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Nursing is currently the most in-demand health occupation in Canada, according the latest data. In the first quarter of 2021, the number of job vacancies for registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses rose by 7200 compared to the same period in 2020. The job vacancies for nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates increased during this period by 5400. There was a rise of 4000 in job vacancies for licensed practical nurses in the same quarter. According to the report by Statistics Canada, almost half of the vacancies for registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses had been vacant for 90 days or more.
Jobbank, an employment website in Canada, predicts that there would be a labour shortage of 36500 nurses in Canada by 2028.
The pandemic situation has created a huge demand for nurses in Canada. Even before the pandemic, the demand for nurses was high in the country. Now Canada has launched some new immigration pathways for skilled workers including nurses to migrate to the country.
Nurses have two occupation categories in National Occupation Classification or NOC. The registered nurses and registered practical nurses are considered under NOC 3012, which is Skill Level A. At the same time, licensed practical nurses are considered under the NOC 3233, which is Skill Level B.
Express Entry for Nurses
Nurses can apply for Express Entry immigration to Canada under either the Federal Skilled Worker Program(FSWP) or the Canadian Experience Class(CEC) program. In order to apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the candidate must have at least one year of work experience. This experience must have been acquired within the last 10 years. They must also have language proficiency equal to Canadian Language Benchmark 7 in all the four abilities- reading, writing, speaking and listening. Further, they must score at least 67 points out of 100 on the eligibility test for Federal Skilled Worker Program.
For Canadian Experience Class, the candidates must have work experience of at least one year obtained within the last three years. They must also have language proficiency equal to CLB 7 in NOC 0 and NOC A. In the case of NOC B, the language proficiency requirement is CLB 5.
The candidates must create an Express Entry profile. Each of the profile is assessed and awarded a Comprehensive Ranking System score out of 1200. Those with the highest scores are invited to apply for permanent residence in the Express Entry draws that are conducted regularly.
PNP programs for nurses
A number of pathways are there for nurses to apply for provincial nomination for permanent residence in Canada. Several provinces have immigration streams dedicated only towards healthcare professionals. Some PNP streams are aligned to the federal Express Entry. The candidates who receive nomination under these streams will receive 600 additional CRS score points. This will guarantee them an invitation to apply for permanent residence in Canada in a subsequent federal Express Entry draw.
Are you a nurse? Do you wish to explore your options for moving to Canada permanently? If yes, CanApprove can be your best Canada immigration consultant. Connect with us now!
