? Moving to Canada ?

[greygooseuria]

So I think I may want to move to Toronto after I graduate with my BSN. I have a question...

How hard is it to immigrate to Canada from the US? I speak some French, but I won't have any work experience as an RN except for my clinicals and practicum when I graduate (although I will have about a year as a nurses' assistant) and taking the quiz on Canada's website, it seems without a year's experience I won't be able to. Any idea on how this works?

Also, is there a nursing shortage in Canada like there is in the US?

[loriangel14, RN]

Lack of fluency in French won't be an issue unless you want to work in Quebec.

You will get a different opinion on the shortage depending on who you ask.I have seen no evidence of it in my area but others will say that there is a shortage.

Best of luck.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

There's a desperate shortage of nurses in some parts of Canada, but not all. The really desirable places for immigrants, like Toronto and Vancouver, are pretty well saturated. It's in the remote and isolated communities or smaller cities where the shortage is being felt. And as with any job worth having, experience will get you in the door faster than any number of credentials. Most provinces will require a reference from a Canadian employer (obtained through supervised practice) for registration and a criminal records check in addition to passing the Canadian Nurse Registration Exam and an assortment of other assessments. The process is lengthy and will require perseverance and a relatively large sum of $$ to pay for all the transcripts, written proof, documents and so on. It's not for the faint of heart!