How to Work as a Nurse in Canada From Nigeria 2023

In Canada, there is a lot of demand for nurses, making it a good career choice.

It is on the Priority Occupation List (NOC number 3012) of the Canadian government, which makes it easier for skilled nurses to move to Canada.

The NOC Code to immigrate to Canada as a Nurse includes nurses, health educators, and consultants on matters related to nursing practice in its scope of practice. This also includes psychiatric nurses.

Registered nurses licensed under these laws can work in many places, such as medical clinics, private practices, public hospitals, nursing homes, community health centres, and even as independent contractors.

Obtaining temporary residence for internationally qualified nurses from Nigeria is possible through the;

1. Directly through Express Entry
2.  With a Job Offer
3.  With Provincial Nomination as a result of mandatory Nursing Registration.

The process for becoming a nurse in Canada varies depending on the province or territory where you plan to work, but all of them have roughly the same guidelines.

If you’re looking to work as a nurse in Canada from Nigeria, you’re in the right place.

To help you get started on the path to a fulfilling career, I have outlined below all the necessary procedures to work as a nurse in Canada from Nigeria. Make sure you read all the way through.

Let me know in the comment if you have any questions. I will love to hear from you.

Categories of Nurses

The nursing profession in Canada can be broken down into three distinct domains.

1. RNs (Registered Nurses in Canada): Registered nurses (RNs) have earned their General Registered Nurse certification after completing an accredited nursing program at a college or university.
2.  RPNs (Registered Psychiatric Nurses in Canada): RPNs are registered nurses with either a bachelor’s degree in psychiatric nursing or a bachelor’s degree in another nursing field who have also completed graduate-level coursework in psychiatric nursing. The provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba control the practice of RPNs.
3.  LPNs (Licensed Practical Nurses in Canada): These nurses have a diploma from an accredited nursing school and can practice independently under the supervision of a Registered Nurse.

How to Work as a Nurse in Canada From Nigeria

Follow the steps below, and you will be ready to work as a nurse in Canada from Nigeria.

1. Verify Your Educational Credentials
2. Get Your Credentials Accessed by National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS)
3. Province Regulatory Body Registration/Assessment
4. Select the Immigration Method That Suits You
5. Wait for the Invitation to Apply via the Express Entry Program

Verify Your Educational Credentials

The first step for a Nurse who went to school in Nigeria and wants to work in Canada is to get their academic credentials accepted so they can be processed.

Working as a nurse in Canada must first begin with this fundamental step.

World Education Services is the only organization that can check and verify an international student’s academic qualifications.

It is because the Canadian government has permitted it to do so.

It is also an excellent time to take the preliminary measures necessary to get your nursing credentials officially recognized in Canada.

The National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS) in Canada is in charge of this process.

It may seem like a lot, but please don’t panic.

I will provide you with a detailed plan of action that you can follow to begin a nursing career in Canada, even if you are currently based in Nigeria. Just keep reading.

Get Your Credentials Accessed by National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS)

The next step in getting your Canadian Visa and Canadian Nursing Registration is to pass the NNAS assessment, which will set you back CAD 650.

It is a crucial step in having your nursing degree recognized in Canada.

Your credentials will only be updated to the North American job market requirements.

Registering with NNAS is easy; follow the instructions below;

• Set up an online account with NNAS.
• Complete the online application.
• Pay the required fee.
• Follow the instructions regarding which documents to submit for verification.
• When you’re done with your application, NNAS will review it and provide you with an Advisory Report detailing their findings. The report will be submitted to the relevant regulatory body for review.
• Apply to the regulatory agency of your choice and submit payment for the application fee using your NNAS account.

Note: As of the publication date of this article, the NNAS application cost is CAD650, and applicants may choose one province and one nursing group (RN or LPN).

If you want your advisory report distributed to more than one province, you can pay $55 more for each additional province.

There is an extra fee of CAD220 if you want to add licensed practical nurses and registered nurses (with diplomas and degrees).

Documents to Be Submitted for NNAS Verification

• Submit two forms of identification to NNAS: These copies must be attested, meaning they have been signed and sealed by an authorized government official who certifies that they have seen the original papers, created the copies, and know they are accurate.
  • Proof of identification can include the following:
    • International Passport
      • Driver’s license, birth certificate, marriage certificate
      • Change of name affidavit
•  Send in an Application for Nursing Education: You can download the form from your online profile, fill it out, sign it, and then mail it back to your Nursing school in Nigeria. With official copies of your academic records/transcript, nursing program curriculum/course descriptions, and/or course syllabi, this document must be provided directly from your school’s administration to NNAS through mail or courier.
•  Submit your nursing registration form: Download, print, and sign this form before sending it to any nursing licensing bodies outside of Canada where you were approved or registered. If your nurse registration form does not come directly from your licensing authority, NNAS will not accept it. If you have a diploma that authorizes you to work as a nurse in your nation, request that the school that granted the diploma submit an authentic copy of the diploma in its original language to NNAS.
•  Submit your nursing practice/employment form: Sign and mail this form to every job you’ve had during the previous five years. Your nursing practice/employment form must come directly from your employer through mail or courier to be accepted by NNAS.
•  Submit your IELTS language testing result: You must take language tests and have your recognized language testing provider send the results to NNAS. If English or French is the predominant language where you live and work and your nursing education program is in English or French, you may not have to take language tests.
•  Submit your application: Once NNAS has received all papers, you may submit your application and choose the provincial regulating authority and nursing group you want to apply.

Province Regulatory Body Registration/Assessment

Once you get a passing grade from NNAS, you can submit an application to the nursing medical board in the province or territory of your choice to become a registered nurse in Canada.

All nursing boards will use the NNAS score as a measuring stick to compare an applicant’s nursing knowledge, experience, and education worldwide to the standards set by their nursing boards.

This stage often results in one of two possible scenarios.

To go forward with an application, a candidate will be encouraged to enrol in a bridging program or take the province’s final nursing test, which is required for full license and registration.

Below is a list of provinces, the qualifications available, and the regulatory body involved:

• British Columbia – RN & PN: British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals
• Ontario – RN: College of Nurses of Ontario
• Saskatchewan – RN: Saskatchewan Registered Nurse Association
• Manitoba – RN & PN; College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba; Practical Nurses College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Manitoba
• Alberta – PN & RN College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta; College & Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta

Select the Immigration Method That Suits You

1. Suppose you, as a Nigerian, meet the requirements to work as a nurse in Canada.

In that case, you can take advantage of the many economic immigration programs available at both the federal and provincial levels, such as the Express Entry system, the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), and the Skilled Worker program in Quebec, to find employment and eventually obtain permanent residency in the country.

Start filling up your Express Entry profile now that your NNAS evaluation is in place.

If you want to work as a Nurse in Canada from Nigeria, you’ll want to build the best profile possible, though an express entry profile won’t get you very far.

The actual groundwork starts with Express Entry. It is only the first step in the immigration process.

I suggest you start looking for a job actively.

Given that you will soon get your nursing registration, you have several choices for immigrating to Canada without a work offer as a nurse.

Wait for the Invitation to Apply via the Express Entry Program

In the last phase of your immigration to Canada, you will get an Invitation to Apply via the Express Entry program.

You can now see the signs of success in your quest to work as a Nurse in Canada from Nigeria.

If you have your nursing registration and licensure in order, you should be making progress toward an Express Entry Federal Skilled Worker Visa.

If an invitation to apply doesn’t come through, you can still try to get traction in the form of a provincial nomination or a job offer.

To get this invitation, your Express Entry profile must be good enough to be picked by the federal government, a province, or through a formal job offer in Canada.

How to Be Selected to Receive an Invitation

Candidates with the highest number of Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points in the Express Entry pool are invited to apply by the CIC.

The ideal score on the Comprehensive Ranking is 1200.

In Canada, a provincial nomination certificate is worth an incredible 600 points, while a job offer is worth 200 points.

All nursing immigration draws to Canada have been at or above 449 CRS points thus far.

As a result, if you get your nursing registration in one province, you will automatically be considered qualified to practice nursing in that province.

All by itself, this will result in a massive increase in nursing registration points; of course, the provincial nomination will add another 600 points.

If you are a registered nurse and have an Express Entry CRS score of 449 or above, you may be able to immigrate to Canada without a job offer or provincial nomination.

If your score is lower than 449, you will need a provincial nomination or a job offer in the nursing profession in Canada to immigrate to Canada.

Conclusion

If you complete all these steps successfully, I wish you all the best as you begin your new work life in Canada. You have up to one year to activate your visas.

Let me know if you have any questions or need further clarification. I would love to assist you.