Canadian needing to relocate to States or Australia

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Jun 21, 2008

I moved to the USA from Canada.

Get a job, and a letter with offer of employment from your hospital. they must include your position, rate of pay and full time hours. It needs something like "expected but not guaranteed to last for one year." The hospital will NOT write anything that implies a guarantee of employment but you are asking for a 1 year TN VISA, so immigration needs that phrase.

Find a spot to live so you have an address in the USA.

Pack and move, you are required to be able to identify what is in the boxes, so make a brief list for each one. If you use movers they must have a copy of the letter of employment in order to cross the border. In reality when I crossed noone asked for the list of contents, and only glanced at the UHAUL load.

At the border you need proof of education as an RN, letter of employment- I used my provincial license and my university degree, and you will get a letter from the state board that you are eligible to be an RN in that state, but they don't give you your state license until you have a social security number. You don't get a SSN until you have crossed the border. You will get a TN VISA when you cross, good for one year. They say you need a CGFNS certification, but I went to all the trouble of getting the godforsaken thing and no one has ever asked for it. I asked the officer the last time I renewed my visa, and he said yes we needed it, but no, he didn't have to see it (???). Whatever.

After immigration you'll go to import/export booth and submit the paperwork to import your car if you have one. Buy in the US to avoid this hassle if you can. You'll need an American import form, and a statement from your car's manufacturer that it meets American safety standards. You'll get a form from immigration that allows you to get an American plate/registration, but you have 30 days from the time you arrive to take care of that.

When you get moved go to Social Security and get your number. Send you paperwork to the BON ASAP. It took about two weeks for them to process my license, and I could not work until I had license in hand. You cannot speed the licensing process, I offered to hand deliver, or whatever, so I could work sooner, but they need their two weeks.

All in all it was much easier than I thought except the CGFNS thing. I had to travel to Montreal and stay for 3 days to get that. Luckily Canadians no longer have to take the TOEFL, because that's just another expense and hassle with no point.

I recommend you get the number of the immigration office you are going through and call them directly with any questions that come up. I called incessantly about many things (sorry guys) and possibly the fact that I came through when and where I did, and they were expecting me, and I had all the paperwork done to their satisfaction, made the whole process smoother. I go through there everytime I go home and know some of the more senior guys on sight, and have never had any trouble renewing that didn't originate with my employer's lawyer.

FYI It won't matter what the employer's lawyer thinks he knows, the guy at the border has the ultimate last word. If you explain your situation nicely you can both shake your heads at dumb lawyers and come up with a solution that will make everyone happy.

I've been in the US 10 years and it's like home, but with different accents.

Maureen2204 · Jul 14, 2008

I'm looking for the same information. Try contacting your provincial College for LPN's

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jul 14, 2008

Moved to the International forum for more feedback.

suzanne4, RN · Jul 15, 2008

With the LPN, that does not qualify for a visa for the US. Same way that the US LPN cannot get a visa to work in Canada.

There are no visas available for that training, for the US, it requires that you hold the RN, even to get the TN which is a treaty visa.

The TN visa is only available for RNs.

Best of luck to you, and that is why you are not seeing anything on it, as it is not possible to do.

NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN · Jul 15, 2008

Suzanne do you have any idea why the same rules don't apply for the LVN/LPN? In Canada they do have them, from what my friend said, they're called RPN...

I have a friend who's moving to Canada from California and she wants to transfer her license as an LVN.

Fiona59 · Jul 15, 2008

RPN in western Canada is a Reg. Psych Nurse. It is only the province of Ontario that uses that term for LPNs.

You need to check with the provincial college of lpns to find out what is required of foreign trained nurses (ie clpna.com).

Australia has Enrolled Nurses which are roughly the equivalent of LPNs.

NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN · Jul 15, 2008

RPN in western Canada is a Reg. Psych Nurse. It is only the province of Ontario that uses that term for LPNs.
You need to check with the provincial college of lpns to find out what is required of foreign trained nurses (ie clpna.com).
Australia has Enrolled Nurses which are roughly the equivalent of LPNs.

Thank you for the clarification Fiona

Silverdragon102, BSN · Jul 15, 2008

If they are PN and moving country with spouse being the main immigration/work applicant and you get a working visa at the same time then you can apply with the nursing board and they will make the decision whether to accept your application and transcripts. butif PN and wanting to be the main application that is when it does not meet immigration requirements.

suzanne4, RN · Jul 15, 2008

Suzanne do you have any idea why the same rules don't apply for the LVN/LPN? In Canada they do have them, from what my friend said, they're called RPN...
I have a friend who's moving to Canada from California and she wants to transfer her license as an LVN.

She will not be able to work there as an RPN/LPN; there are no visas available for your friend.

Unless she is married to a Canadian or someone that has landed residency there, she is not going to be able to work there. Most countries do not have shortages of the LPN, that is why one cannot get a visa in the other countries.

A Canadian LPN cannot get a visa for the US for this very same reason. It is not a point of if they have them or not, but if there is a need for more. The TN Visa for the US requires the RN, nothing less is accepted.