British Columbia and Ontario are reducing some of the immigration barriers for internationally educated nurses (IENs) to tackle the shortage of healthcare workers in those provinces. British Columbia has already declared this initiative where they will not only remove the application fees but also provide financial support accordingly. Application and assessment fees can cost an applicant approximately $3,700 which will now be covered by the province. Moreover, the province is ready to provide financial help of up to $4,000 for travel and other coverages to internationally educated nurses.
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Last year, British Columbia has announced the funding of $12 million for internationally educated nurses after which more than 5,000 foreign applicants have shown interest in practicing their skills in the province. More than 90% of these applicants are working toward their goals and are registered with the BC College of Nurses and Midwives.
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Ontario has also made announcements about encouraging IENs to work and gain experience in their province. Crucial institutions such as the College of Nurses of Ontario, the Ontario Ministry of Health, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario will now allow IENs to get registered for temporary classes while they acquire their full registration. Moreover, in many cases, nurses will be exempted from the requirement of Canadian work experience. Also, language tests that are approved by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) will be accepted by these institutions. Ontario is looking forward to welcoming 1,000 IENs by the end of March this year only.