How to migrate to Canada as a Nurse?
A nurse can qualify to migrate to Canada as a skilled worker through one of the many economic immigration programs at both the federal and provincial levels. Canada provides permanent residency to professional nurses to fill Canada's job vacancies.
From 2016 to 2023, around 1,425 international nurses from 90 countries entered Canada via the PASS program. Ontario is currently looking to recruit 33,000 nurses by March 2028.
For more information, also read…
Nurses can now migrate to Canada easily via PASS program. Check your eligibility!
Pathways to migrate to Canada as a Nurse
There are three ways to migrate to Canada as a Nurse:
- Express Entry
- Quebec Immigration
- Provincial Nominee Programs
Express Entry
Nurses can qualify for Express Entry via the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP):
The Express Entry Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program is for foreign skilled workers to migrate to Canada as permanent residents. Under the FSW program, applicants are selected based on their profile’s Comprehensive Ranking Score (CRS) rather than occupation.
Eligibility Criteria for FSWP:
To get selected through the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the applicant should have the following:
- 1 year of work experience in the relevant work fields in the last ten years
- 7 CLB (Canadian language benchmark) score
- Medical and legal proof
*Want to apply for Federal Skilled Worker Program? Talk to Y-Axis for complete guidance.
Canadian Experience Class (CEC):
The Canadian Experience Class is for foreign professionals with Canadian work experience who wish to become permanent residents.
Eligibility Criteria for Canadian Experience Class:
To get selected through the Canadian Experience Class program, the applicant must have the following:
- 1year of work experience in the relevant work fields in the last three years
- Candidates who are applying for the Skill A category need a CLB score of 7
- Candidates who are applying for the Skill B category need a CLB score of 5
Quebec Immigration
Quebec has its immigration program. Quebec offers two programs: The Regular Skilled Worker Program and The Quebec Experience Program. Nurses are eligible for either of these programs.
Eligibility Criteria for Quebec Immigration
To get selected through Quebec Immigration, the applicant should have the following:
- Knowledge of the French language
*Want to apply for Quebec Immigration? Talk to Y-Axis for complete guidance.
Provincial Nominee Programs
Some Canada Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) are targeted for eligible nurses. Different provinces offer more than one program that invites nurses to Canada provinces.
Here are the lists of PNPs which provide pathways for nurses:
|
Provinces |
Pathways for Nurses |
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Invites nurses to via Human Capital Priorities Stream. |
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Invites Healthcare Professional category under its Skills Immigration and Express Entry pathways. |
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invites nurses via an International Health Worker EOI pool |
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invites nurses to apply for a provincial nomination via Labour Market Priorities Stream |
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Invites foreign nurses who can speak English or French. |
*Looking for assistance with Canada Immigration? Talk to Y-Axis, the world’s No. 1 overseas immigration consultancy for end-to-end support.