Canada is facing an acute shortage of healthcare professionals. Here’s how you can move to Canada as a healthcare worker. In September 2023, a story was released wherein three teens were unable to find treatment at their local hospital in Clinton, Ontario, because of an early closure of the facility’s emergency room. Particularly, the report demonstrated that their local emergency department closed at 6 p.m.. As a result, this forced them to drive to another hospital 20 kilometers further away for medical care. As the story continues, it points out that emergency room closures across Canada are expected to continue.

How To Move To Canada As A Healthcare Worker 

Although the above report is just an example, it serves as a potent indicator of a growing issue in this nation, i.e., Canada requires more healthcare workers. The following discusses how you can move to Canada as a healthcare worker. 

  • Express Entry – Category-Based Draws

First conducted in June 2023, Express Entry – Category-Based draws were introduced as a pathway for the federal government to target immigration applicants with relevant work experience & skill proficiencies for permanent residence in Canada. This year, one of the five occupational target categories is healthcare. 

  • Express Entry – Standard 

The ‘Standard’ Express Entry draws focus on applicants who are eligible for immigration to Canada via one of the three programs, i.e., FSTP, FSWP, & CEC. The applicants are ranked based on their Comprehensive Ranking System score. 

Note: Standard Express Entry draws are open to all eligible immigration applicants, not just healthcare professionals. Specific to healthcare professionals, foreign nationals who are trained as nurses might be eligible for the FSWP & the CEC. 

  • PNP Across Canada 

Provincial Nominee Programs are operated in all Canadian provinces except for Quebec & Nunavut. Moreover, PNPs are a way for local governments across Canada to select immigration applicants who they believe can help address local labor market challenges.

Five examples of PNP streams available for healthcare professionals are: 

  • Ontario’s Human Capital Priorities Stream
  • Saskatchewan International Health Worker EOI
  • Nova Scotia’s Labor Market Priorities Stream 
  • British Columbia’s Healthcare Professional category is available under its Skilled Immigration & Express Entry immigration pathways
  • New Brunswick Internationally Educated Nurses Program 

Earning A Credential As A Foreign Healthcare Professional In Canada 

To move to Canada as a healthcare worker, applicants must obtain accreditation or licensing to work in a Canadian province.

Note: Since the licensing & accreditation process of healthcare professionals varies by region, each province has its own institution that licenses Internationally Educated Nurses (IEN). In addition, it is vital to note that an IEN who gets accredited in one province might need to go through another licensing process if they relocate to another Canadian territory/ province.

What Are The General Steps Involved In The Accreditation Process?

The specific accreditation procedure for healthcare workers in each province varies. However, the following highlights the general steps an IEN must take to acquire accreditation to work in Canada. 

  1. Upon coming to Canada, reach out to the apt regulatory body in the province. The right institution to reach out to will depend on the specific type of nursing license required. 
  2. In most cases, the next step is completing an assessment through the National Nursing Assessment Service. It verifies an individual’s credentials against Canadian standards. This assessment also provides successful applicants with an Advisory Form, which must be included with their upcoming application to the appropriate provincial regulatory body. 

Note: Quebec & Canada’s three territories do not use NNAS. Instead, these four regions/ provinces have their own assessment methods. 

  1. Once the assessment is complete & fee is paid, apply to the provincial regulatory body for the province you plan to practice in. This might require the completion of extra provincially required educational programs that an IEN needs to meet licensing requirements in a specific region.