05-09-2013
In recent years, Canada has witnessed an increasing demand for qualified health practitioners. Throughout the country’s provinces, these professionals have been given priority in regards to the attainment of work permits and permanent residency. Notable among this type of skilled worker are nurses, which are currently highly sought after. According to the Canadian Nurses Association (CAN), a staggering 60,000 nurses will be needed by the year 2022 in order to service the country’s needs.
Quebec, like Canada’s other provinces, has felt the effects of this severe labour shortage, and predicts an increase in its demand for nurses in the coming years. Home to a rapidly expanding net of health services which include the construction of two large hospital complexes in the city of Montreal, the province now calls internationally-trained nurses to consider Quebec as their destination.
Due to the severe labour shortage in the province, Nurses in Quebec can now expect to make on average between $50,000 and $60,000 a year without taking into account overtime work and benefits, and can enjoy multiple opportunities throughout their career to significantly increase their salary. Nurses who occupy management position in their field can expect to earn over $105,000.
In addition, the province has set in place immigration policies that reflect its demand for nurses. Notable among these policies are the changes recently made to the Quebec Skilled Worker (QSW) Program. Prior to these changes, nurses with internationally earned credentials were allowed to obtain temporary residency in Canada provided that they had a valid job offer that would enable them to secure a temporary work permit. Once working in Canada as temporary residents, these applicants could proceed to apply for permanent residency though a series of venues, such as the Canadian Experience Class or the Provincial Nominee Program. Now, with the aim of retaining qualified nurses, Quebec announced a series of changes to these applicant’s requirements to secure temporary residency, making it possible for nurses to successfully attain a work permit without having to secure a job offer first.
Furthermore, the QSW Program’s points-based system now prioritizes nurses’ training and credentials, giving them high chances of being accepted. If an applicant obtains enough points, he or she will obtain the Quebec Selection Certificate, which will ultimately lead to the attainment of the Canadian permanent residency. Applicants under the QSW Program are evaluated through a points grid that takes into consideration numerous qualifications and skills, such as education and training, offer of employment, experience, language abilities, and age. An applicant must score a minimum of 49 points in order to become eligible. Nursing professionals now obtain 16 points towards their points’ requirement by virtue of their education and training. This represents the highest possible number of points that a professional can aspire to obtain because of his training/field of study. This increase in the points obtained for their area of training ensures that an applicant with professional credentials in nursing would be able to score enough points to reach the pass mark even without obtaining any points for French language ability, a valuable asset for most prospective immigrants to the province due to the fact that French is Quebec’s official language.
FWCanada is a Montreal-based immigration law firm that provides professional legal services on Canadian immigration. For the latest updates on Canadian immigration and Canadian diversity, follow FWCanada on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.To obtain further information about the QSW Program, please visit FWCanada’s website.
