from ontario to vancouver BC

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Dec 7, 2011

You contact the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia and request an application for registration. They'll send you all the necessary paperwork. The process takes about 3 months for straight-forward registrations like yours. The time is eaten up by the need for third-party submission of documentation, which is beyond your control.

You should be prepared for a long and difficult search for work in Vancouver. It's one of the most popular cities in Canada for both Canadian and internationally-educated nurses so there's a glut of people looking for work most of the time. It's also one of the most expensive cities in the country. You might have to work at Timmy's for a while just to pay your bills.

s222 · Dec 7, 2011

really?? 3 months? to transfer? ... thats so long......

when BC approves my application, Can i still be hired in ontario?

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Dec 7, 2011

Yes. Three months. Give or take a week or two.

You can certainly work in Ontario as long as you keep your Ontario registration current. Registration in Ontario is the least expensive of all the provinces; most people only register in one province for that reason... the don't want to shell out thousands of bucks every year to keep up several registrations,

joanna73, BSN, RN · Dec 7, 2011

You'd be wiser to have a job lined up before moving, or at least have many resumes sent out. Personally, I wouldn't move unless I had at least a .70 and an offer in writing. Many positions are casual, so it's either feast or famine.

001000110 · Dec 30, 2011

Joanna is right, you'd be wiser to have jobs lined up and have your certification long before you get there, if you can. I'm surprised you haven't heard the Ontarian nickname for B.C.: Bring Cash. It's much more expensive to live in Vancouver than even Toronto. I have family in BC that have completely dissuaded me from ever moving out there, just due to cost alone.

Definitely give yourself as much of a head start as you can in terms of finances. That's a long way to move with no safety net.

MPKH, BSN, RN · Dec 31, 2011

Vancouver's a gorgeous city (I'm from there)...but there just isn't jobs there. I graduated in May, and applied to all the new grad postings in all 6 Health Authorities in BC and I haven't gotten any kind of feedback. I applied to Alberta and got a job with Alberta Health Services in September. Like others have said, you should have a job offer in writing before moving...because while Vancouver is gorgeous, it's very costly to live there.

just4 · Jan 20, 2012

My own experience last year was not at all bad. I needed to move from Montreal to BC, but I opted to look for a job in Surrey which is only about 25 Km south of Vancouver. Vancouver is easily reached by Skytrain. I had a couple of years of hospital experience with the last 9 months in ICU. Anyway, I applied for my license in August and it took over a month for the OIIQ (Quebec nursing board) to send the BC board confirmation of my Quebec license. It only took a week for the BC board to issue a BC license once they received the Quebec documentation. You can pay for a 6 month license if you are unsure of your future prospects. I then started talking to recruiters for one of the major hospital organizations. I made it clear that I wanted a full time position, not a casual one. Of course I had very good grades from my university and very positive references from my Montreal manager. Within a month I was offered a full time ICU position in a local hospital with a base salary increase of about 20%.

I don't really agree with those that claim that this area is much more costly. I am paying about the same rent as I was paying in Montreal but I have a much larger, newer, and nicer apartment. Food (particularly fruits and vegetables) is cheaper because much is locally grown. Also, there is plenty of opportunity to shop in Washington State where prices are even lower, and border guards are much more easy going than in Quebec. The only expensive item is car insurance if you have a vehicle. That by far is compensated by lots of overtime opportunity at double pay, while I was only getting time and a half in Quebec. The weather is a lot warmer, the scenery is beautiful, and the people are friendly. So, if you can get by for a while without a job, I would definitely say you should take a chance!

joanna73, BSN, RN · Jan 20, 2012

Good to know, but keep in mind that Quebec pays the lowest nursing wage in the country. NAs make more than some RNs in Quebec where I am. So anything would be an improvement after having worked there. Also, with some nursing experience, the chances of landing a decent job are far greater than a new grad.

Jodie W. · Mar 11, 2015

Hi Just4,

I've been recently researching a move to BC from Ontario. Noticed your post from 2012. Wondering how it's been for you, work and life vs Montreal? Regret it? Glad you did it? Etc, etc....Now that you've had some time to experience BC any words of wisdom you'd care to share?

Yellowbee · Jul 1, 2015

Hi Just4,
I've been recently researching a move to BC from Ontario. Noticed your post from 2012. Wondering how it's been for you, work and life vs Montreal? Regret it? Glad you did it? Etc, etc....Now that you've had some time to experience BC any words of wisdom you'd care to share?

Just wondering have you moved or heard back from any jobs in bc? Did you ever find the answers to your questions?

Khush K · Feb 11, 2021

Hi there, my question is regarding moving my licence from Ontario to British Columbia. I am a registered nurse in Ontario and have one year of experience working as a registered nurse. Please let me know about the requirements for moving my licence. Also, do I need to fulfill English proficiency requirements? as I am an international educated nurse or it will get waved.