Best Places to Live and Work in Canada as a Registered Nurse

Nursing in Canada is a noble, well-paid career. There are over 300,000 registered nurses in the Great White North, but the officials predict that in the next 10 years, 191,000 job opportunities for registered nurses will emerge.

The Government of Canada's Budget 2023 has outlined a plan to invest nearly $200 billion to improve health care for Canadians. The plan focuses on supporting a resilient health workforce through recruitment and retention efforts, particularly for nurses, and establishing more team-based models of care. The plan also includes the creation of a Centre of Excellence for the Future of the Health Workforce, which aims to improve information and data about the health workforce and support better planning for the future.

One of the key initiatives under the plan is the expansion of the Canada Student Loan Forgiveness program for doctors and nurses who work in underserved rural or remote communities. This is a significant step towards addressing the shortage of healthcare professionals in these areas and ensuring that Canadians have access to quality care regardless of their location.

In addition, the Government of Canada is supporting key organizations through the Foreign Credential Recognition Program to improve and help skilled newcomers gain Canadian work experience in the health sector. This program helps to recognize the qualifications of foreign-trained professionals, including doctors and nurses, and supports them in finding employment in their field.

Recognizing the need to better support new graduate nurses in their transition to the practice environment, the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) has been provided with $2.4 million to fund an initiative supporting a new nurse residency program. This program will provide new graduate nurses with the opportunity to gain valuable experience and develop their skills under the guidance of experienced mentors.

To battle this crisis, the Canadian government encourages nurses from all over the world to go live and work in Canada. Although there are registered nurses all over the country, working in both the private and public sector, there are four stand-out regions in Canada where registered nurses should seriously consider immigrating to. Making a big decision like this is never easy; that’s why we’ve set you up with the four best places to live and work in Canada as a registered nurse.

Best Province to Work as a Nurse in Canada

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia calls on healthcare workers and skilled tradespeople to assist in keeping up the high standard of service and strong economy that the province enjoys. Nurses in Nova Scotia can earn up to $93,500 a year! That’s a $45 hourly wage. The average salary is $38,42 per hour, but it's always dependent on your expectations and responsibilities.

Nursing in Nova Scotia is about to get even better. Over $200 million is being pumped into the health sector to build new medical infrastructure in Halifax. Overly $22 million goes toward paying for tuition for nurses in the continued care sector. There are a variety of nursing jobs in Canada; from working in emergency, patient care assistance to operating and monitoring equipment; the province has over 388 jobs available!

Nova Scotia is also a great place to develop your nursing career. The province is home to the Nova Scotia College of Nursing. The college oversees the practice of over 15,000 nurses in the province, ensuring that the community can trust the quality of the nurses working with people.

Whether you’re a nursing graduate in need of experience or a seasoned health worker, the province will recruit you for your registered nursing skills through the Nova Scotia PNP.

Ontario

When you think “Ontario,” you think, “Toronto”, and while there are plenty of job opportunities to work as a nurse in the big, bustling city, there are a lot of nursing jobs in the surrounding areas. Altogether, there are a whopping 8,826 nursing jobs available in Ontario. If you prefer a more quiet lifestyle, you can choose to live outside the city and benefit from The Ontario Regional Immigration Pilot, which allows skilled workers like nurses to move more efficiently to rural areas in Ontario.

While the average salary in the province is $36.60 an hour, you could be making up to $51.33 an hour in Ontario.

Much like in Nova Scotia, Ontario has its organization, The College of Nurse of Ontario, that oversees the practice and regulation of all nurses in the province to ensure that a high standard of care is maintained.

In addition, the government funds several initiatives to ensure nurses are well-paid that at least 70 percent of the nursing workforce occupies full-time employment.

New Brunswick

In New Brunswick, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and personal support workers are in high demand, with job possibilities available in either official language (English or French). Attracting, supporting, and retaining these important healthcare workers is a top concern for the province of New Brunswick. The province is also collaborating with several private organizations and hospitals to fill nursing job openings.

Because New Brunswick is a dual-language province, knowing at least basic French will go a long way if you decide to move to this region. Nurses in New Brunswick make $35.60 on average per hour but can go up to $49.13 for certain companies and hospitals.

Nurses have been required in the province since before the start of the pandemic. With a choice of over 800 job posts in the area, New Brunswick’s population is spread out, and jobs can’t only be found in the province’s main sea-side attraction of Saint John, but smaller cities like Moncton, Dalhousie and Woodstock. Each place has its own needs and its charm.

The Nurses Association of New Brunswick regulates nurses and their practices in the province. They also support nurses and ensure they’re treated fairly and paid justly. New Brunswick also has a Nurses Union. Since the beginning of the pandemic, frontline workers such as nurses have been placed in dangerous situations. This organization ensures nurses’ interests are met.

Manitoba

Search for nursing jobs in Manitoba and find more than 1,000 open opportunities. The average salary for a Registered Nurse in Manitoba is $37.36 but that can go up to $49,85 in some cases.

The Manitoba Nurses Union (MNU) is Manitoba's largest healthcare union, representing all licensed nursing professionals. Over 95 percent of all unionized nurses in the province are members of The Manitoba Nurses Union. MNU is not a governing entity but assists nurses working in Manitoba to ensure fair treatment.

Quebec

Nurses are also in high demand in the province of Quebec. The province is working hand in hand with work permit programs to encourage immigrants to work in Quebec as a nurse in the new year. There are over 2,277 jobs available in Quebec, according to Indeed.ca.

Nursing in Canada

How health sectors run can vary from province to province, therefore it's no surprise that there will be differences across countries. The duties, responsibility and pay might not be what you’re used to back home so here are a few things you should know:

Age Limit for Nurses in Canada

In Canada, the minimum age requirement to become a registered nurse varies depending on the province or territory. Generally, individuals must be at least 18 years old to be eligible to apply for registration with a provincial or territorial regulatory body.

In addition to meeting the age requirement, individuals must also meet the educational and competency requirements to become a registered nurse in Canada. This typically involves completing a nursing program that is approved by the regulatory body and passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) or a similar competency exam.

It is important to note that nursing can be a physically and emotionally demanding profession, and individuals should carefully consider their own abilities and motivations before pursuing a career in nursing. Additionally, nursing programs and regulatory bodies may have additional requirements or standards for entry beyond the minimum age requirement, such as criminal background checks or language proficiency testing.

While there is no specific maximum age limit for nurses to practice. As long as a nurse is physically and mentally capable of performing their duties and maintaining the required level of competency, they can continue to work in the profession.

However, it is important to note that as people age, their physical and cognitive abilities may decline, which can impact their ability to perform certain nursing tasks. As such, nurses may need to adapt their practice or consider transitioning to a different role within the healthcare system as they age.

Additionally, nurses in Canada are required to maintain their registration with their respective provincial or territorial regulatory body, and this may involve meeting certain continuing education requirements or undergoing assessments of their competencies. These requirements are in place to ensure that nurses are able to provide safe and competent care to their patients.

Nursing Jobs in Canada

The first step is to have your international credentials assessed by the National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS) and any provincial regulatory bodies that you may be interested in working with. This process is important because it determines the level of nursing education and experience that you possess and whether you meet the Canadian standards for nursing practice. Once your credentials have been assessed, you can then apply for registration with the appropriate regulatory body in the province or territory where you plan to work.

It’s important to note that each province or territory has its own nursing regulatory body, and the registration process may differ from one province or territory to another. For example, in Ontario, the regulatory body is the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO), while in British Columbia, it is the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia (CRNBC). Therefore, it’s important to research the requirements of the regulatory body in the province or territory where you plan to work.

Once you have obtained registration, you can then begin your job search. There are a variety of resources available to help you find nursing jobs in Canada, including online job boards, healthcare recruitment agencies, and professional networking sites. It’s important to tailor your resume and cover letter to each job you apply for, highlighting your relevant skills and experience.

As mentioned earlier, nurses with specialist skills in emergency departments, operating rooms, and those interested in working in remote or isolated indigenous communities are in high demand in Canada. However, there are also opportunities for nurses in other areas of healthcare, such as primary care, community health, and mental health.

Finally, it’s important to note that nursing salaries in Canada vary depending on the province or territory, the level of experience, and the type of nursing role. According to the Canadian Nurses Association, the average annual salary for a registered nurse in Canada is approximately $75,000, with salaries ranging from $50,000 to $100,000.

Live and Work in Canada

Being aware of the four best places to live and work in Canada as a registered nurse can help you decide on which province and which community you’d want to join. If you have a permanent job offer in a particular province that needs nurses like these, you could be eligible for a Provincial Nomination Program (PNP).

Either you can apply through the Express Entry route through the  Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), or you can apply directly for a nomination from one of the 11 provinces that make use of this immigration route.

Express Entry

This program involves creating an online profile into which you will enter your credentials and any other applicable information. Your Comprehensive Ranking Score will then be calculated and you will be entered into a pool of applicants. 

Each month a number of applicants are drawn based on a minimum CRS score and are invited to apply for permanent residency in Canada. Achieving a high CRS score is paramount, and something our Regulated Canadian Immigration consultants specialize in helping you achieve.  

Provincial Nomination Program

If you know where you want to live in Canada, it doesn’t even have to be a city, just a province, you can apply to the said province for a nomination. You can do this visa express entry simply by creating an expression of interest, or you can apply to the province directly. If the province has a need for your set of skills, which they will, you’re a registered nurse in a country with a serious shortage, they will issue you a provincial nomination. 

You can then obtain permanent residency through this program, which may take a little longer than Express Entry, but is a good and effective way nonetheless, or you can continue through express Entry. A provincial nomination is worth 600 CRS points out of a maximum of 1,200 points, and all but guarantees an invitation to apply for permanent residency. 

Atlantic Immigration Pilot

Very similar to the PNP, the Atlantic Immigration Pilot is aimed at skilled individuals who know which province they would like to settle in when they arrive in Canada and assuming that province is one of the three participating provinces in this immigration pilot. New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland & Labrador are the three Atlantic adjacent participating provinces. 

This is a community and employer-driven pilot, so you will need a valid job offer from a participating community and you will have to live and work in the community that grants you a recommendation. You will also need to have at least one year of full-time experience to qualify for this pilot.  

There are four programs found in the best places in Canada to work as a registered nurse

• Nova Scotia's Provincial Nominee Program (NSNP)
• Ontario’s Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)
• New Brunswick’s Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP)
• Manitoba’s Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP)

How Much Money Can I Make As a Nurse in Canada?

There are currently thousands of nursing jobs available across Canada. Salaries are extremely competitive. Below are the average annual salaries by occupation title: