Canada Pledges $1.5 million to help immigrants work in Canadian health care

Post by : Admin on Jun 28,2022

Canada is still facing a considerable labour shortage in the health care sector. The government hence is investing in a project to benefit healthcare professionals and the Canadian healthcare system as a whole. 

The parliamentary secretary to Sean Fraser pledged about $1.5 million in funding for healthcare workers in Canada. The funds can promote information sharing and collaboration in the health sector. Also, internationally educated health care professionals can get their credentials recognized faster. 

Background Information related to this Update 

Canada works with CHEO or Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario to build on the success of the N4 or National Newcomer Navigation Network. It was launched in 2019 to provide support to newcomers who are willing to navigate the Canadian healthcare system. 

The latest investment of $1.5 million will make it faster for internationally trained healthcare professionals to work in Canada. 

It isn't restricted to that. The new investment enables N4 to serve as a platform for newcomers to find information on credential recognition and foreign qualification in all territories and provinces outside Quebec. 

Alex Munter, CEO and President of CHEO, said, “Newcomers are an integral part of our communities. Their full inclusion in our health-care workforce will help us address staffing shortages, while also incorporating richly diverse voices of lived experience and better supporting other newcomers.”

Where does the funding come from?

The funding of $1.5 million comes from a stream within the IRCC’s settlement program. The program invests in projects that support future settlement programing. As per public records by CIC news, IRCC allocated $1.02 billion in settlement services within 2022-2023. 

Express Entry Programs for Health Care Workers 

Express Entry entails an online system that manages immigration applications for the federal government. It ranks eligible candidates based on their age, skilled work experience, education and official language proficiency. The candidates with the highest scores get to apply for permanent residence in bi-weekly Express Entry draws. 

Draws for FSWP and CEC have been paused due to the pandemic. But, Minister Fraser announced that it would resume in early July. 

PNP for Health Care Workers 

IRCC has the final say when it comes to choosing who can immigrate to Canada. However, the provinces can nominate eligible candidates through the PNP or Provincial Nominee Programs. Some PNPs cater specifically to health care professionals. Others, on the contrary, have more general work experience requirements. These requirements may end up holding back immigration nomination draws. 

At times, PNPs draw candidates from the Express Entry system to invite them for a provincial nomination. They get 600 CRS points to their Express Entry score if the candidates are nominated. The award lets the candidate apply for permanent residence. 

Some PNP pathways for healthcare professionals:

  • The Labour Market Priorities Stream of Nova Scotia occasionally holds draws that invite health care professionals to apply for provincial nomination. 
  • IEN program caters to foreign nurses who can speak French or English. 
  • Saskatchewan brought forth an International Health Worker EOI pool for health care professionals. 
  • British Columbia includes a Health Care Profesional category under Skills, Immigration and Express Entry pathways. 
  • Ontario also invites health care professionals to apply via Human Capital Priorities Stream. 

Our team at Onkar Immigration is here to help you match with the best PNP for a smooth Canadian immigration journey. So, consult with the professionals to clear all confusion. 

Quebec 

There is a completely separate immigration system in Quebec. Programs such as Express Entry isn't available here. 

You will, however, find the Quebec Experience Program and Regular Skilled Worker Program here. Healthcare professionals may be eligible for any one of these immigration programs. In both cases, you need to show your proficiency in French. 

Caregiver pilot programs 

There’s good news for caregivers as well. You may also be able to apply for permanent residence via the Home Child Care Provider Pilot or Home Support Worker Pilot. You need to have a job offer to work in either of these two eligible occupations and meet the eligibility criteria. You need to comply with the work experience requirements of NOC codes 4411 or 4412. 

You can also become eligible for permanent residence. For that, you must show a full-time work experience of at least 24 months in the 36 months before applying. You also need to show post-secondary education credentials and the Canadian Language Benchmark score.


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