I searched this forum and the CARNA website for approximate processing times for an IEN applying to be an RN in Canada, the best I could come up with was about 10 weeks but that was from posts in 2008. Has anyone applied recently, and how long did it take to hear back from them about needing an SEC assessment, etc? I am just trying to do a bit of pre planning, and I realize it would likely be different for everyone.
I will be graduating with a BSN in May in the US. My husband lives in Calgary so I would like to be with him after graduation. I am weighing my options in regards to getting a new grad job here for awhile while I wait for CARNA, or just going up to be with him and doing something else for work while I wait. Time will tell what job prospects will be like in either place come May, but immigration decisions must be made early... we have done the long distance thing for 3 years while I've been in school and we should probably just be patient but want to start a family and our life together. His immigration application to the states is going nowhere anytime soon.
I greatly respect the knowledge and opinions of long-time posters on here. Thank you in advance for reading and replying!
Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.
SEC is scheduled by the testing establishment. You will have some input as to when you could be available but the timing will depend on which areas you require testing in and the availability of appointments for those. The expectation is that if you're not already in Canada at the time of the testing, you will make yourself available for it anyway. As in fly in from wherever (I see the Philippine flag on your profile) and stay in the city for the duration of the testing. I'm not able to find any indication that there's a deadline for completion of the SEC, or even the CRNE. Of course, your IELTS results do expire after 2 years, so that may be your only restriction as to timelines. Having said that, my own experience with CARNA tells me that they do NOTHING in a hurry. It takes them months to do most things, so your results could be sitting on someone's desk for a long time before they get to it. In that case, how could they hold you or anyone else to some tight timeline?
If anyone else has information, please feel free to add to or contradict this.
I am a paediatric nurse from the UK who received an advisory report of 'Comparable' by NNAS. I have completed the online application to CARNA and I was wondering how long does it normally take for CARNA to initially contact you in regards to informing you of which documents to post over? Also, if I was comparable, will I need to send the same documents I sent to NNAS or is that normally just for somewhat comparable or non-comparable? Thanks in advance!!
Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.
CARNA does nothing quickly. In fact, we're required to re-register a full month before our registrations expire to ensure our paperwork has been processed before the actual expiry date. (They also encourage us to re-register even sooner, so they can collect some interest on our ridiculously high annual registration fees. $656.80 for the 2020 registration year...) I would expect your application to take at least 6 weeks to get a response, and then at least that many more weeks once you've submitted the required documentation for them to rule on your suitability for registration. On the positive side, NNAS has already given you a green light so there won't be any further assessment of your education required. However, you might run into a roadblock when it comes to the 225 hours of Alberta experience required for full registration. By the time you get to that stage, I believe there will be very few employment opportunities for nurses here because our new government plans to balance the provincial government by drastically cutting health care spending... I'm hoping they prove me wrong, but I didn't get all this grey hair in the last few months.
NotReady4PrimeTime, RN
5 Articles; 7,358 Posts
SEC is scheduled by the testing establishment. You will have some input as to when you could be available but the timing will depend on which areas you require testing in and the availability of appointments for those. The expectation is that if you're not already in Canada at the time of the testing, you will make yourself available for it anyway. As in fly in from wherever (I see the Philippine flag on your profile) and stay in the city for the duration of the testing. I'm not able to find any indication that there's a deadline for completion of the SEC, or even the CRNE. Of course, your IELTS results do expire after 2 years, so that may be your only restriction as to timelines. Having said that, my own experience with CARNA tells me that they do NOTHING in a hurry. It takes them months to do most things, so your results could be sitting on someone's desk for a long time before they get to it. In that case, how could they hold you or anyone else to some tight timeline?
If anyone else has information, please feel free to add to or contradict this.