Nurses Immigrating To Canada

Steps to Follow to Become a Nurse

Foreign-born workers hoping to establish themselves in Canada as nurses must first follow a few simple steps:

1. Research each provincial association
2. Self-Assess and Apply to a Province
3. Once your temporary permit is granted, apply for the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination (CRNE)

For more information on Canadian permanent residency (without a job offer):
Federal Skilled Worker Program
Quebec Skilled Worker Program
Nova Scotia Regional Labour Market Demand Stream [TEMPORARILY CLOSED]

 Provincial Information

Each province has different procedures and specifications for nurses applying to work in Canada. Consult the table below for province-specific information pertaining to nursing applicants.

Province	Procedure	Processing Time	Fee	Language Proficiency Test	Additional  Qualifications	PNP Option	Application Forms
Alberta	Provide Evidence of RN certification, education and work experience	3-6 Months	$525.00	English: CELBAN or IELTS (Academic Version)   Minimum Scores	Generally people from Philippines, India and Nigeria must complete Substantially Equivalent Competence (SEC) assessment.	Yes	http://bit.ly/JfmUZm
British Colombia	Provide Evidence of RN certification, education and work experience. If deemed qualified they will receive approval, if not they will be asked to do a Substantially Equivalent Competency (SEC) Assessment.	3-6 Months	$560.00	English: CELBAN or IELTS (Academic Version)   Minimum Scores	No bias toward one country. Everyone is assed individually.	Yes	http://bit.ly/K0dc13
Manitoba	Provide Evidence of RN certification, education and work experience	4-6 months	$525.00	English: CELBAN or IELTS (Academic Version)  French: TEF   Minimum Scores	No bias. Each applicant is assessed individually.	No	http://bit.ly/KfK5Dr
New Brunswick	Provide Evidence of RN certification, education and work experience	4-6 Months	$452.00	English: CELBAN or IELTS (Academic Version) French: TEF Minimum Scores	Generally people from Philippines, India and Nigeria must complete Substantially Equivalent Competence (SEC) assessment.  Claims unbiased.	Yes	http://bit.ly/KXnfBn
Newfoundland and Labrador	Provide Evidence of RN certification, education and work experience	3-6 Months (Possibly more due to backlog)	$169.50	English: CELBAN or IELTS (Academic Version) or TOEFL Minimum Scores	Generally people from Philippines, India and Nigeria must complete Substantially Equivalent Competence (SEC) assessment	Yes	http://www.arnnl.ca/pg.php?p=9
Nova Scotia	Provide Evidence of RN certification, education and work experience	6-8 Months	$469.20	English: CELBAN or IELTS (Academic Version) Minimum Scores	There is no bias, Each Applicant is assessed on an individual basis by an “Assessment Consultant”	Yes	Part 1: http://bit.ly/KkBLEB Part 2: http://bit.ly/JM0EeM Part 3: http://bit.ly/KO7fFx Part 4: http://bit.ly/JuisHq Part 5: http://bit.ly/KdHhtZ
Ontario	Each applicant receives a personalized application. While they do not provide a lot information they do seem to be more organized than the other provinces.	3-5 months once all information is received.	RPN: $226.00 RN: $678.00 NP: $226.00		Each applicant is assessed individually and there is no public information as to problems between countries.	Yes	Must Request Form: http://bit.ly/JAfEgK
Quebec	Provide Evidence of RN certification, education and work experience and go through integration program	3-6 Months	$594.99	French	Nurses educated in certain countries* are entitled to take the integration program in a hospital, while others must take it in a classroom	Yes	Must Request Form: http://bit.ly/JSOjqm
Prince Edward Island	Provide Evidence of RN certification, education and work experience	4-6 months once all documents are received	$500.00	English: CELBAN or IELTS (Academic Version) or TOEIC Minimum Scores	No bias	Yes – but require min. of 50 pts on Self-Assessment Form	http://bit.ly/Ku7zYn
Saskatchewan	Provide Evidence of RN certification, education and work experience	4-6 months	$525.00	English: CELBAN or IELTS (Academic Version) Minimum Scores	Generally people from Philippines, India and Nigeria must complete Substantially Equivalent Competence (SEC) assessment.	Yes	http://bit.ly/KfKG8a

* Those trained in Argentina, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Spain, Israel, India, Lebanon, Philipinnes, Italy, Brasil can learn directly in a hospital, others learn in classroom settings

For more information on coming to Canada as a nurse, contact FWCanada or fill out our online assessment form.