Provinces are breaking down barriers for internationally-trained nurses to practice in Canada through streamlined processes and regulatory changes – and the result is a surge in the number of applications from nurses looking to work in Canada.
In Atlantic Canada, the Nova Scotia College of Nursing (NSCN) launched its expedited registration and licensure process for international applicants from seven designated countries, the Philippines, India, Nigeria, United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, on May 1.
Under the new process, the processing time for nurses licensed in other parts of Canada drops to only one day from five and the time to process applications from internationally-trained nurses in those countries drops to only a few weeks rather than months.
“I am pleased to share what is truly a first-in-the-country approach to licensing international and Canadian nurses in Nova Scotia,” said NSCN CEO Sue Smith.
“The new approach will significantly decrease licensing time, increase licensure of nurses, reduce administrative requirements, and is aligned with new initiatives of healthcare partners. It’s a safe and faster process for nurses who want to work in our province, which is a good news story for all Nova Scotians.”
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The province’s minister of health, Michelle Thompson said the need for a faster process became evident during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We need more nurses across the province and we need to make it easier for nurses who want to come and build their lives here to get to work quickly,” she said.
Only one week after the new process was launched, the number of new applications received by the NSCN portal had hit 8,821.
That’s on the East Coast of Canada. On the other side of the country, on the West Coast, internationally-trained nurses hoping to work in British Columbia are now getting a $3,700 break from the province which has nixed application and assessment fees.
“There are talented and skilled nurses with the right experience who want to practise in B.C. and support high-quality care but they are kept on the sidelines by an expensive and complicated registration process,” said British Columbia Premier David Eby.
“Whether a nurse was trained in or out of the province, we are ready to welcome those who are ready to care for British Columbians.”
Nurses who have not been working in their fields for a while are also being spared British Columbia’s $300 application fee and being offered more than $4,000 in financial support for their assessments and travel costs to help them re-enter the workforce.
British Columbia Axes Application Fee And Offers Financial Support To Nurses
The province is also offering $10,000 in bursaries for any additional education required for nurses who want to return to practice.
“By removing the barriers for more nurses to join our healthcare workforce, we are ensuring that people throughout the province have greater access to the health services they need when they need them,” said British Columbia Health Minister Adrian Dix.
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“Our government will continue to take action to recruit and train more healthcare workers to meet the healthcare needs of British Columbians. In creating more accessible careers for nurses in B.C., we are delivering on our commitment to build a sustainable health system for many years to come.”
In April last year, the province invested $12 million in bursaries for internationally-trained nurses and to launch a new marketing campaign, provide navigational support to these nurses through Health Match BC, and launch a consolidated assessment approach.
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Then, in September last year, the province pledged another $1.3 million to set up a new pathway to make it more efficient for internationally-trained nurses to obtain licensure.
In the Canadian Prairies, the province of Alberta is also wooing internationally-trained nurses to deal with its labour shortage in the healthcare sector.
The College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA) overhauled its application process last month and made it easier for internationally-trained nurses to get the clearance they need to work in that province.
Since then, Alberta has seen a surge of applications from internationally-trained nurses.
“The numbers have increased exponentially,” Andrew Douglas, an executive director at the college, reportedly said.
The changes to speed up the CRNA’s application process went into effect on Apr. 4. Since then, the regulator’s call centre has reportedly received more than 7,000 inquiries, almost 1,200 people have started the application process, and the college has issued 672 permits.
By comparison, in the entire four years that ended last year, the CRNA received only 582 applications.
Alberta Seeing Spike In Applications From Internationally-Trained Nurses
According to Douglas, the most common source countries for nurses seeking to get their credentials recognized to work in Alberta in the past five years have been the Philippines and India.
“[It’s] allowing more registered nurses to come into the health system to provide patient care,” Douglas reportedly said. “And as we know, there are workforce challenges right now, so this is really helping to get nurses into Alberta.”
The streamlined process unveiled by the regulator comes as the province itself is further trying to open up its Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) to healthcare workers, refugees and entrepreneurs willing to operate businesses in rural areas.
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Last month, the province also announced it is going to use up to 30 per cent of its available Express Entry allocations this year to nominated healthcare workers under its Dedicated Healthcare Pathway.
“Physicians, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, licensed practical nurses, physician assistants, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, and clinical social workers are eligible,” notes Alberta Immigration.
“Eligible healthcare professionals must have an Alberta job offer with an employer in the healthcare sector in Alberta, and must have verifiable proof of meeting the minimal requirements prescribed by the applicable regulatory organization to be able to practice in Alberta.”
Foreign nationals with the qualifications to work in Canada as nurses can use their expertise to seek out jobs here and gain their permanent residency through the many economic immigration programs at the federal and provincial levels, including through the Express Entry system, one of the PNPs or the Skilled Worker program in Quebec.
Through the Express Entry system, nurses can often qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program, provided their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) profile scores highly enough.
Nurses can also qualify to come to Canada through the Skilled Worker program in Quebec if they score 50 points or more on the province’s selection grid.
Registered nurses who hold a university degree in nursing, registered psychiatric nurses who hold a bachelor’s or post-grad degree in psychiatric nursing, licensed practical nurses, or registered practical nurses in Ontario, with post-secondary diplomas in nursing, are all welcome in Canada.
Nurses Who Want To Practice In Canada Need To Have Their Credentials Recognized
The first step for a nurse eyeing Canada as a destination for immigration is to have his or her academic credentials evaluated to see if they are up to Canadian standards.
The Canadian government recognizes five organizations for the assessment of foreign educational credentials:
- 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).
Once the educational and background checks have been completed, the next step is for the prospective immigrant to have those nursing credentials recognized in Canada by the National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS), a step that costs US$650.
The second step in the process for the foreign national looking to immigrate to Canada as a nurse is to create a profile on the NNAS application page.
That requires:
- the submission of two pieces of identity that must be notarized, copies of original documents that have been signed, dated and stamped;
- 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 that school’s officials to complete and then send directly to NNAS along with academic records or transcripts, course curriculum and course descriptions and syllabi;
- submission of the nursing registration form which is to be sent to the nursing licensing authority where the nurse is currently registered in his or her home country;
- the nursing practice/employment form which must be signed and sent to all employers the nurse has had over the past five years for them to complete and send to NNAS, and;
- the prospective applicant for immigration’s IELTS language testing results, which must be sent directly to NNAS from an approved language-testing organization or company.
Provincial And Territorial Nursing Associations Accept Completed Applications
After that has been done and the documents have been received by NNAS, the nurse can submit his or her application and pick the nursing group and provincial association to which they wish to apply.
These include:
- British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals and Midwives;
- College of Registered Nurses of Alberta;
- College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta;
- College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta;
- Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association;
- Saskatchewan Association of Licensed Practical Nurses;
- Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association of Saskatchewan;
- College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba;
- College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Manitoba;
- College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba;
- College of Nurses of Ontario;
- Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec;
- Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers auxiliaires du Québec;
- Nurses Association of New Brunswick;
- Association of New Brunswick Licensed Practical Nurses;
- Nova Scotia College of Nursing;
- College of Registered Nurses of Prince Edward Island;
- College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Prince Edward Island;
- College of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador;
- College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador;
- Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut;
- Government of Northwest Territories, Registrar, Professional Licensing, Health and Social Services;
- Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut;
- Government of Nunavut, Department of Health;
- Yukon Registered Nurses Association, and;
- Government of Yukon, Yukon Department of Community Services.
