Québécois American wishing to maybe go back to Québec

Hello Kyle_. Welcome to allnurses.com. Unfortunately we don't seem to have too many members from Quebec, although there have been several questions about Quebec. The fastest and most accurate way of learning what Quebec likes is to contact l'Ordre des Infirmiers et Infermieres du Quebec (http://www.oiiq.org) and read what their site says, and then maybe talk to someone. Have you maintained your French well enough to function in that language? That's an immutable requirement. If you wouldn't mind coming back and posting what you find out, we'd all be grateful.

Then I'd suggest that you take some French classes as electives while you're in nursing school! The requirement for French language proficiency is truly non-negotiable. Give yourself the best shot possible from the beginning if you even think you might want to work there, or even in eastern Ontario. But I'm not sure you know that Quebec pays one of the lowest rates in the country...

Hello Kyle!!!
I m actually a RN in Montreal, I m originally from France (Paris) and I graduated there in 1999, I live in Montreal since 2005 where I work. I had to pass the exam from OIIQ. May be I can help you if you need.
It s funny because as far as I m concerned I ve planned to move to New York city and I m trying ( lol) to start the procedure......OMG, it looks so complicated but I m motivated...pfew .
So just let me know if we can help each other and share our mutual experience
Ciao.

The whole process sucks, I mean REALLY sucks. Unlike you, I am not fortunate to be a citizen of either country (yet). I got my American BSN and RN license at the start of 2009. I emigrated to Quebec in March. It took more that 6 months and a jillion documents (more that the governments of Canada or Quebec ever needed) for the OIIQ to reach a decision on my qualifications. They are basically a bloated bureaucracy. They'll want things like birth certificates and high school transcripts even though they have absolutely NOTHING to do with nursing and even though such documents were already submitted to Quebec and Canada for immigration purposes.
After 6 months, hopefully, you will be told that your studies qualify BUT you will need to go through "stage" either by completing 6 months of studies at a college (there is only one English college and it is well outside of Montreal) OR find an employer that will "stage" you for a couple of hundred hours of work time. Fortunately there are several English speaking hospitals that will take you for the "stage". After you complete that you will still have another month of supervised training where a regular nurse will have to sign off on everything. Meantime you will be able to get your CPN license which will allow you to work at a much lower pay that you are getting in the states. You have to do that for up to 6 months until the OIIQ calls you in for your exam. The first day of written stuff is easy compared to the second day of hands on. Neither the actors hired to portray the sick patients nor the examiners are too good in English so that is where many fail. If you fail you have 2 more chances but the tests are only given every 6 months, so you have to continue at your low CPN pay. Generally, even when you do get your full license your pay will still be lower than that of an American nurse, both as pure numbers AND loss due to the exchange rate. Then there are the income taxes which will kill you. If you hate the deductions in the USA, you will loathe the ones here.

You are being misinformed about the knowledge of French. You have 3 years from the time you pass your exam to know French. Until then your license will not be considered to be complete. However, Quebec is so desperate for nurses that it seems they are not even enforcing the 3 year rule. In any case, once you pass your exam, you can transfer your license to any other Canadian province and they don't give a hoot about French. Several other provinces also pay better...