|
Recruitment of Foreign Nurses
Do
you experience
shortage of nurses?
Are you thinking of hiring
foreign nurses
to ease the situation?
PulseHR is here to serve you. We specialize in recruitment of
qualified and
experienced foreign nurses
into the United States and Canada.
Please read on to learn more about what is involved in the process
of hiring foreign nurses
and what licensing and immigration regulations
apply.
Last updated:
February 9, 2005
|
Please note that each link opens a new window
Back to top
Recruitment of
Foreign Nurses: U.S.A.
Nursing Shortages
Facts and Statistics
-
AACN Resource Center on Nursing Shortages in the United States
Wealth of information
on facts, statistics, and regulations related to nursing shortages
in the United States.
-
The Nurse Reinvestment Act (Summary) in the
United States (a .PDF file)
This bill of July
22, 2002 is a solid down payment in the efforts to address severe
shortages in the nursing profession in the United States. The
national nursing shortage reached crisis level in 1999 and experts
are predicting that by 2008, the nation will be short 450,000
nurses. This shortage of nurses has dramatically detrimental
repercussions for American citizens.
On
August 1, 2002 President George W. Bush signed the Nurse
Reinvestment Act into law.
-
Projected Supply, Demand, and Shortages of
Registered Nurses: 2000-2020
The Health
Resources and Service Administration, Bureau of Health Professions,
National Center for Health Workforce Analysis (“National Center”) is
the primary Federal agency responsible for providing information and
analysis relating to the supply and demand for health professionals.
In support of this role, the National Center has recently assumed
responsibility from the Bureau’s Division of Nursing for conducting
the quadrennial National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses and
developing supply and demand projections for registered nurses.
Supply and demand projections of registered nurses (RNs) for
the period 2000 through 2020 are the subject of this report.
Using data on supply trends drawn from the 2000 National Sample
Survey of Registered Nurses, these new projections show that a
shortage of FTE registered nurses, previously projected to begin
around 2007, was already evident in the year 2000.
In 2000, the National supply of FTE
registered nurses was estimated at 1.89 million while the demand
was estimated at 2 million, a shortage of 110,000 or 6 percent.
Based on what is known about trends in the supply of RNs and their
anticipated demand, the shortage is expected to grow relatively
slowly until 2010, by which time it will have reached 12 percent.
At that point demand will begin to exceed supply at an accelerated
rate and by 2015 the shortage, a relatively modest 6 percent in the
year 2000, will have almost quadrupled to 20 percent. If not
addressed, and if current trends continue, the shortage is projected
to grow to 29 percent by 2020.
The projected shortage in 2020 results from a
projected 40 percent increase in demand between 2000 and 2020
compared to a projected 6 percent growth in supply. Demand
will grow steadily at a rate of 1.7 percent annually, a relatively
modest growth rate when compared to the 2.3 percent annual growth in
demand projected by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor
Statistics. Factors driving the growth in demand include an 18
percent increase in population, a larger proportion of elderly
persons, and medical advances that heighten the need for nurses.
In contrast, the projected growth in supply is expected to reach a
peak of only 10 percent by 2011 and then begin to decline as the
number of nurses leaving the profession exceeds the number that
enter.
Back to top
-
Nursing Shortages Fact Sheet
According to a July 2002 report by the
Health Resources and Services
Administration, 30 states were estimated
to have shortages of registered nurses
(RNs) in the year 2000. The shortage is
projected to intensify over the next two
decades with 44 states plus the District
of Columbia expected to have RN shortages
by the year 2020.
According to the latest projections from
the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
published in the November 2001 Monthly
Labor Review, more than one million
new and replacement nurses will be
needed by 2010. The U.S. Department of
Labor projects a 21% increase in the need
for nurses nationwide from 1998 to 2008,
compared with a 14% increase for all other
occupations.
According to the
National Council of State Boards of
Nursing, the number of first-time,
U.S. educated nursing school graduates who
sat for the NCLEX-RN®, the national
licensure examination for registered
nurses, decreased by 31.3% from
1995-2002. A total of 30,152 fewer
students in this category of test takers
sat for the exam in 2002 as compared with
1995.
-
Faculty Shortages in Baccalaureate and
Graduate Nursing Programs
It is important to notice
that when we talk about acute shortage of
nurses, we actually mean those nurses who have
university education. i.e. those who have
completed a 4-year baccalaureate degree.
Back to top
-
Hallmarks of the Professional Nursing
Practice Environment
Exacerbating the challenges to the work
environment for nursing practice is the
nationwide shortage of nurses and other
allied health professionals. Key government
agencies and professional nursing
organizations have reported on issues
related to the national nursing workforce.
Evidence suggests that, if left unchecked,
current shortages of nurses will escalate
into a national health care crisis by the
year 2010. Multiple factors of demand,
supply, and the aging workforce have
contributed to the problem of insufficient
numbers of nurses available to care for the
rising needs of the American public.
Although the actual supply of nurses has
continued to grow; it has not kept up with
the significant increase in demand for
nurses.
Increasing Demand for
Registered Nurses
-
Demand for nurses has exceeded supply in
certain types of patient care specialties,
such as critical care, cardiac, neonatal,
and perioperative nursing (ANA, 2000).
-
Demand is particularly great in some
geographical regions due in part to a
maldistribution of nurses throughout the
United States, e.g., Massachusetts has
twice the number of nurses per capita as
California.
-
Demand has intensified for more
baccalaureate-prepared nurses with skills
in critical thinking, case management, and
health promotion skills across a variety
of inpatient and outpatient settings
(Goode, et al., 2001).
-
Demand has increased for more culturally
competent nurses with knowledge of
gerontology and long-term care because of
rapidly changing population demographics
(President's Advisory Commission on
Consumer Protection and Quality in the
Health Care Industry, 1998).
Slow Growth in Supply
of New Nurses
-
Supply of new nurses has decreased with
declining numbers of new students and
declining applications to schools of
nursing (NACNEP, 1996; AACN, 1999b; AACN,
2001).
-
Supply of nurses is adversely impacted by
faculty shortages in schools of nursing
making it difficult to increase the number
of students across the country (AACN,
1999a).
-
Supply of nurses is affected by a highly
competitive labor market that attracts the
best candidates away from health
professions careers (AHA, 2001).
-
Supply of nurses is negatively influenced
by the inaccurate media images of nursing,
decreasing the selection of nursing career
options by young people (William Mercer,
Inc., 1999).
Aging of the Nursing Workforce
-
The current nursing workforce is estimated
to be nearly 2.7 million, with the average
age of nurses at 45.2 years. Of these,
only 82% or 2.2 million are employed
either full- or part-time in nursing with
an average age of 43.3 years. (U.S.
Department of Health & Human Services,
Bureau of Health Professions, Division of
Nursing, 2001).
-
The largest cohort of currently practicing
nurses will be in their 50s or 60s in the
next decade, with many of these nurses
retiring or decreasing their work time (Buerhaus,
Staiger & Auerbach, 2000).
-
The average age of nurses is increasing at
more than twice the rate of all other
occupations in the U.S. workforce, with
the number of nurses under age 30
decreasing by 41 percent from 1983 to 1998
(Needleman, et al., 2001).
The impact of increasing demand and
decreasing supply of registered nurses
and rapid aging of the nursing workforce
means that by the year 2020 there will be a
20 percent shortage in the number of nurses
needed in the U.S. health care system. This
translates into an unprecedented shortage of
more than 400,000 registered nurses (Buerhaus,
Staiger & Auerbach, 2000).
-
U.S. National Sample Survey of Registered
Nurses
-
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational
Outlook for
Registered Nurses
Significant points for Registered Nurses are
the following:
- Registered
nurses constitute the largest healthcare
occupation, with 2.3 million jobs.
- More new
jobs are expected to be created for
registered nurses than for any other
occupation.
- Job
opportunities are expected to be very good.
Employment of registered nurses is expected
to
grow faster than the average for all
occupations through 2012, and because the
occupation is very large, many new jobs will
result. In fact, more new jobs are expected
be created for RNs than for any other
occupation. Thousands of job openings also
will result from the need to replace
experienced nurses who leave the occupation,
especially as the median age of the
registered nurse population continues to
rise.
The three major
educational paths to registered nursing are a
bachelor’s degree, an associate degree, and a
diploma.
Accelerated BSN
programs also are available for individuals
who have a bachelor’s or higher degree in
another field and who are
interested in moving into nursing. In 2002,
more than 110 of these programs were
available.
Today, 138
accelerated
BSN programs are operating and the number of
generic master's programs has increased to 36.
Accelerated BSN programs last 12 to 18 months
and provide the fastest route to a BSN for
individuals who already hold a degree.
Accelerated master’s degree programs in
nursing also are available and take about 3
years to complete.
Individuals
considering nursing should carefully weigh the
advantages and disadvantages of enrolling in a
BSN program, because, if they do, their
advancement opportunities usually are broader.
In fact, some career paths are open only to
nurses with bachelor’s or advanced degrees. A
bachelor’s degree often is necessary for
administrative positions and is a prerequisite
for admission to graduate nursing programs in
research, consulting, teaching, or a clinical
specialization. To learn more about
accelerated BSN nursing programs, visit the
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
website.
Back to top
Licensing
for Foreign Nurses & CGFNS VisaScreen Certificate
-
Note: Canadian nurses
are exempt from this requirement (unless they want to immigrate to the United
States permanently). Canadian nurses would be required to write the NCLEX-RN
exam for most U.S. states, however there are 18 states that waive the
examination and endorse Canadian nursing licenses.
More on licensing for
Canadian nurses
-
CGFNS Nursing Certification: Components, Requirements, and Process
This link will take you to a new page on this website which contains
comprehensive information on the CGFNS certification
process for foreign nurses. Please note that the
CGFNS certification only satisfies federal
requirements for foreign
nurses. In addition to obtaining the CGFNS VisaScreen
certificate and immigrant visa to the country, foreign nurses
will also need to pass the NCLEX-RN exam, to satisfy the requirements of
nursing boards in individual states.
-
In short, in order to obtain the
CGFNS VisaScreen certificate, foreign nurses must do or participate in the
following:
-
A review of the applicant's
credentials. Applicants must be a first-level, general nurse and must have
graduated from an approved nursing program,
which included at least two years general nursing training. Applicants must
also be registered as a first-level 'Registered Nurse' or 'Professional Nurse' in their country. Nurses who
specialized in one area without being educated and registered/licensed
as a general nurse (e.g. midwife, paediatric
nurse, psychiatric nurse) are not eligible.
-
A one-day CGFNS qualifying exam.
Nurses whose credentials meet the CGFNS requirements can register to take the
CGFNS Qualifying Exam.
Nurses can take NCLEX-RN exam instead
of the CGFNS exam, but the NCLEX-RN exam will only be offered outside the
United States and its territories in 2004.
-
English language
exams.
The English language exams are
waived for countries in which English is the primary language and used in all
nursing classes, textbooks, etc. This includes Canada (except Quebec),
Australia, Ireland, United Kingdom, New Zealand, and most recently Tobago and
Trinidad (at this stage, Tobago and Trinidad are included
conditionally, for a one-year period).
-
Recruitment of Foreign Nurses: The HANYS Report
Follow this link to the Publications and Reports section on this
website. Look for report called
Health Systems Strategist: Recruiting Foreign-Educated Nurses and
Other Professional Health Care Workers (opens a
.pdf file).
This report was developed by the
the
Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) in
January 2003. It contains excellent information about recruitment of
foreign nurses into the United States (however, some information is
already outdated). A few sections from this
report are represented in a modified form on this website (on
two pages).
-
US Boards of Nursing by State
Back to top
Licensing Regulations for
Canadian Nurses
Canadian nurses can work in the United States under
the TN status, provided they have obtained proper nursing licenses in the state
of their prospective employment. Many states endorse Canadian licenses, while
others require the NCLEX-RN exam. Many states share licensing requirements.
Please read on to learn full details.
If a Canadian nurse wants to immigrate into the
United States permanently, (as opposed to a temporary TN-type employment visa), the
nurse will need to obtain the
CGFNS VisaScreen certificate, just like all other foreign nurses.
Licensure by endorsement
Licensure by endorsement occurs when a state board of nursing grants a license
to practice to nurses who meet certain qualifications in their home country and
exempts them from the standard licensure process of that state. Several states
have special
regulations with regards to Canadian nurses and licensure by endorsement.
Note: The states of New York,
California, Florida, Hawaii, Alaska and Indiana do not require the
CGFNS exam. The states of New York and
Hawaii do require the NCLEX exam while not requiring the CGFNS exam. The states of California, Florida,
Alaska, and Indiana do not require either the CGFNS or NCLEX exam from
Canadian nurses and endorse Canadian licenses (along with
14 other states; follow the endorsement link above).
The North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA)
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) permits the following:
Nurses who are citizens of Canada may work in the U.S. under the NAFTA ("TN")
status, provided they can demonstrate the following:
1. They have a written offer of employment from a U.S. employer for a period of
not exceeding one year;
2. They are licensed in Canada and in the state of intended employment. Eighteen
U.S. states endorse Canadian licenses without the exam.
Check what states will allow Canadian nurses to get licensed by endorsement.
Note: There are also a number of compact states that share licensure.
Nursing Licensure Compact States (18 participating and
1 pending, as of
February 2005).
3. They have proof of Canadian citizenship; and
4. They pay a US $56.00 fee to enter the United States (payable at the
U.S. border).
TN visa may be renewed on a yearly basis either by having the nurse re-enter
the U.S. with the documents listed above, or by requesting an extension of TN
status from an BCIS Service Center.
A TN nurse is not supposed to have any intention of remaining permanently in the
U.S.
In other words, Canadian nurses can obtain
TN visas at the U.S. border (TN-1), for US $56, if they have a letter from a U.S.
employer (including a travel company) offering them a job. The nurse will also
need a transcript, degree, U.S. license, and passport.
Registered
Nurses who are citizens of Mexico also qualify for TN status
(TN-2 visa). However, for
Mexican RNs the procedure is considerably more complex than for Canadian RNs.
Mexican RNs
must apply for a TN visa at a U.S. Consulate in Mexico, having received proper
support documentation from their prospective U.S. employers
(the process resembles H-1B permanent immigrant visa).
Back to top
Immigration: Employment-based
Immigration
Visas
-
Immigrant visas are issued to
persons who want to live permanently in the U.S., and who meet
Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS)
requirements. Applicants for immigrant visas must meet the
requirements of 1 out of 10 categories or "preference" groups of
permanent visas. Five preference categories are based on family
relationships and five are based on employment. Foreign registered
nurses fall under the category number three (E-3):
professional and skilled workers. Once visa
petition is filed, the BCIS establishes what is called
a "priority" date for the case.
-
Most permanent visa
applications begin with a Labor Certification or test of the U.S. labor market.
However, in the case of registered nurses and physical therapists, the labor
certification by the U.S. Department of
Labor (DOL) is waived (however,
a
labor certification form still needs to be filled, but with the BCIS,
not DOL), because the DOL
has
already determined that there is a shortage of persons in the country to fill
these positions. A labor certification by the DOL is required for all other nursing
categories, such as Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and nurse aids.
-
U.S. law limits the total
number of immigrant visas that can be issued each year in each of the tem
categories and it limits the number of visas that can be issued to any
individual country. It usually takes up to one year to obtain a visa in an
employment-based immigrant visa category.
Registered Nurses and Physical
Therapists are listed as shortage, or "Schedule A" occupations, by the U.S.
Department of Labor (DOL). An employer who wishes to immigrate a foreign RN is
exempt from having to submit an application for alien labor certification to the
DOL or to a State Employment Security Agency.
Note: Schedule ‘A’ is a list of occupations, set forth at
Section 656.10 , for which the Department of Labor has determined there
are not sufficient U.S.
workers who are able, willing, qualified and available. Schedule
‘A’ establishes that the employment of aliens in such occupations will not
adversely affect the wages and working conditions of U.S. workers similarly
employed.
More on
Application Process
for Immigrant Employment-based Visa
directly from the BCIS source.
Back to top
Application
Process
-
The
employer must hire the foreign worker as a full-time employee.
-
There must be a
bona fide job opening.
-
Job requirements must adhere to
what is customarily required for the occupation in the
U.S.
and may not be tailored to the worker's qualifications.
-
The
employer must pay 95% of the
prevailing wage for the occupation in the
geographic area of
intended employment (geographic area is equal to average normal commuting
distance to the job site).
EB-3 - Professional and
Skilled Workers:
- Aliens with at least two years of experience as skilled workers;
- Professionals with a baccalaureate degree; and
- Other workers with less than two years experience, such as an unskilled
worker who can perform labor for which qualified workers are not available
in the United States.
-
EB-3 is a
permanent immigrant visa based on employment (permanent immigrant visas are
colloquially called "green card"). The applicant is eventually eligible
for U.S. citizenship. If married to a U.S. citizen, alien becomes eligible in 3
years, for everyone else, eligibility is established after 5 years.
-
Limitations: up to 40,000
employment-based immigrant visas can be issued
worldwide annually.
Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sets
the worldwide level for annual employment-based
preference immigrants is at least 140,000 (an
annual minimum family-sponsored preference limit of 226,000).
Section 202 prescribes that the per-country limit for preference
immigrants is set at 7% of the total annual family-sponsored and
employment-based preference limits, i.e., 25,620 (the
dependent area limit is set at 2%, or 7,320).
For Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers: 28.6% of the worldwide
level or 40,000 in total, plus any numbers not
required by first and second preferences, not more than 10,000 of which to
"Other Workers."
Back to top
Upon approval of the immigrant petition, the BCIS will generally
send a
Notice of Approval (I-797)
to the applicant and will also notify the U.S. State Department's
National Visa Center
(NVC), who will then also contact the nurse
candidate by mail, providing the nurse with an immigrant
number as well as instructions on how to apply for an immigrant visa at a
U.S. Consular Post (Consulate/Embassy).
NVC also forwards information
to a U.S. Consulate
to schedule interview with the nurse applicant.
There is a usually about a 3-week delay between
between the Notice of Receipt from
the NVC and the Notice of Approval from the
BCIS.
After submitting the immigrant visa application to the U.S. Consulate
in their home country,
a foreign nurse awaits the immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Consulate.
Note:
A nurse candidate or their representatives are advised to maintain consistent
and prompt communication with the U.S. immigration authorities by replying to
all received letters (even if not required) and supplying abundance of related
documentation. Any documentation that can possibly be related to the process of
immigration in favor of the nurse, must be attached, even if it were not
required in the first place. A good check list of all submitted documents must
be provided with each letter. The letter must always contain
the following: date, addressee full
name or job designation if the name is unavailable, "regarding"
info, case number, your full contact info, an envelope with a pre-paid stamp and
return address, and a clear and well written message. As a rule, the number one
reason for delays in the immigration process is insufficient, unclear (open for
further questions) or incomplete information.
Back to top
-
STEP 3: Consular Post
Processing & Green Card Issuance
After the immigration petition is filed with the BCIS,
but before obtaining permanent residency approval (immigrant
visa) at a U.S. Consulate, a
foreign nurse must obtain a VisaScreen Certificate.
The Consular process takes about 6 months. It includes presentation of
the
CGFNS VisaScreen certificate and the
medical exam results and to a U.S. embassy in a
foreign country. If applicable, spousal or child visa
processing also takes place at this stage. Consular fees are $350.
Note:
An immigration
officer at a U.S. Consulate abroad has the right to refuse an applicant a visa,
based on the interview with the applicant. Should this happen, neither the BCIS
nor NVC will have any influence or power over this decision. The appeal must be
filed with the same U.S. Consulate who refused the visa in the first place.
-
Form I-485,
Application to Register Permanent Residence
or to Adjust Status.
Fee of $255 apply.
-
G-325A, Biographic Information
- Copy of
your I-797, Notice of Action, showing that
the Form
I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien
Worker, has been received or approved by INS.
Note:
As of July 31, 2002, an
interim rule was published in the
Federal Register which allows for concurrent
filing of Form I-485 with Form I-140, if
a visa number is immediately available.
-
I-693, Medical Examination of Aliens
Seeking Adjustment of Status.
All
adjustment applicants must submit a medical
exam report (including proof of vaccination
requirements) from a BCIS-designated civil
surgeon. Later, there will also be a
fingerprinting procedure.
- All
required supporting documentation as listed
on the forms.
You may
download a package of all of these forms
in PDF format.
-
Foreign nurses' spouses
must file
Form I-765 (Application for Employment
Authorization) to be able to work in the
United States. As of May
29, 2003, the Form I-765 can be filed online!
$120 fees apply.
The overall process of obtaining for a foreign nurse a "green card" -
permanent visa for immigration based on employment - may take from a
few months to 3 years (usually 10-12 months),
depending on the nationality of the nurse, and whether or not the immigrant
quota from the nurse's country of birth is backlogged.
Back to top
Back to top
Human Resources Management
Tools
Back to top
Recruitment of Foreign Nurses:
Canada
Nursing Shortages
Facts and Information
-
Office of Nursing Policy
Canada is experiencing a crisis in
nursing. This is a view expressed across the country, both in the
health system and among the general public. While there are many
different perspectives on why this is and what the most promising
solutions are, there is significant agreement that the current
shortage of nurses is getting worse and that left unchecked, this
situation will lead to a deterioration in the quality of the nation's
health care system.
The Canadian Nursing
Advisory Committee Report.
The findings
and recommendations released in August 2002 in
the Final Report of the Canadian Nursing
Advisory Committee (Canadian Nursing Advisory
Committee) have offered governments,
employers, unions and other stakeholders a broad
menu of helpful suggestions to improve the
working conditions of Canada’s nurses. Health
Canada is working closely with its provincial
and territorial partners to determine costs and
set priorities for implementing the Canadian
Nursing Advisory Committee recommendations.
-
Nursing Strategies for Canada
In response to
the nursing crisis in Canada,
the Conference of Deputy Ministers/Ministers of
Health directed the Advisory Committee on Health
Human Resources (ACHHR) to develop a
pan-Canadian strategy for nursing. Recognizing
the complexity of the issue, they also directed
the ACCHR to ensure meaningful consultation with
the relevant stakeholders.
The initial
document, Towards a Nursing Strategy for Canada:
A Consultation Paper for Stakeholders, was
developed by the Working Group on Nursing
Resources and Unregulated Health Care Workers (WGNR),
a sub-committee of the Advisory Committee on
Health Human Resources, in March, 2000. The
purpose of this document was to solicit advice
and feedback from the many nursing workforce
stakeholders prior to developing a nursing
strategy for Canada.
View full text of
this document:
A Nursing Strategy for Canada
(opens a .pdf file).
Back to top
-
The Canadian Nurses Association
Immediate government action is needed to
reverse a projected shortage of 113,000 Registered Nurses by 2016, a
study by the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA)
warns. The study
says Canadian nursing programs are only graduating one-third of the
estimated 18,000 new nurses need each year to meet the projected
demand for services in 2011 and beyond.
Nursing shortages across the country have forced hospitals to close
beds and cancel surgeries. The
CNA said 10,000 nursing students graduated
in 1971 when the country had a population of 18 million people. In
2001, only 4,600 nurses graduated. "This is
a disaster," said statistician Eva Ryten, the author of the
CNA nursing study. "No profession can
sustain itself with numbers like that."
Adding to the problem is an aging population and the knowledge that 50
per cent of nurses currently employed with be at retirement age within
15 years.
-
Canadian Institute for
Health Information
Health Care in Canada 2003 highlights regional differences in
health care services and outcomes of care.
Back to top
Licensing Process for
Foreign Nurses
In
Canada,
the process of bringing a foreign nurse to work at
a healthcare facility as a temporary worker
(work visa) is relatively simple and fast. It
takes approximately 8-10 months, and there is
no nursing exam involved before the start of
an actual employment. Foreign nurses apply for a
temporary permit (interim licenses) for which no
nursing exam is required, only credentialing
verification (licensure, education and work
experience) as well as a passing score on the
English language exams.
In short, the process of obtaining temporary
licenses for foreign nurses is the following:
-
Opening of a file with the
provincial
College of
Nurses
– this can take between 2 and 8 weeks, depending
on the province.
-
The nurse fills out the required forms and
collects all the required documents, such as
educational certificates, valid nursing
licenses, references from previous employment,
etc, etc. The nurse is also required to attach
processing fees which are usually in the amount
of approximately $200 Canadian dollars.
-
The College assesses the application and if all
requirements are met, issues a Letter of
Eligibility for Temporary registration (the name
of this letter varies from province to
province). If further information is required or
some of the requirements are missing, the
College notifies the nurse and makes
recommendations as to what courses are missing,
etc, etc. This takes 3 - 4 months or more,
depending on the circumstances.
-
Having obtained a job offer from the prospective
employer, a foreign nurse forwards this job
offer back to the College. The College at this
stage issues a Temporary Registration to the
nurse. At this stage, TOEFL and TSE language
scores are mandatory. This process takes another
1 month or more.
-
Once the nurse receives a temporary registration
from the nursing College, a prospective employer
(or their recruiting agent) will apply to the
Canadian government, namely to the Human
Resources Development Canada (HRDC) for
approval. Normally, the process of receiving a
clearance from HRDC takes 2-3 weeks. It is
advisable to focus recruitment on nurses
specializing in the following
12 particular areas (see 'Nurses going to
Canada').
-
Having all three documents on hand, i.e. the
job offer, temporary registration, and HRDC
clearance, a nurse applies for work visa at the
Canadian Embassy/Consulate in her home country.
The Embassy requires that the nurse passes a
medical exam and obtains police clearance from
the local authorities. This can take 1-3 months,
depending on the circumstances. The employment
authorization (work visa) is issued for the
duration of the contract, as it is specified in
the job offer. Usually, the contract is for 1 or
2 years; the contract can be renewed upon
completion (work visa will need to be extended
as well).
-
Once the travel arrangements have been
finalized, the nurse comes to Canada and starts
working, under the supervision of Canadian
registered nurses.
-
The temporary registration is valid for 12
months after issuance, so the nurse will need to
prepare and pass the Canadian RN qualifying exam
in order to obtain permanent
registration/licensing.
Note:
The passing rate for this exam for the
foreign nurses already residing in the
province of Ontario but with no Canadian work
experience is 33-40%. However, given that the
foreign nurses you hire as temporary workers
will have had at least 3 months of local work
experience by the time the exam is scheduled,
the exam does not present a serious problem.
To avoid delays, many Canadian healthcare
employers prefer to provide additional
training to foreign nurses to help prepare for
the nursing qualifying exam.
-
Please note that if the nurse decides to work
for a different employer before her contract
with you expires, she/he will have to go through
the whole process of getting a job offer and
work visa on her own again. This fact usually
provides a great degree of comfort to our
clients.
This process is in place in
Ontario,
Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan. Other
provinces have slightly different rules, but the
core structure remains the same:
-
Assessment
of eligibility by the provincial College of
nurses
-
Job
offer
-
HRDC approval
-
Temporary
registration/license
-
Work visa (medical exam and police clearance)
-
Arrival
and start of employment, and finally
-
Nursing exam
required for permanent licensure |
