate must score CLB 7 in English or French on all four language competencies: reading, writing, speaking and listening. A candidate must score 67/100 on the six-factor test that evaluates the applicant’s education level, language proficiency, and whether they have a job in Canada or not.

Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Eligibility

Canadian Experience Class requires a candidate to have one year of skilled work experience within the past three years. The work experience must be completed in Canada. Candidates applying with work experience under skill level A must score CLB 7 and those applying under skill level B require CLB 5. Neither of the programs requires one to have a job offer.

Provincial Nominee Program

Though the federal government of Canada has the final say on who can immigrate to Canada, the provinces can nominate applicants through the PNP. Some provincial nominee programs are designed specifically for nurses and hold draws to invite skilled healthcare professionals. The Canadian provinces offer more than one program that welcomes nurses.

Quebec

This Canadian province offers two skilled worker programs: The Regular Skilled Worker Program and the Quebec Experience Program, both these programs require the applicant to have a working knowledge of the French language.