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Many individuals from all over the world come to Canada for a better life and for more opportunities within their career. This is especially the case for nurses and home support workers as the Canadian government is in high demand for these occupations. Since the 1990s, most provinces and territories in Canada were not hiring nurses; however, this drastically changed in the turn of the century and now Canada has a growing shortage of nurses. Therefore, in this article, I will address what the caring for people with high medical needs program entails, the requirements for this program, and more.
This program is intended for any foreign national with Canadian work experience in specific occupations in the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC) that would like to gain permanent residency in Canada. The specific occupations are:
It is important to note that only home support workers that are specifically under NOC code 4412 apply; housekeepers, unfortunately, are not eligible under this NOC. Additionally, in order to be eligible under this program, you must have at least 24 months (2 years) of full-time work experience within Canada. This work experience must be acquired within 48 months (4 years) prior to applying.
Furthermore, there are requirements that must be met in order to be eligible as well to be able to apply under this program. The requirements entail qualified employment, language ability, education, and admissibility. Below I will explain each requirement in detail.
You must demonstrate that you have qualified work experience in Canada. Specifically, you must indicate that you have worked full-time which is at least 30 paid hours a week and match your job to the NOC job description. The job description must include most of the main duties of your job. In addition, breaks in employment are permitted. For instance, if you had a period of unemployment, sick leave or maternity leave, you may still be eligible.
Subsequently, if you acquired your employment experience within Canada as a registered nurse or a registered psychiatric nurse then you must prove this. You will have to provide evidence that you are licensed to legally practice in Canada. You will also have to provide evidence that you are registered as a nurse or psychiatric nurse with a regulatory body within your province or territory when you apply.
In Canada, there are two official languages; they are English and French. As a result, you must prove that you have an ability to speak, read, listen and write in one and/or both of these languages. In order to accurately assess whether you have language proficiency, Immigration Canada utilizes the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) system. Consequently, you must take a language test from an approved agency and meet the minimum language levels for the intended position. The minimum language level for a registered nurse or registered psychiatric nurse is CLB 7 in either English or French for all four language abilities as aforementioned. On the other hand, the minimum language level for any other occupation in the aforementioned NOC codes is CLB 5 in either English or French for all four language abilities. Once you have completed the language test, you must provide Immigration Canada with the original test results. Keep in mind, these results can expire; you must provide test results taken within the last two years.
In order to appropriately prove that you have the educational credentials to apply under this program, you must provide documents of your completed education. For instance, you must provide a Canadian post-secondary degree, diploma or certificate of a minimum period of one year. If you haven’t completed a Canadian post-secondary education, then you may provide proof of a foreign degree, diploma or certificate but you must also include an original Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). An ECA is provided to show that your foreign degree can be equated to a Canadian post-secondary degree, diploma or certificate of a minimum period of one year. Also, the ECA must also be from an organization that Immigration Canada has approved.
Much like any other immigration application, you must ensure that you are admissible to Canada prior to applying under this program. If you are inadmissible, unfortunately you will not be permitted entry into Canada. There are many circumstances that can make you inadmissible to Canada such as criminal activity, health or financial reasons.
In order to apply under this program, you must fill out the required forms as well as provide supporting documentation. The supporting documentation as previously mentioned are documents that prove your employment experience, language ability, and education. You will also have to provide travel documents such as your passport; your birth certificate, if needed; 2 recent passport photos; medical examination; police clearance certificates; and, if applicable, children’s identity documents as well. It is always highly recommended to consult with an immigration professional prior to submitting these types of applications as they can be quite difficult.
The processing times often change for many immigration applications so you should always double check the processing times before submitting your application. As of right now, the processing times for the caring for people with high medical needs program is approximately 3 months.
It is essential that you have taken all of the aforementioned factors and information into consideration if you are applying for the caring for people with high medical needs program. If you want to apply under this program, it is extremely important to note that these are difficult applications to pursue on your own. It is highly recommended that you seek out professional and experienced help before attempting to submit the application. Here, at Akrami & Associates, we work and have experience with many different immigration issues. We have helped many of our clients obtain permanent residency under this program. If you believe that you may be eligible, please feel free to contact Akrami & Associates at our office at 416-477-2545 for more information or if you would like to book a consultation with an immigration professional for more advise.
With Akrami & Associates, there is always a way!
