The April 14 draw saw 250 candidates invited, with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score of 356, 31 higher than the previous draw.
Important requirements for the Alberta Express Entry stream are that candidates have stated an interest in immigrating permanently to the province, and are working in an occupation that supports Alberta’s economic development and diversification.
For full details of the requirements for Alberta Express Entry, please see below.
The April 26 draw saw invitations issued in four different categories.
Skilled workers and international graduates with a minimum score of 85 points received 112 invitations through the BC PNP Tech stream.
A draw targeted at Healthcare workers saw 8 invitations issued to skilled workers, international graduates and entry-level and semi-skilled workers, also with a minimum score of 65 points.
A further 23 invitations were issued to skilled workers and international graduates scoring at least 65 points in a draw targeting Early Childhood Educators under NOC 4214.
The final 5 invitations went to skilled workers and international graduates targeted ‘other priority occupations’ under NOCs 3114 and 3213, with a minimum score of 65.
Canada immigration news: A new draw through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program saw the province issue 303 Letters of Advice to Apply to Canada immigration candidates.
The April 21 draw saw LAAs issued through three MPNP streams.
Skilled Workers in Manitoba received 201 LAAs, with the lowest-ranked candidates scoring 707 points.
International Education Stream candidates received 41 LAAs.
The remaining 61 LAAs went to Skilled Workers Overseas candidates through a Strategic Recruitment Initiative, with a minimum score of 708.
Manitoba stated that 46 of the 303 candidates had valid Express Entry IDs and job seeker validation codes.
For detailed requirements of all the streams featured in this draw, please see below.
This was the 144th draw in the history of the MPNP.
What Were the Details of the Latest Manitoba Draw?
Stream
Sub-Stream
Letters of Advice to Apply
Score of Lowest Ranked Candidate
1) Skilled Workers in Manitoba
201
707
2) International Education Stream
41
–
3) Skilled Workers Overseas
Strategic Recruitment Initiative
61
708
Video
How Do I Qualify For The Skilled Worker in Manitoba Stream?
The Skilled Worker in Manitoba Stream (SWM) is based on the specific needs of Manitoba employers. SWM selects foreign-trained workers with the required skills and nominates them for Canada permanent residence. The stream prioritizes candidates with a strong attachment to Manitoba, with two pathways to Manitoba immigration.
a) Manitoba Work Experience Pathway
For applicants currently working in Manitoba on temporary work permits, through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or as international graduates from any province. Candidates do not need to be working in In-Demand Occupations.
b) Employer Direct Recruitment Pathway
For applicants from overseas with job offers from approved Manitoba employers.
How Do I Qualify For The Skilled Worker Overseas Stream?
The Skilled Worker Overseas Stream (SWO) includes both a dedicated Canada Express Entry Pathway and a direct provincial pathway.
It is aimed at international skilled workers with skills and training in Manitoba’s In-Demand Occupations. Priority is given to applicants and spouses with close family connections, plus the language proficiency, training and experience to find jobs quickly.
a) Manitoba Express Entry Pathway
For international candidates eligible under another MPNP stream, who also meet Express Entry criteria and have an active Express Entry profile. Candidates need skills, training and experience in one of Manitoba’s In-Demand Occupations, and a strong family connection to the province.
b) Human Capital Pathway
For international skilled workers with skills, training and experience in one of Manitoba’s In-Demand Occupations. Candidates must demonstrate the potential to find employment soon after they arrive in Manitoba.
What Are The Requirements For the International Education Stream?
The International Education Stream (IES) is dedicated to international graduates from Manitoba colleges and universities. Under IES, candidates are no longer required to work for six months in their field before applying for an MPNP nomination. It has three pathways:
1) Career Employment Pathway
Eligibility requirements include:
Completed a one-year or longer course from an eligible post-secondary Manitoba institution within three years of submission of application.
Have a full-time job offer in a Manitoba In-Demand occupation related to the completed degree
Resident of Manitoba
2) Graduate Internship Pathway
Masters and Doctoral degree holders who have completed Mitacs Accelerate or Elevate internships can apply for nomination through internships even without a job offer in the province.
3) Student Entrepreneur Pathway
Eligibility requirements include:
Completed a two-year or longer course from an eligible post-secondary Manitoba institution
Six months business operation experience in Manitoba
Resident of Manitoba since graduation.
No specific minimum personal net worth requirement
Canada immigration news: Strong performances in both January and February means Canada could surpass the already-ambitious immigration target for 2022, putting it on track to hit another record-breaking annual immigration level.
The latest data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reveals the country welcomed a total of 72,510 for both months. That rate of immigration – if it carries through the rest of the year – would mean 435,060 new permanent residents to Canada in 2022.
The rate of immigration to Canada this year is even higher – albeit less than three-quarters of a percentage point higher – than Ottawa’s plans. Canada wants to welcome 431,645 immigrants this year.
So far this year, January has seen the arrival of 35,330 new permanent residents and February another 37,180. IRCC has stated that more than 108,000 newcomers were welcomed in the first quarter of 2022, although the official monthly figure for March is yet to be made available.
Immigration To Canada At Higher Levels Than Before COVID-19
Immigration during the first two months of this year was up almost 50.8 per cent over the 48,095 new permanent residents in the comparable period last year and almost 43.3 per cent higher than the 50,610 new permanent residents in 2020.
Perhaps the best indicator of how strong a start to the year 2022 has been a comparison to the first two months of 2019, the last full year before the start of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
In January and February of 2019, Canada welcomed 38,895 new permanent residents. That was 33,615, or 46.3 per cent, fewer than during the comparable months this year.
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A big contributor to the higher immigration levels in the first two months of this year compared to the same period last year has been the one-time, temporary-to-permanent resident (TR-to-PR) program which kicked off in May last year.
Although applications for the TR to PR program closed in early November last year, not all the applications have been processed and Ottawa’s latest immigration levels plan calls for 32,000 new permanent residents under that pathway this year.
Canada’s immigration plan is to welcome more than 1.3 million newcomers between 2022 and 2024.
“Immigration has helped shape Canada into the country it is today. From farming and fishing to manufacturing, healthcare and the transportation sector, Canada relies on immigrants,” said Immigration Minister Sean Fraser earlier this year.
Immigrants’ Contributions To Canada ‘Immeasurable’
“We are focused on economic recovery, and immigration is the key to getting there. Setting bold new immigration targets, as outlined in the 2022-2024 Levels Plan, will further help bring the immeasurable contribution of immigrants to our communities and across all sectors of the economy.”
Under the levels plan presented by the immigration minister this year, Canada plans to welcome 447,055 next year, and 451,000 in 2024.
The previous immigration levels plan presented in late 2020 called on Canada to welcome 411,000 new permanent residents in 2022 and 421,000 in 2023.
The ever-growing levels of immigration are touted by Ottawa as being the key to resolving labour shortages and building the Canadian economy, everything from agriculture and the fisheries to business management and the tech sector.
“Canada is among the world’s top destinations for talent, and immigration is a driving force behind the boom in our tech sector,” tweeted Fraser earlier this year.
“Bringing skilled workers to Canada helps businesses grow, and creates good jobs across the country.”
Canada immigration news: Double the number of foreign workers is to be recruited to Quebec in the coming year through the province’s ‘Journées Québec’, or ‘Quebec Days’ events as it did last year.
“Quebec Days consists of 17 missions abroad to recruit skilled francophone workers, particularly in occupations in high demand by Quebec businesses facing labour shortages,” said Immigration Minister Jean Boulet in French, in a press conference Monday.
“This is a turnkey approach that allows employers to meet and interview foreign workers who have already been screened according to the skills required and level of competence sought,” he said.
Quebec Wants To Recruit 3,000 Foreign Workers Through Quebec Days In Coming Year
In the coming year, Quebec is hoping to recruit 3,000 foreign workers through this program, roughly twice the number in the year which just ended.
“Quebec must bolster its presence on the world stage and particularly in French-speaking and francophile countries which are sources of skilled workers,” said the province’s foreign affairs minister, Nadine Girault.
“Quebec Days offers excellent visibility throughout the world for Quebec businesses looking for labour in several key sectors of our economy.”
Through its Quebec Days series of events, the province will recruit foreign workers around the world in partnership with entrepreneurs, government ministries and non-governmental organizations, including economic development associations, Québec international, Montréal international and the Société de développement économique de Drummondville.
Employers with 49 employees or less are charged $1,500 to take part in Quebec Days. Those with 50 or more employees are to pay $3,000.
1.4M Jobs Up For Grabs In Quebec This Decade, 22% Filled By Immigrants
In the decade ending in 2030, the francophone province is expected to see 1.4 million job openings with 22 per cent of those jobs to be filled by immigrants, said Boulet.
Among the countries targeted for this international recruiting are Brazil, Morocco, France, Tunisia, Columbia, and Latin America.
The government and businesses participating in Quebec Days will be primarily looking for workers in the education, healthcare, childcare, information technology, engineering and construction sectors.
Weighed down by massive labour shortages, Quebec now has the second-highest number of job vacancies in Canada.
In a report entitled Regard Sur Les Postes Vacants: Un Marché Du Travail En Pleine Transformation / Données De l’Enquête Sur Les Postes Vacants Et Les Salaires – 4e Trimestre 2021 (An Overview of Job Vacancies: A Changing Labour Market / Results of a Study on Job Vacancies and Salaries during the Fourth Trimester of 2021), the Institut du Québec think tank recently noted job vacancies in Quebec remain 88 per cent higher than they were before the Covid-19 global pandemic.
“The number of job vacancies did not increase much from the third quarter, when they stood at 238,050, to the fourth quarter of 2021 when they reached 238,140,” noted the authors of the report in French.
More Jobs Than Workers Looking For Work In Quebec
“The growth in job vacancies seems to have stabilized. The percentage of vacant positions, which indicates the share of demand for labour that remains unmet, has also stabilized at six per cent, compared to 6.1 per cent during the previous trimester.”
In the past year and a half, Quebec has seen a higher level of job vacancies – and a drop in the number of workers looking for jobs. The lack of available labour has gotten so bad in the province that even if every out-of-work person landed a job, there would still be jobs going begging for a lack of people to fill them.
“There were fewer people looking for jobs in the labour market than there were jobs to fill in the period from September through to December 2021,” noted the report.
Canada immigration news: Prince Edward Island has issued invitations to apply to 141 skilled worker and entrepreneur Canada immigration candidates in a new provincial draw.
PEI launched its Expression of Interest system at the start of 2018 and has made monthly draws ever since, with some disruption due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Video: How PNP Immigrants Can Move Anywhere in Canada
PEI issued a total of 1,933 invites during 2021, compared to 1,955 in 2020.
Of the 2021 invites, 1,764 went to Labour Impact and Express Entry candidates, with the remaining 169 going to Business Impact candidates.
Prince Edward Island Express Entry Stream
PEI’s Express Entry category operates by considering candidates already in the federal Express Entry Pool for a provincial nomination.
The PEI Express Entry Category features two pathways to Canadian permanent residence, one for candidates with a job offer and one for those without.
Prince Edward Island Labour Impact Category
1) Skilled Worker Stream
This employer-driven stream allows skilled workers with an employment offer in PEI to be nominated for Canadian Permanent residence if they meet the following criteria:
A full time employment offer from a Prince Edward Island business in an occupation classified as skill level “0”, “A” or “B” of the National Occupational Classification (NOC);
Completion of post-secondary education, with a minimum of 14 years of formal education;
Between 21 and 55 years of age;
At least 2 years of full time work experience in the past 5 years;
Sufficient proficiency in English or French to occupy the employment offered;
Sufficient settlement funds;
Demonstrated intention to settle in Prince Edward Island.
2) Critical Worker Stream
This category is designed to resolve labour shortages and is open to foreign workers already in PEI with employment in specific critical demand occupations. The primary criteria for nomination are:
A full time offer of employment from a Prince Edward Island business in one of the following occupations:
Truck driver;
Customer service representative;
Labourer;
Food & beverage server;
Housekeeping attendant.
6 months of work experience with the Prince Edward Island business offering employment;
Current valid Canadian work permit;
High school diploma and minimum of 12 years of formal education;
Between 21 and 55 years of age;
At least 2 years of full-time work experience in the past 5 years;
Demonstrate basic proficiency in English or French language;
Sufficient settlement funds;
Demonstrated intention to settle in Prince Edward Island.
Prince Edward Island Business Impact Category
Work Permit Stream
Individuals applying under the P.E.I. Work Permit Stream must obtain a Canadian work permit and work for a P.E.I. business for a certain amount of time as designated in a Performance Agreement.
After the Performance Agreement is fulfilled, the applicant must make a minimum $150,000 investment in the business and commit to managing the business on a daily basis from within P.E.I.
Previously, Prince Edward Island operated direct permanent residence business streams, but these were closed in September 2018 over immigration fraud concerns.
Canada immigration news: Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec welcomed more than 80 percent of the 64,200 spouse and partner immigrants to Canada in 2021.
Open Government figures show Ontario dominated as the preferred province of destination, welcoming nearly 29,000 spouse and partner immigrants, or 45 percent of the total.
British Columbia was a distant second with nearly 12,000 newcomers in the category, or 18.5 percent, while Quebec saw just over 11,000 arrive, or 17.3 percent.
Canada’s latest Immigration Levels Plan targets 80,000 through permanent residence streams for spouses, partners and children in 2022.
That number represents the majority of the 105,000 Family Class immigrants set to be welcomed this year, with the remainder coming through the Parents and Grandparents Program.
It shows that there are plenty of options for Canadian citizens and permanent residents looking to bring their families to Canada.
Immigration Levels Plans For Spouses, Partners and Children
2022
2023
2024
Spouses, Partners and Children
80,000
81,000
81,000
Spousal reunification was one of the many immigration streams that saw a significant rise in processing times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said in January that the stream was one of the first to return to the 12-month service standard for processing.
Other categories, including those for Federal High Skilled workers, still have processing times far in excess of that service standard.
Family Sponsorship Applicants Can Check Application Status
Meanwhile, Canada recently launched a new application tracker for family sponsorship candidates to check the status of their immigration file
For the initial launch, which happened in February, the tracker is available for permanent residence applicants in the spouse, partner and dependent child categories.
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Applicants for permanent residence in the family sponsorship categories are now able to use this tracker to check the status of their applications.
“This new tool will allow people to easily check their application status online, and is available for spousal, partners or dependent children categories,” tweeted Fraser at the time. “We’re also working to provide a similar tracker for other programs.”
Who Is Eligible To Sponsor Their Spouse, Common-Law or Conjugal Partner?
Sponsors must:
Be at least 18 years old.
Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act.
Canadian citizens living outside Canada must show they plan to live in Canada when the sponsored person(s) become permanent residents.
Permanent residents living outside Canada cannot be sponsors.
Be able to prove they are not receiving social assistance for reasons other than a disability.
Be able to provide for the basic needs of those being sponsored.
Who Can Be Sponsored?
The person being sponsored and their family members must pass background, security and medical checks.
Spouse
A spouse can be either sex and must be:
Legally married to the sponsor.
At least 18 years old.
Common-Law Partner
A common-law partner can be either sex and must:
Be not legally married to the sponsor.
Be at least 18 years old.
Have been living with the sponsor for at least 12 consecutive months in a conjugal relationship without any long periods apart.
Proof of a common-law relationship includes:
Shared ownership of residential property.
Joint leases or rental agreements.
Bills for shared utility accounts.
Important documents showing the same address, such as driver’s licenses or insurance policies.
Identification documents.
Conjugal Partner
A conjugal partner can be either sex and must:
Be not legally married or in a common-law relationship with the sponsor.
Be at least 18 years old.
Have been in a relationship with the sponsor for at least 1 year.
Live outside Canada.
Be not able to live with the sponsor in their country of residence or marry the sponsor because of significant legal and immigration reasons, such as marital status, sexual orientation or persecution.
Canada immigration news: Quebec is still facing massive labour shortages and the situation for employers looking for workers shows no signs of improvement in the francophone province.
It now has the second-highest number of job vacancies in Canada.
In a report entitled Regard Sur Les Postes Vacants: Un Marché Du Travail En Pleine Transformation / Données De l’Enquête Sur Les Postes Vacants Et Les Salaires – 4e Trimestre 2021 (An Overview of Job Vacancies: A Changing Labour Market / Results of a Study on Job Vacancies and Salaries during the Fourth Trimester of 2021), the Institut du Québec think tank notes job vacancies in Quebec remain 88 per cent higher than they were before the Covid-19 global pandemic.
More Jobs Than Workers To Fill Them In Quebec
“The number of job vacancies did not increase much from the third quarter, when they stood at 238,050, to the fourth quarter of 2021 when they reached 238,140,” note the authors of the report in French.
“The growth in job vacancies seems to have stabilized. The percentage of vacant positions, which indicates the share of demand for labour that remains unmet, has also stabilized at six per cent, compared to 6.1 per cent during the previous trimester.”
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In the past year and a half, Quebec has seen a higher level of job vacancies – and a drop in the number of workers looking for jobs. The lack of available labour has gotten so bad in the province that even if every out-of-work person landed a job, there would still be jobs going begging for a lack of people to fill them.
“There were fewer people looking for jobs in the labour market than there were jobs to fill in the period from September through to December 2021,” notes the report.
The hardest-hit sectors are the hospitality industry, which is facing a job vacancy rate of 11 per cent, the arts and entertainment sector with a job vacancy rate of 6.3 per cent and the professional, scientific and technical services sector with a job vacancy rate of 6.6 per cent.
Employers in the construction, healthcare and manufacturing sectors are also having a tough time finding workers.
Companies Sweetening Pot With Salary Increases As Glut Of Jobs Persists
Many hiring managers are reacting by upping the salaries for jobs that are hard to fill. In the past two years, the average pay hike for those open jobs has been 5.6 per cent. Although Canada is currently seeing historically-high levels of inflation, the average pay hike given during the past two years for those vacant jobs was far greater than the rise of the Consumer Price Index for the same period.
Quebec’s strategy to cope with these labour challenges has been to make it easier for employers struggling to find staff to hire temporary foreign workers.
Since January this year, businesses in nine specific sectors ranging from food to healthcare and manufacturing have been allowed to hire staff through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) to make up 20 percent of their workforce. The previous limit was 10 percent.
In February, the francophone province also pledged to invest $65 million for an initiative to recruit 1,000 foreign-trained nurses from francophone countries over the next two years.
And then, earlier this month, Quebec opened the door to even more opportunities for temporary residents by allowing skilled workers in foreign countries who already have Quebec Selection Certificates to get open work permits so they can work while awaiting final decisions on their permanent residency from Ottawa.
Employers in Quebec are also going to start picking up the tab for plane tickets, medical insurance coverage, and adequate housing for any workers they hire under the province’s new, simplified process starting May 24.
Canada immigration news: The Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) saw twice as many Ukrainians get the green light to come here in less than a month than Canada accepted as refugees in all of last year.
The CUAET pathway was flooded with 140,877 applications from Ukrainians looking for refuge in its first 26 days, by Apr. 12. That includes 46,417 who have already been approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
That compares to only 20,010 new permanent residents who came to Canada as refugees in 2021.
The flood of Ukrainians approved under the CUAET this year is more than five times the 9,230 new permanent residents to Canada under refugee programs in 2020 and 54.4 per cent higher than the 30,070 new permanent residents under refugee programs in 2019, the last full year before the Covid-19 global pandemic.
CUAET Offers Ukrainians Open Work And Study Permits For 3 Years
The new arrivals to Canada from Ukraine are coming under temporary visas which can last up to three years and are not permanent residents.
But, once in Canada, those Ukrainian refugees will certainly be able to apply for permanent residency and any work experience they gain or studying they do while in the country will only enhance their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores should they decide to complete Express Entry profiles and apply for permanent residency.
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine on Feb. 24 and quickly struck the country with a full military onslaught. Video coming out of Ukraine shows the full extent of the devastation as nothing seems to be spared from the Russian air missile attacks, not even maternity wards and civilians.
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Five million Ukrainian civilians have fled their homes and country, most seeking refuge in adjoining countries with some moving to safer cities in other regions of Ukraine.
This week, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced yet another initiative to help to flee Ukrainians come to Canada, a partnership with Air Canada to provide free flights to Canada for at least 10,000 Ukrainians.
The free flights are being made possible by the donation of 100 million Aeroplan points by Air Canada and a pledge to match donations of other Aeroplan points, up to 50 million points, by The Shapiro Foundation.
Free Flights Offered Under Ukraine2Canada Travel Fund
“Canadians from coast to coast have stepped up to support Ukrainians fleeing Putin’s war,” tweeted Fraser. “Today, we announced the Ukraine2Canada Travel Fund, an initiative with @miles4migrants, @AirCanada and The Shapiro Foundation that will help thousands of Ukrainians come to Canada.”
Canada’s largesse in accepting an unlimited number of Ukrainian refugees is getting backlash on social media. While some denizens of the Twitterverse it as a great humanitarian effort, others are slamming it as preferential treatment for a largely-Caucasian population of refugees in Europe.
“Free flights! Free entry! And the rest of immigration applicants, including refugees, are struggling with their applications!” tweeted one social media user. “Racism and discrimination in their worst forms!”
“And what about the thousands of refugees fleeing in the rest of the countries, especially Turkey?” tweeted another.
On social media, though, most seem to support Canada’s efforts to help Ukrainian refugees with some going so far as to suggest host countries could encourage their citizens to learn a bit of Ukrainian to make the newcomers feel welcome.
“Wouldn’t it be great if loads of us did this,” tweeted one man. “Just even to have a few words and phrases for interactions with Ukrainians … Small things have a massive impact.”
Among the new immigration measures announced since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war are:
a dedicated service channel for Ukraine enquiries that will be available for clients both in Canada and abroad at 613-321-4243, with collect calls accepted. In addition, clients can now add the keyword “Ukraine2022” to the IRCC Webform with their enquiry and their e-mail will be prioritized;
urgent processing of travel documents, including issuing single-journey travel documents for immediate family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who do not have valid passports;
an updated web page to provide current information on measures. This page will include content in Ukrainian for ease of reference;
permission for Ukrainians currently in Canada to extend their stay or stay longer in Canada by prioritizing the renewal of work and study permits, and extending a policy that allows individuals to apply for a work permit from within Canada. This policy would allow temporary residents who receive a job offer to remain in Canada and start working while they wait for their work permit application to be processed, and;
the issuance of open work permits to Ukrainian visitors, workers and students who are currently in Canada and cannot go home, so they can stay longer if they wish. Fees are being waived, retroactive to Feb. 22, for certain travel and immigration documents, such as Canadian passports, permanent resident travel documents, proofs of citizenship, visitor visas, and work and study permits.
Canada immigration news: British Columbia is to make it easier and cheaper for foreign-trained nurses to get their credentials recognized for Canada immigration with a new $12 million fund.
“This investment is an exciting step in providing more support for internationally-educated nurses who want to work in B.C.,” says Michael McMillan, president and chief executive officer of the Health Employers Association of BC.
“Health Match BC is excited to be a partner with the ministry, British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) and Nursing Community Assessment Service (NCAS) to support this initiative,” says McMillan. “Work will include a new marketing campaign to promote B.C. and a new provincial website to provide information on available supports. Health Match BC will also provide recruitment navigation support and administer bursaries to help IENS overcome barriers and encourage them build their future in B.C.”
$9m in Bursaries Will Help 1,500 Nurses Get-Credential Assessments
The new funding from the westernmost province in Canada includes roughly $9 million in bursaries to help foreign-trained nurses pay assessment fees to get their credentials recognized here. That’s expected to benefit about 1,500 nurses in the first year alone.
The remaining roughly $3 million will go towards consolidating the provincially-based assessment processes for foreign-trained nurses and the creation of nurse navigator positions to help nurses from other countries coming to Canada navigate the assessment and licensing process.
“Our government is committed to addressing the province’s demand for nurses. That’s why we’re launching this comprehensive suite of supports for internationally educated nurses to help them put their skills to use here in B.C.,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health.
“We are very pleased to be supporting BCCNM in developing the triple-track assessment process and to work with HMBC to provide financial and logistical support for internationally educated nurses. Removing some financial barriers and streamlining the assessment process will facilitate pathways to employment in the province and ensure British Columbians have access to the health care they deserve with even more nurses and health-care assistants.”
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In a report released last autumn, the more than 48,000-strong British Columbia Nurses’ Union bemoaned a chronic nursing shortage in the province, a shortage that goes back several years, and difficult working conditions.
“New research conducted by the BC Nurses’ Union in the height of the COVID-19 third wave exposes the mental and physical toll the pandemic continues to have on nurses on the front lines,” states the report, dubbed The Future Of Nursing In BC: Impacts Of The COVID-19 Pandemic And The Nursing Shortage In British Columbia.
Third of British Columia Nurses More Likely to Leave Profession
“Results also offer a sobering look at the current gaps in the health-care system. From amplified levels of moral distress among nurses, to hindered recruitment and retention efforts within the profession, there is serious concern that these systemic issues are having a lasting impact on the delivery of safe patient care.”
A survey conducted in May last year for that report revealed more than a third of nurses in British Columbia, 35 per cent, the experience of the pandemic made them more likely to leave nursing in the next two years.
“The pandemic has demanded a lot of the nurses we regulate, who have been called upon to deliver care under extraordinary circumstances,” says Cynthia Johansen, registrar and CEO of the BC College of Nurses and Midwives.
“It has also underscored the need for more nurses in our health-care system,” she says. “We are delighted to be partnering with the Ministry of Health and NCAS to remove barriers wherever possible and bring internationally educated nurses into the system safely and efficiently.”
Under the current system of credential assessment, foreign-trained nurses undergo a complicated, costly and lengthy process to have their credentials recognized. The process requires multiple assessments and document submissions to numerous organizations.
The latest government initiative will see bursaries offered to foreign-trained nurses to offset the costs of assessment services, language testing, skill evaluation and educational upgrading.
Those bursaries will range from $1,500 to $16,000, depending on assessment or upgrading required.
The new nurse navigators will help foreign-trained nurses as they navigate the various testing and assessments required to practise in British Columbia and also offer immigration and licensing support, relocation information and job placement and employment support.
“Finally, we are moving ahead, and I have envisioned and hoped for this to happen for my fellow internationally-educated nurses,” says Jennie Arceno, a registered nurse who herself was foreign-trained before coming to work in Canada.
PNP, Skilled Worker Programs Are Pathways to Canada for Foreign-Trained Nurses
“This will surely motivate and help those who are in the process of obtaining their registration. During my time, it was very tedious and I was about to lose hope, but I kept looking at the words ‘RN’ and I know that I will obtain it, again. The struggles that I went through fuelled my passion in advocating for my fellow internationally-trained nurses, and knowing it’s slowly happening is just surreal.”
Even before the pandemic, Ottawa’s Jobbank employment website was forecasting a shortage of 36,500 nurses for the period from 2019 through to 2028. At the upper end of the wage scale, a nurse in the Canadian territory of Nunavut can earn a median annual wage of $169,045 based on a 37.5-hour work week. The median annual wage for nurses across Canada is $78,000 based on that standard workweek.
Foreign nationals with the qualifications to work in Canada as nurses can use their expertise to seek out jobs here and gain their permanent residency through the many economic immigration programs at the federal and provincial levels, including through the Express Entry system, one of the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) or the Skilled Worker program in Quebec.
Through the Express Entry system, nurses can often qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker program, provided their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) profile scores highly enough.
Nurses can also qualify to come to Canada through the Skilled Worker program in Quebec if they score 50 points or more on the province’s selection grid.
Each province in Canada also operates its own PNP that leads to Canadian permanent residence.
Registered nurses who hold a university degree in nursing, registered psychiatric nurses who hold a bachelor’s or post-grad degree in psychiatric nursing, and licensed practical nurses, or registered practical nurses in Ontario, with post-secondary diplomas in nursing, are all welcome in Canada.
