Looking for a Change - Canada, New Zealand, Australia

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Hi Nurse Beth!

I have been working in my current position for 4 years now in occupational health. I am looking for a change and thinking of moving out of Canada. I have looked into work visas and immigration and all that seems very expensive and I'm not sure how to approach it so that I'm not wasting time and money... I"m looking into New Zealand or Australia.

Thanks!

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Dear Looking for a Change,

It is a process, it is expensive and it is time-consuming, but if it is your dream, it can all be worth it. Australia is reputed to have a good working environment for nurses. I don't know the job market, although it varies by city and area. Have you considered visiting Australia or New Zealand before you commit to moving there?

First step, which may take weeks to months, depending, is to submit an application to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) for your qualification assessment. They will look at your nursing school, experience and GPA. If your qualifications meet Australian standards of a Bachelor's degree in Nursing you will be eligible to complete the College of Nursing Assessment for registered nurses.

You can apply for a working visa if you have a qualified sponsoring employer, or can apply for permanent residence as a Registered nurse. Check out this site for visa requirements.

Also check out the forum online here, Nursing in New Zealand/Australia to chat with other nurses who have gone down under.

You can also make contact with the Australian College of Occupational Health Nurses,

Good luck, may you have a wonderful life adventure.

Nurse Beth

[GrammyCat]

Something else you may want to consider: The cost of living. My brother moved from Canada to New Zealand 10 years ago, married a Kiwi and had two kids. They just moved back to Canada a year ago. When I visited, I was shocked at the cost of living. They owned a regular, small, 1100 sqft house, and the mortgage was $500,000. Groceries are extremely expensive, a weeks worth of bare basics, ran about $350. ( example, each chicken breast portion.. $11. I planned to buy the kids a single serving bag of potato chips... $6) My brother eventually got permanent residency, but it was a long, difficult process, even with 2 advanced degrees, a wife, children and obvious commitment to the process.