Nurse Immigration to Canada 2024 | Credential Recognition, Costs, and Requirements
Nurse Immigration to Canada 2024 | Credential Recognition, Costs, and Requirements
Due to Canada’s need for healthcare professionals, nurse immigration to Canada is possible through various pathways. This increases the chances of success in the process.
Requirements for Nurse Immigration to Canada
Due to the existence of different immigration programs for nurses, there are no uniform conditions for immigration. The general requirements for nurse immigration to Canada are listed below on a case-by-case basis. It is important to emphasize again that these are the necessary conditions, but not sufficient ones.
- Relevant work experience
- Language skills (which vary in each immigration pathway)
- Financial stability
- No criminal record
- Physical health
- Obtaining a nursing practice permit by participating in the official Canadian nursing exam
- Credential assessment approval (this approval must be obtained from the NNAS evaluation organization)
Methods of Nurse Immigration to Canada
1. Nurse Immigration to Canada through Express Entry
If you are looking to obtain permanent residency in Canada, the Federal Skilled Worker Program in the Express Entry system might be a suitable option for you.
To use this program, you must have at least one year of nursing work experience. For more details on this immigration pathway, refer to the Federal Skilled Worker Program page.
One important piece of information you will need for the Federal Skilled Worker Program is the classification of nurses in the NOC system. There are three different categories for nurses in this system.
- Licensed Practical Nurse / LPN
A licensed practical nurse who performs basic nursing duties and care. These nurses must take the CPNRE exam for immigration purposes.
NOC: 32101
- Registered Nurse / RN
A registered nurse with an official work permit, these individuals must take the NCLEX exam to immigrate to Canada and obtain their practice license.
NOC: 31301
- Nurse Practitioner / NP
Nurse practitioners are nurses with diagnostic and treatment capabilities who hold an advanced degree.
NOC: 31302
2. Immigration Through Job Offer
Nurses can experience one of the fastest immigration pathways to Canada through a job offer. To obtain a work visa, nurses can apply for a personal nurse job offer in Canada.
3. Provincial Programs
Most provinces have different pathways for attracting nurses. Therefore, it is better to research the immigration programs of the province you are interested in and apply afterward. In this method, you will receive an invitation from the province you applied to.
4. Quebec Skilled Worker Program
The Quebec Skilled Worker immigration program is similar to the Federal Skilled Worker program, but it operates independently from the federal system. For this program, factors such as language proficiency, education, and others are important.
5. Study Immigration
You can apply to study nursing at various levels, including diploma, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in Canada. However, if you already hold a nursing degree and the educational evaluation shows a gap that requires you to take bridge programs, or if none of the previous immigration pathways are suitable for you, you can consider study immigration.
After completing the bridge program, you will prepare for the NCLEX exam, and once you pass it, you can start working in Canada.
Required Documents for Nurse Immigration to Canada
Given that different pathways can be used for immigration to Canada, each pathway requires specific documents. In this section, the general documents required across all pathways are listed.
- Passport (identification documents)
- Financial documents (proof of financial stability)
- Medical examinations
- Criminal record certificate
- If you have children, their birth certificates
- If single, a document that shows your marital status. You should have either a marriage certificate, a spouse’s death certificate, or a divorce decree available for submission.
- Job offer (if applicable)
- Work experience
- Work experience verification (a letter from the employer confirming your nursing work)
- Educational certificates and transcripts
- Valid nursing practice license
- Language proficiency certificate with the minimum score required for your selected immigration pathway
- And more
Required Exams for Nurse Immigration to Canada
For nurse immigration to Canada, you need to prove your language proficiency, which is why it is necessary to take recognized exams.
Two specialized exams, CPNRE and NCLEX-RN, must be taken based on the conditions. Each of these exams is designed for a specific group of nurses. Below is a brief explanation of each.
- CPNRE (Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination)
This exam is for licensed practical nurses (LPN). These nurses perform some basic medical tasks and basic nursing care. The exam is designed to assess the skills, abilities, and knowledge of these nurses.
The questions in this exam are based on real-life scenarios and are multiple-choice.
To take this exam, you must apply through the nursing regulatory body of the province where you wish to work.
The total cost of taking this exam is approximately 145 CAD.
Requirements for registration in the CPNRE exam:
- Language proficiency certificate
- Credential evaluation
- Valid LPN certificate or its equivalent
- Have applied for a license
2. NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses)
This exam is for registered nurses (RN). It is used to assess the abilities of foreign nurses.
The exam is administered as a computer-adaptive test (CAT), which adjusts according to the participant’s skill level. The number of questions varies between 75 and 265 depending on the individual’s performance.
The total cost of taking this exam is approximately 610 CAD.
Requirements for registration in the NCLEX exam:
The requirements for the exam may vary slightly depending on the province. The fixed requirements for taking the exam are as follows:
- No criminal record
- Valid nursing certificate
- Completion of required nursing hours
- License application
This exam is not held in all countries. In addition to Canada, it is administered in South Africa, Australia, Israel, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Turkey, Japan, France, the Philippines, Malaysia, Mexico, India, and Hong Kong.
To register for the NCLEX exam, the following steps must be completed:
1. Credential evaluation by NNAS
Send your work experience, identification documents, and educational credentials to NNAS for them to match with Canadian nursing standards.
2. Registration with the provincial nursing body
Each province has its own specific requirements. You may be asked to complete a specific course.
3. Register with Pearson VUE
To register, you need to provide initial details and pay the fees. The information provided should match the documents the applicant will bring on the exam day.
4. Receive ATT (Authorization to Test)
After completing the previous steps, you will receive an email with the ATT. The ATT is valid for a limited time (usually 90 days). You can only take the exam while the ATT is valid.
This email will contain the Test Validity, NCLEX ID, and Authorization Number.
5. Choose the NCLEX exam date and location
You can select the location and time for your exam through Pearson VUE. Be careful when making your selection to avoid any financial loss.
Steps for Nurse Immigration to Canada
After choosing your immigration path, you must go through the following steps to immigrate to Canada.
Step One: Prepare the Documents
After selecting one of the immigration paths, you need to prepare and submit the required documents at the appropriate time. Each program requires proof of different matters based on its specific conditions. However, in all cases, providing identification, educational, and language documents is necessary.
Step Two: Credential Evaluation
If you plan to immigrate to Canada, you must have your educational credentials assessed to determine how they are recognized according to Canadian standards. To do this, you need to send your credentials to the National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS). To start, create an account on the NNAS website, enter your information, make a payment, and submit your documents to receive an evaluation report.
Step Three: Obtain a Language Certificate
To work as a nurse in Canada, you need to be proficient in one of the two official languages of Canada (English and French). While the required level depends on the immigration path, knowing one of the official languages is generally required.
Note: In nursing, communication with patients is crucial, so having strong language skills along with the ability to communicate effectively is essential.
Valid language tests for nursing immigration:
- IELTS
- TCF
- TEF
- CELBAN
Step Four: Submit Application to Provincial Nursing Regulatory Body
A copy of your NNAS evaluation report will be sent to the provincial nursing body you selected. Once the report is sent, you will receive a link to register with the provincial nursing body.
After sending the credential evaluation report to the selected province, there are three possible results:
First: No equivalency, in this case, depending on the province’s decision, you may need to take bridge courses or sit for the OSCE exam.
Second: Partially equivalent, this response does not necessarily require you to take new training courses. The provincial nursing body will choose one of four options for you: 1. Complete bridge courses 2. Take the OSCE exam 3. Submit additional work experience documents 4. Be allowed to take the exam where your education and credentials will be evaluated.
Third: Fully equivalent, in this case, you do not need to take any training courses. You are eligible to take the NCLEX, CPNRE, or ATT exams.
Step Five: Nursing Board Exam
After successfully passing the credential evaluation with the provincial medical board, depending on the nursing branch you wish to work in, you will take one of the following board exams:
Practical Nurse → CPNRE
Registered Nurse → NCLEX
Step Six: Apply for a Visa
Based on the residency path you have chosen, apply for a Canadian visa.
Step Seven: Obtain Provincial License
After completing all the steps and arriving in Canada, you can obtain a provincial license from the nursing regulatory body. However, depending on the specific rules of each province, you may be required to attend an interview or take a licensing exam.
Equivalency of Nursing Degree for Nurse Immigration to Canada
To proceed with the equivalency process, you must be part of one of the nursing groups defined in Canada, and at the same time, have work experience in your home country without any work experience in Canada. It is also important that you are a nursing graduate from a college or university outside of Canada.
To complete the equivalency process for nursing, five steps must be followed:
Step 1: Create an account on the NNAS website.
Step 2: Complete the application on NNAS. To do this, you need to create an application in your account and carefully fill in the requested information. This information will determine your future immigration path. You must enter the nursing group and the province where you intend to practice, as well as your personal information.
Step 3: At this stage, you must make the payment. Within 48 hours after making the payment, you will receive an identification number.
Step 4: In this step, you must send the requested documents. These documents include: identification documents, which must be sent by the applicant; educational documents, which must be sent by the university; work-related documents, which need to be sent by the employer; and the nursing registration form, which must be sent by the nursing regulatory body.
Note: Documents must be sent physically. It is mandatory to write the name and surname along with the NNAS identification number on the envelope.
Note: Translated identification documents must be sent with an official certified copy.
Step 5: Up to 12 months after receiving the last document, the equivalency report will be ready. It is important to note that this report is valid for only 12 months.
FAQ
خیر، به دلیل ارتباط نزدیک پرستاران با افراد مختلف (بیماران) داشتن دانش بالا در یک از دو زبان رسمی کانادا (فرانسوی و انگلیسی) ضروری است. تنها در صورت تحصیل یا گذراندن دورههای پرستاری به زبان انگلیسی یا در کشورهای انگلیسی زبان این احتمال وجود دارد که از دادن آزمون زبان معاف شوید. Here
به طور رسمی هیچ محدودیت سنی برای مهاجرت پرستاران به کانادا تعریف نشده است. اما مثلا در سیستم اسکیل ورکر کانادا افراد بالای 45 سال و پایین 18 سال امتیازی دریافت نمیکنند.
بله، مهاجرت از طریق کار روشی مرسوم برای مهاجرت پرستاران به کانادا است. با توجه به نیاز این کشور به نیروی درمان احتمال گرفتن اقامت از طریق شغل پرستاری زیاد است. اما باید به این نکته هم توجه کرد که این کار فرایند راحتی ندارد؛ نیاز به معادل سازی مدارک و مجوز فعالیت پرستاری دارید.
بله مهاجرت تحصیلی یک از متداول ترین مسیرها برای مهاجرت پرستاران به کانادا است.
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