On Wednesday, June 28, the Nova Scotia College of Nursing (NSCN) was pleased to host Federal Minister of Health, Jean-Yves Duclos and Federal Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship of Canada, Sean Fraser at the NSCN office. The Ministers publicly announced the new changes to Canada’s economic immigration program, which introduced the prioritization of invitations for international health workers as the first round of category-based selection.
“We were incredibly proud to host both Minister Duclos and Minster Fraser and to be included in such a historic announcement for the country and for health care,” says NSCN CEO and Registrar, Sue Smith. “The ministerial announcement was a demonstration of the nationwide prioritization of health care and what is possible when we come together with solutions that benefit Canadians.”
Like the Federal Government’s announcement to fast track and streamline permanent residency applications to bring more qualified health professionals into Canada, NSCN announced changes to registration and licensure processes in March and May of 2023, which have been making an impact. As of June 27, 2023, NSCN has received well over 10,000 applications for licensure under the new expedited process for applicants from seven designated countries – the Philippines, India, Nigeria, USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand. 92 licenses were issued since May 1. Additionally, NSCN issued 776 licences to qualified nurses already licensed in other Canadian jurisdiction since the launch of the new streamlined process for domestic nurses on March 29.
“As a regulator, we’ve made important changes by challenging ourselves to rethink our approaches to registration and licensure while ensuring all of our decisions are guided by safeguards that prioritize public safety,” says Sue Smith, NSCN CEO and Registrar. “Our changes are enabling qualified nurses to be eligible for licensure sooner than ever before in Nova Scotia and this positively impacts the public and the health care system.”
NSCN estimates that at least 5,000 international nurses will be eligible for approval for licensure in Nova Scotia by the end of 2023.
For registration and licensure statistics, please visit here on the NSCN website.
