Hi there! I'm wondering if any nurses who have immigrated from the US to Canada can share any of their experiences with the immigration process and getting your license transferred over. I've already submitted my paperwork to the NNAS and it is currently undergoing "final review."
Have any USA RNs who have gotten the 'comparable,' from the NNAS have still been forced to take the competency assessment from the NCAS?
And if you were successful in immigrating to Canada, what was applying for a hospital job like? Or any RN job like? Currently I work for a major hospital (3 yrs experience) in med surg here in Oregon.
That’s awesome! CONGRATS! If you don’t mind me asking, are you an ASN or BSN educated RN? I ask because I’m currently an ASN educated RN and am trying to discern how hard it will be for me to get my license transferred to British Columbia, Canada.
I have a BSN. I'm not sure about ASN but I think you would probably want the BSN (especially if what lucydog14 is saying is true). Reading other posts out there about the NNAS experience, I've even heard of BSN nurses being deemed not compatible. It seems like a lot depends on your school and your program, and how closely their curriculum fits with Canada's standards. For the NNAS my school ended up sending them over 300 pages of course syllabi / course objectives for them to make the comparison.
Hi, I graduated from one of the California State University with BSN about 10 yrs ago and am working as RN. Any advise, if I have to sit for English requirement test to get Canadian RN License.
And it is true, that if your 1st Language is not English, then you HAVE TO sit for IELTS test even through you have lived long time in USA?
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
2 hours ago, rssb13 said:
Hi, I graduated from one of the California State University with BSN about 10 yrs ago and am working as RN. Any advise, if I have to sit for English requirement test to get Canadian RN License.
And it is true, that if your 1st Language is not English, then you HAVE TO sit for IELTS test even through you have lived long time in USA?
Thank you for your time.
The decision is with the provincial college you are applying to. They may want exam or some documented proof that you speak and write in clear English
Hi, I graduated from one of the California State University with BSN about 10 yrs ago and am working as RN. Any advise, if I have to sit for English requirement test to get Canadian RN License.
And it is true, that if your 1st Language is not English, then you HAVE TO sit for IELTS test even through you have lived long time in USA?
Thank you for your time.
Only Ontario provides an exemption for English requirement for those who worked in an English speaking workplace (healthcare, food service or management) for a few years or attended college/university in Canada. At other provinces, if your first language is not English they will ask you to take the English proficiency exam.
Hi, I graduated from one of the California State University with BSN about 10 yrs ago and am working as RN. Any advise, if I have to sit for English requirement test to get Canadian RN License.
And it is true, that if your 1st Language is not English, then you HAVE TO sit for IELTS test even through you have lived long time in USA?
Thank you for your time.
When I applied there was a section in which you could write out why you thought you should be exempt from needing to take the IELTS. So technically on a case by case basis.
GardenGrower92, would you be willing to discuss which program you went to for your license? I'm in a BSN program in Oregon and know that I want to apply to the NNAS on graduation, I'm hoping for information on whether my program has already been approved for other candidates. Happy to discuss privately too. Thanks.
Re icecreamdreams: I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I'm still waiting to get my license transferred over to British Columbia! The crazy part is, it's my board of nursing here in Oregon that are holding things up! They have decided to more or less shut down during the pandemic (don't answer the phone anymore, only email, no in person visits), and it has taken me three months of bugging them to get them to mail the correct form (first time they mailed an incomplete one).
I'm hoping to get an answer soon though, now that I think they've finally mailed the right form this last week. I'll keep you posted!
Wowww! I am also looking to work and move to Canada, Ontario, to be specific. It's been so overwhelming I don't even know where to start. Could you please offer some insight on what to do first? Are you doing permanent residency or just work visa? Thank you.
GardenGrower92, would you be willing to discuss which program you went to for your license? I'm in a BSN program in Oregon and know that I want to apply to the NNAS on graduation, I'm hoping for information on whether my program has already been approved for other candidates. Happy to discuss privately too. Thanks.
Hey! I went to University of Portland school of nursing. Although I hesitate to make any definitive statements as I have not yet gotten my Canadian nursing license yet (still a chance I might need to take the NCAS), and even though I got an overall comparable, there were still certain areas where I got a ´somewhat comparable’ and ‘not comparable.’
Thanks so much @gardengrower92. I'm a bit confused now, is the NCAS the equivalent of the NCLEX here? I thought that BC (as well as Oregon) used the NCLEX for licensing. Trying to figure out how to take the least number of exams possible and still move there when I'm done with school.
Lucydog14
144 Posts
Entry level for RNs in Canada is BSN. They will likely require it.