19 December 2007

Nurses sought for Canadian immigration

The Canadian government has promised extra funding for a project to attract foreign-trained nurses to apply for Canadian immigration. The pilot programme in the state of Alberta will involve an off-shore assessment programme for internationally educated nurses immigrating to Canada.

The goal of the initiative is to promote the assessment and integration of internationally educated health professionals into the Canadian health workforce. Under the pilot programme, 36 nurses will be assessed overseas, their competencies measured against Registered Nurse standards. In the past, internationally educated nurses had to travel to Calgary to take assessment exams.

"Projects such as this will help to alleviate Canada's nursing shortage, which in turn will lead to improved care and a reduction in wait times. This is a ground-breaking initiative, in which the government of Canada is proud to take part," the honourable Tony Clement, minister of health, said when the programme was announced yesterday.

The minister of citizenship and immigration, the honourable Diane Finley, agreed: "Canada has a skills shortage and skilled immigrants want to contribute to our country by working in the fields for which they've been trained. We want to help them do that and one of the best ways is to help them get their credentials assessed before they enter the country so that when they arrive, they can find work faster in their fields."

Canada needs skilled nurses: The Canadian Visa Bureau can assist skilled workers interested in Canadian immigration. More information on Canadian visas is available on the website. Anyone applying for a Canadian visa should begin by completing the online Canadian visa application to see if they meet the legislative requirements.