by ImmiLaw Global

Tremendous Opportunities Awaiting Nurses in Canada

Canada is a land of opportunities for skilled professionals. This is especially true when it comes to international healthcare workers, as the country has a huge demand for healthcare workers, including nursing professionals. Enormous opportunities are awaiting nurses in Canada. ImmiLaw Global, the best Canada immigration consultants in Kerala, helps to aspire skilled workers to make Canada their permanent home.

Canada’s population is ageing faster, which means more people would be in need of professional healthcare support in the future. Further, many healthcare professionals belonging to the Baby Boomer generation are fast approaching their retirement age and the country would need more healthcare workers to replace them.

Nova Scotia recently invited 430 Registered Nurses to apply for a provincial nomination in the recently held Labour Market Priorities Draw. The draw that took place on October 28 was the first Nova Scotia draw that targeted NOC 3012 for registered nurses/registered psychiatric nurses. All the selected candidates had work experience of at least three years in NOC 3012 and language proficiency equal to the Canadian Language Benchmark score of 8 or above in English or French. Further, all the invited candidates held a bachelor’s degree or completed a three-year study program. Another requirement was letters of reference from employers to prove that they have more than three years of experience as a registered nurse or registered psychiatric nurse. The candidates were also required to have a valid Express Entry profile submitted on or after November 1, 2018.
Besides these, the candidates had to meet the following general requirements for Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities stream.

  • Receive a Letter of Interest from the Nova Scotia Nominee Program(NSNP)
  • Meet the work experience requirements for the specific economic immigration program under the Express Entry system for which they have qualified
  • Prove the financial ability to successfully settle in Nova Scotia and support family members
  • Be legally residing in the country from where they are applying for a provincial nomination
  • Meet all the eligibility requirements at the time of submitting the application

Labour Market Priorities Stream

The Labour Market Priorities stream allows the province of Nova Scotia to select foreign skilled workers with work experience in the occupations that face labor shortage in the province. The candidates selected through the Labour Market Priorities Stream are invited to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence in Canada.
The candidates nominated by Nova Scotia would receive 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System(CRS) score points that guarantee an invitation to apply for permanent residence in Canada in the subsequent federal Express Entry draw.

Become a registered nurse in Canada

If you are a nurse registered outside Canada, you need to complete a bridging course in order to become a registered nurse in Canada. The course will provide both the clinical experience and knowledge required to meet the quality standards set by Canadian regulatory bodies. Once a candidate completes the bridging course, a verification on course completion will be sent to the concerned regulatory body as proof of their practical experience and eligibility.

Registration requirements

The nurses educated outside Canada need to obtain a General Certificate of Registration in order to practice as a Registered Nurse or Registered Practical Nurse in Canada.

To be eligible for this certificate, the candidate has to meet the following requirements:

  • Hold the proof of authorization to work in Canada.
  • Must have completed a nursing program, which is equivalent to a four-year bachelor’s degree in Nursing or a diploma in practical nursing.
  • Nursing practice in the relevant nursing category within three years prior to issuing the Certificate of Registration.
  • Completion of NCLEX-RN for those applying for Registered Nurse or the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Exam(CPNRE) for those candidates applying for Registered Practical Nurse.
  • Proof of Language Proficiency (English/French).

All the 430 individuals invited had an active Express Entry profile. The Express Entry system manages the pool of candidates for the three federal economic immigration programs, which are Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class, and Canadian Experience Class.

The draw held on is October 28 was the fifth Labour Market Priorities Stream draw held by NSNP after the Stream was introduced for the first time in 2019. Previous draws have targeted carpenters, early childhood educators, financial auditors and accountants, and French-speaking Express Entry candidates.

All the 430 individuals invited had an active Express Entry profile. The Express Entry system manages the pool of candidates for the three federal economic immigration programs, which are Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class, and Canadian Experience Class.

The draw held on is October 28 was the fifth Labour Market Priorities Stream draw held by NSNP after the Stream was introduced for the first time in 2019. Previous draws have targeted carpenters, early childhood educators, financial auditors and accountants, and French-speaking Express Entry candidates.

Provincial Nomination through Labour Market Priorities Stream

The first step for a candidate to be considered for provincial nomination through the Labour Market Priorities Stream of Nova Scotia is to create a federal Express Entry profile. Nova Scotia issues Letters of Interest to apply to eligible candidates through their Express Entry profile.

The candidates who receive Letters of Interest from the Government of Nova Scotia may submit a complete application for provincial nomination along with supporting documents within 30 days. All the supporting documents must be in a portable PDF format. If these documents are not in English or French, a copy of the certified translation will have to be submitted along with the originals. Further, the candidates will have to submit letters of reference from the employers as proof of work experience in the relevant occupation. Other documents that need to be submitted include bank statements as a proof of settlement funds. The applicant must also submit a copy of passport or temporary resident visa if they are not a citizen of the country where they reside at the time of submitting the application.

If the application is approved, Nova Scotia will issue an approval letter and Nomination Certificate to the candidate. If their application is rejected, the candidate will receive a Letter of Intent to Refuse. The candidate may submit more documents for reassessment within 10 business days. If in any case the application is rejected, the applicant will not be able to appeal as the decision made by the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration is final.

The candidates may accept the nomination within 30 calendar days. They will have 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System(CRS) score points added to their total CRS score that guarantees them an invitation to apply for permanent residence. Once they obtain an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence in Canada in the subsequent Express Entry draw, they may apply for the same and move to Nova Scotia permanently.

However, some candidates are not eligible to receive invitation to apply for provincial nomination through the Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities Stream. They include those who have already received a nomination under NSNP within the last 12 months and refugee claimants or failed refugee claimants who have not left Canada yet.

Are you a nurse interested to explore the great opportunities awaiting you in Canada. If yes, look no further! ImmiLaw Global, one of the best immigration consultants in Kerala, can help you to fulfill your dream. Contact us for more information.