Immigrant Nurses in Canada: Are Their Career Dreams Becoming Reality?

Canada’s Health Care System Needs Immigrant Nurses More Than Ever

Canada has been facing serious nursing shortages in recent years — and internationally educated nurses are stepping up to help fill the gap.
The COVID-19 pandemic made the situation worse, leading to burnout, long hours, and high turnover among health care staff.

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (2024), job vacancies in nursing peaked at 7.7% in 2022. Although they’ve dropped since, the demand for qualified nurses remains strong across provinces.

That’s why immigration plays such a vital role in supporting Canada’s health care system. But how well are immigrant nurses actually doing once they arrive?
A Statistics Canada 2025 study, conducted with IRCC, looked at how many newcomers who planned to work as nurses actually ended up in nursing jobs — and the results are both promising and revealing.

Key Insights: The Reality for Immigrant Nurses in Canada

1. Most who plan to be nurses make it — but not all

Among immigrants who arrived between 2010 and 2020 and intended to work as nurses, about 63% were employed as nurses by 2021.
That’s great news — but it also means 1 in 4 immigrant nurses ended up in lower-skilled or unrelated jobs, or were not working at all.

This shows that while many internationally educated nurses succeed, there are still barriers preventing others from practicing in Canada.

2. Canadian experience makes a huge difference

The report found that having Canadian work experience before immigrating increases your chances of working in your field by 28 percentage points.
Even studying in Canada before applying for permanent residency helps — but work experience proved to be the strongest factor.

In simple terms: if you’ve worked or studied in Canada, you’re much more likely to land a nursing job after immigration.

3. Two-thirds of immigrant nurses didn’t plan to become nurses

Here’s a surprising fact: 65% of immigrants working as nurses in 2021 never planned to be nurses when they applied for immigration!

Many newcomers discovered nursing as a new career path after arriving, showing how flexible and determined immigrants can be.
These career changers — including family-class immigrants, dependants, and refugees — now play a major role in addressing Canada’s health care shortages.

4. Women, younger newcomers, and certain regions fare better

• Women were more likely to work in nursing than men.
• Younger immigrants (especially those under 35) had higher success rates.
• Immigrants from Caribbean, Latin American, and European countries had better alignment than those from Asia, though most immigrant nurses still come from India and the Philippines.
• Having at least a bachelor’s degree also improved employment outcomes.

What’s Standing in the Way?

Many internationally educated nurses in Canada face challenges such as:

• Long credential recognition and licensing processes
• Limited access to Canadian work experience or mentorship programs
• Language barriers or lack of support in smaller communities

These obstacles can delay their ability to work in their profession — even when they have the right education and experience from abroad.

How Canada Can Support Internationally Educated Nurses

The report suggests several ways to improve outcomes for immigrant nurses:

1. Streamline the credential recognition process to make it faster and fairer.
2. Expand bridging programs and training opportunities across provinces.
3. Offer mentorship and networking options to help newcomers gain local experience.
4. Encourage pathways into nursing for immigrants who discover the profession after arriving.

These changes would help Canada fully tap into the potential of immigrant talent — and ensure more nurses can do the work they trained for.

Why This Matters

The takeaway is clear: Canada’s health care system depends heavily on immigrant nurses.
While most succeed, many still face unnecessary barriers. By improving credential recognition and creating smoother pathways to licensing, Canada can better support both internationally educated nurses and its patients.

With the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan prioritizing skilled health care workers, the future looks promising for newcomers ready to make a difference in nursing.

References

• Statistics Canada (2025). Immigrant nurses in Canada: Alignment between intentions and employment outcomes. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25318/36280001202500900003-eng
• Canadian Institute for Health Information (2024). Balancing the needs of Canadians and our health workforce.
• Employment and Social Development Canada (2023). Canada is addressing current and emerging labour demands in health care.
• Government of Canada (2024). 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan.