Did You Know: Couples Who Are Nurses and Canadian Immigration

The government announced a critical shortage of healthcare professionals in Canada. They are taking measures to increase the number of healthcare professionals being admitted from foreign nations through the immigration system. In fact, if you are planning to immigrate to Canada and both you and your spouse are nurses, you have a higher chance of qualifying for permanent residence under the Quebec Skilled Worker program. Hire a partner sponsorship lawyer Canada to help you review your options and increase your chances of getting admitted to Canada.

The Quebec Skilled Worker Program

The QSW program gives skilled foreign nationals an opportunity to apply for Canadian permanent residence and fulfill their immigration dreams. Recently, the province announced that nurses are among the favored group of immigrants they are looking to admit. This program doesn’t require a job offer and candidates can apply from anywhere in the world. Furthermore, no settlement funds are required under this program.

Why apply under QSW program?

When you apply under this program, it takes 14-18 months for your application to be processed. Unlike Express Entry, the program doesn’t require applicants to demonstrate settlement funds. Another great advantage of the QSW program is that the language proficiency test requirements are typically lower than for the Express Entry system.

Applicants with nursing degrees

Quebec is highly prioritizing spousal sponsorship applications whereby both applicants have nursing degrees. This because there is an urgent need for well trained and experienced healthcare workers especially for the aging population. One of the reasons for this is that the current academic culture in Canada emphasizes more on university diplomas. Most people are not going to get skilled trades certificates in local colleges. This has resulted in a massive labor shortage that the immigration officials seek to address through the Express entry system.

The immigration officials announced that in order to address this labor shortage, they are going to bring in more temporary foreign workers and immigrants who possess the required skills and reward them with permanent residence. Every year, over 200,000 work permits are awarded in Canada. However, work permits alone cannot solve the situation. Rewarding foreign nationals who have the skills needed in each province with Canadian permanent residency is a sure way to address this labor shortage.

What should you do now?

You cannot know your chances until you have been assessed by an immigration lawyer. Start working on your application ahead of time so that you can submit early and increase your chances of being selected. An immigration lawyer will offer you advice on how to increase the chances of your application being accepted. For instance, your lawyer may advise you to apply for a work permit and get a chance to gain some Canadian work experience which will make you better qualified for permanent residence. You can get connected to Canadian employers and make your application stronger by getting a job offer. For couples who are both nurses, there are many other options to consider in order to qualify under the QSW program.