Federal/Provincial/Territorial Initiatives (F/P/T)

Initiative opportunities provided by Canadian employers, healthcare organizations, and academic institutions to help Internationally Educated Health Care Professionals who must fill theoretical or practical gaps in their learning.

Disclaimer: N4 does not provide referral to support initiatives. You need to apply directly to the initiative opportunity.

If you know of a support initiative opportunity for IEHPs, please share it with us.

Nursing

British Columbia

HealthMatch Financial Supports

HealthMatchBC, the Province of British Columbia assists IENs pursuing nursing registration with the College of Nurses and Midwives with financial support through a combination of bursaries and fee waivers to offset the costs of an IEN’s international credential assessment, English language testing, skill evaluation and educational upgrading. Financial supports for IENs range from $400 to approximately $16,000 depending on the assessments and/or upgrading required. In exchange for the fee waivers and bursary there is a 12 month Return of Service (ROS) agreement (or 24 months if the IEN prefers to work part-time).

Manitoba

Manitoba Healthcare Providers Network

Step by step process to support IEN's in becoming registered nurses.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Designated Countries Pathway
IENs who were educated and who are currently licensed in good standing in USA, UK, Ireland, India, Philippines, Australia or New Zealand are eligible to apply for registration in Newfoundland & Labrador using the designated countries pathway.

Nova Scotia

Internationally Educated Nurses Orientation
The Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS) offers an IEN Orientation at no cost to IENs who are registered as ISANs clients. This program offers information about the pathways to licensure, courses on foundations of nursing practice in Canada, topic-specific educational sessions about nursing, adult health assessment workshops, weekly structured study groups, access to learning resources, information about alternative careers, peer support, networking and professional mentoring.

New Application Pathway Survey for Nurses from Seven Countries
If you are a Registered Nurse from Australia, India, Nigeria, New Zealand, the Philippines, the United Kingdom or the United States, please complete this survey so we can match you with comprehensive immigration, settlement, and employment supports in Nova Scotia.

Province Funds Internationally Educated Nurses Licensing Review
The government has provided one-time funding of $340,000 to the Nova Scotia College of Nursing to support the ongoing and comprehensive review of the registration and licensing process for internationally educated nurses. The review will look at how the existing process can be further streamlined to help internationally educated nurses receive their licence sooner. The funding will also be used to hire new staff to support this work.

Ontario

“As of Right” rules
In July 2023, Ontario implemented “As of Right” rules that allow health care professionals who have been registered and working in another Canadian jurisdiction to immediately start providing care in Ontario. Changes automatically recognize the credentials of health care workers registered in other provinces and territories and do not require them to register with their respective regulatory authority in Ontario (e.g. College of Nurse of Ontario) prior to practicing.

Temporary Nursing Class
In September 2022, Ontario Health approved the College of Nurses of Ontario’s proposal that supports IENs integration into practice in a timely manner. One element of this proposal provides IENs with a temporary class licensure.

Temporary Reimbursement of Fees for Internationally Educated Nurses
The government of Ontario is temporarily covering the costs of fees associated with General Class and Temporary Class Registration with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) for internationally educated nurses who submit, or have submitted, their General Class registration applications to the CNO between August 18, 2022 and March 31, 2024.

London Health Sciences Centre IEN Program
LHSC supports IENs to achieve complete CNO registration. They offer paid non-nursing roles and supports for IENs while they pursue licensure.

Ontario Bridging Participant Assistance Program (OBPAP)
The Ontario Bridging Participant Assistance Program (OBPAP) provides bursary assistance of up to $5,000 to internationally trained professional immigrants with financial need. OBPAP recipients must be enrolled in non-Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) bridge training which have been programs approved by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) and which have direct education costs offered at Ontario publicly assisted colleges and universities. Approved bridging programs offered by the Michener Institute of Education at UHN (the postsecondary institutions) are also eligible for OBPAP funding.

Sunnybrook's Internationally Educated Nurses (IEN) Career Pathway
Sunnybrook’s Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN) Career Pathway provides a holistic and collaborative approach to support IENs to re-enter careers in health care and transition into registered nursing positions, both RN and RPN.

Supervised Practice Experience Partnership (SPEP)
The Supervised Practice Experience Partnership is a partnership program between the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO), Ontario Health and CNO approved organizations. The program offers applicants the option to complete a supervised practice experience in Ontario.

Hamilton Health Sciences’ Internationally Educated Nurse Program
The HHS Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN) Integration Program commits to providing service excellence to our participants. We support IENs with their nursing journey in Ontario by providing a case management approach, and helping IENs with the development of an individualized learning plan to meet their learning needs, thereby enhancing their communication and clinical nursing skills. Our goal is to ensure that our participants are provided with mentorship and experiences thereby making them job-ready. Once hired in a commensurate role, the IEN Integration Program continues to support their integration into the Canadian healthcare system.
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Ontario Expands Career Growth Opportunities for PSWs and Nurses in Long-Term Care
The Nursing Program Transformation in Ontario’s Colleges, jointly offered by the Ministry of Long-Term Care, Ministry of Colleges and Universities, and Colleges Ontario, will increase access to nursing programs at publicly-assisted colleges through:

Introduction of hybrid online and in-person learning models in practical nursing and Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs, to provide students the flexibility to learn as per individual schedules.
Creating an additional 500 enrolments in bridging programs for the 2022-23 academic year, that are designed to give applicants the skills and credentials they need to move to the next stage of their career. Hybrid options will also be available for bridging programs.
Providing up to $6,000 a year in financial support to internationally trained nurses to gain the credentials required to work in Ontario.

Temporary Reimbursement of Fees for Internationally Educated and Inactive Nurses
The government of Ontario is temporarily covering the costs of fees associated with General Class and Temporary Class Registration with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) for inactive or internationally educated nurses. The goal is to help address financial barriers that may be preventing inactive or internationally educated nurses from getting their license to resume or begin practicing nursing.
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Clinical Scholar Program
The Clinical Scholar Program which pairs an experienced front line nurse as a dedicated mentor with newly graduated nurses, internationally educated nurses and nurses wanting to upskill to ensure they have the support they need to confidently transition into the nursing profession.
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Physician

Alberta

Clinical or Clinical/Surgical Assistant (CA)
The Alberta Clinical and Surgical Assistant Program (ACSAP) is a specific program you can apply for that provides alternative career paths within the Canadian Healthcare System. The program leads to career opportunities in patient care services under the supervision of independently licensed physicians at hospitals in Calgary, in Edmonton and in the surrounding areas.

CPSA launches accelerated registration route for eligible internationally-trained physicians
The five-year pilot project waives certain requirements, such as clinical review exams, and the first three-month assessment for IMGs that have comparable training to that obtained in Canadian universities, as identified by experts in postgraduate medical training. Those who qualify will now go directly to their identified communities and begin practising independently while completing their Supervised Practice Assessment.

British Columbia

Physician Integration Program (BC-PIP)
The British Columbia Physician Integration Program (BC-PIP) aims to support the successful transition of practice-eligible international medical graduates (IMGs) from the provisional registry to full licensure to practice medicine in British Columbia (BC).
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New Brunswick

Practice Ready Assessment
The Practice Ready Assessment New Brunswick program (PRA-NB) provides an alternate route to licensure for internationally trained physicians (ITPs) in family medicine offered through the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick with the support of the Government of New Brunswick and the collaboration of multiple provincial and national partners.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Ukrainian Physician Licensure Support Program
The Department of Health and Community Services has launched the Ukrainian Physician Licensure Support Program to assist displaced Ukrainian physicians in obtaining licensure to practice medicine in Newfoundland and Labrador. Eligible Ukrainian physicians can receive up to $10,000 in funding to offset the costs associated with obtaining licensure in Newfoundland and Labrador, in exchange for a two (2) year provincial service agreement.

Practice Ready Assessment
PRA-NL is a 12-week clinical field assessment (CFA). It is not a training program. Candidates must demonstrate overall competence in all areas of the assessment to receive a Pass result.

Nova Scotia

New Licensing Pathway for Physicians Trained Outside of Canada
The College has developed a streamlined approach to long-term licensure for physicians on a Defined licence. The Medical Act requires physicians trained outside of Canada to practice under a Defined Licence and undergo supervision. Physicians must meet the requirements and conditions required to obtain a Defined Licence. There is no change to the qualification requirements.

Clinical Assistant Licence
All candidates for Clinical Assistant positions must have their credentials assessed and approved by the Registration Department of the College prior to accepting a job offer. All Clinical Assistants must practise within a College-approved physician extender program.

Welcome Collaborative
The Welcome Collaborative is designed to support physicians who have trained outside of Canada, have been issued a licence, and are new to practicing in Nova Scotia. It is an orientation program aimed to help physicians to successfully integrate into the healthcare system.

Ontario

Recognition of Certification Without Examination Issued by CFPC

The new Recognition of Certification Without Examination Issued by CFPC policy grants eligible physicians a scope-limited restricted certificate of registration to practice independently in Ontario.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment (SIPPA)
In the Government of Saskatchewan’s 2022-23 budget, $1.1 million in new funding was announced to increase the number of SIPPA seats for IMGs by 25 per cent, from 36 seats to 45 seats annually. The funding will also be used to enhance supervision of physicians following their initial clinical field assessment and provide resources, support, and mentorship to these physicians as they establish practice in Saskatchewan communities.

Northern Physician Recruitment Incentive
Sask. boosting rural and northern physician recruitment incentive to $200,000 over 5 years
The Saskatchewan government says a planned boost will make the province's program to recruit and retain physicians in rural and northern areas one of the most competitive incentives in the country. The new five-year incentive is back-loaded over the final two years. Qualifying physicians would receive $15,000 at the end of each of their first and second years, $20,000 at the end of their third year, and $75,000 at the end of each of their fourth and fifth years, the government said.