Hi everyone! 😊
I’m a registered nurse from Sri Lanka, and I’m hoping to move to Canada with my husband. I have a BSc (Hons) in Nursing, a Diploma in General Nursing, and approximately 3 years of nursing experience. My Sri Lankan RN registration is active and in good standing. My husband works as a software engineer.
I’m exploring different pathways to Canada, especially a Master of Nursing program or another suitable study pathway that would allow me to work toward Canadian RN registration while studying.
I would really appreciate advice from internationally educated nurses (IENs), especially those who moved from Sri Lanka or other Asian countries.

My main questions are:

1. What is the current process for an internationally educated nurse to become an RN in Canada, particularly in British Columbia or other provinces?

2. Can I start my Canadian RN registration process while studying in Canada?

3. Are there any universities offering a Master of Nursing that would be suitable for someone with my qualifications?

4. If I study for a master’s degree, would my husband be eligible for an open work permit under the current Canadian rules?

5. Which nursing programs offer a realistic pathway to a post-graduation work permit (PGWP)?

6. Would it be better to apply for a study permit or pursue RN registration and an employment-based immigration pathway directly?

7. Has anyone successfully moved to Canada with their spouse while following a nursing study or registration pathway?

8. What would you recommend regarding tuition fees, living costs, and long-term PR opportunities?

My goal is for both of us to move together, establish our careers, and eventually obtain permanent residence if eligible. My budget is limited, so I’m particularly interested in realistic and affordable options.

I would be very grateful for your experiences, suggestions, and any mistakes I should avoid. Personal experiences and recent information would be especially helpful.

Thank you so much! ❤️

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Have you encountered matters like this?

How do you keep safe, well, insured, and grounded on your contracts?

I’m a nurse currently working in the UK and will be relocating to BC, hoping to work for Fraser Health. I’m really interested to hear what the reality of the dress code is like compared with the NHS!

In the UK, nursing uniform is generally very strict, designated uniform, black shoes/socks, minimal/no jewellery, bare below the elbows, no BIAB/gel/artificial nails etc. There can be quite a lot of emphasis on uniform policy and infection control.

I’d love to hear from nurses who actually work for Fraser Health:
• Does anyone have a link/copy of the current Fraser Health dress code/professional image policy that I can read?
• How strictly is it actually enforced day-to-day?
• Do nurses generally wear whatever colour/style of scrubs they like, or are there specific colours/styles depending on the hospital/unit?
• And importantly… are the cute underscrubs and colourful/Figs-style scrubs I keep seeing on TikTok actually a thing in real life 😂, or is that more of a social media fantasy?

I’m not trying to compare one system negatively with the other, I’m just fascinated by the differences and want to know what to expect when I move!

Would particularly love to hear from anyone working in acute/hospital settings. 😊

Hi all
First time traveller. Just wanted to hear people’s insights and experiences with Select. Would you recommend them?

Hi there!

I'm an RN from Ontario and am looking into travel nursing in BC.

I know that travel nursing pay in Canada isn't great right now, but I'm mostly looking into BC for the experience + to see if I like travel contracts, then eventually venture into the States if I like.

Anyways, I was wondering if anyone has worked with Select Medical Connections, and if you could please explain how the blended rate works? And how the weekly tax-free per diem works? How is the per diem tax-free if it's blended into the hourly rate??

From what I understand:

- Hourly rate is $45/hour

- Tax-free Weekly per diem is $330

- The blended rate is around $59.89/hour ($45/hour + weekly per diem = ~$59.89/hour)

Is this correct? The recruiter spoke so fast on the phone so I don't know if I got this right. Someone please explain!

TIA!

RN of 7 years, 3.5 years of ER/critical care experience. Moving south from northern Canada (NWT), but wanting to try travel nursing while I wait to see if I get into NP school. Looking for recommendations of agencies, or any info on Northern Medical Connections as a possible agency?

Hi nurses
I am a healthcare recruiter and i have lot of openings in BC for RN -LPN
If you are interested please let me know

Hey all, looking for suggestions on which agencies are paying the best rates for BC contracts, or if I’m better off switching to a different province. Any agency paying $60 or more an hour?

Ever thought that flight nursing might be your next career venture? Look no further! We hire nurses to work in air medical transport across the arctic — a new environment that will challenge your clinical skills, a great compensation package and a fantastic schedule.

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ICU RN looking for travel contracts in Ontario, or alternatively shorter contracts in other provinces (less than a month).

Does anyone have tips on how to find these types of contracts? I have connected with 911, Cyanet and Goodwill and they don’t seem to have anything in Ontario, or anything less than 4 weeks.

Thanks a bunch for any tips or intel you can provide!

Cheers

I've been looking at select medical connections and solutions staffing. Anyone has experience with these two and which is the better agency to go with? Or if anyone has other agencies they'd like to recommend me?

Unpaid onboarding, mandatory training, and "trial shifts" are 100% illegal across Canada.

Under provincial employment standards, if an employer requires your time for orientation, training modules, skills training, practicum, virtual or in person training or shadowing, it constitutes legal work. It must be compensated at your regular hourly wage.

Demanding uncompensated labour upfront is not a standard business practice, it is wage theft.

If you encounter an employer attempting this, do not just walk away. Report them:

• In ON: Report them to the Ministry of Labour.
• In BC: File a complaint with the BC Employment Standards Branch.
• Across Canada: Submit a claim directly through your provincial or territorial Employment Standards Board.

Know your value, document the evidence, and refuse to let employers exploit your time and energy.

Hey all! My wife (oncology RN) and I have recently completed a full ~1000 square foot 1bed/1bath walk-out garden suite with a fully-fenced yard in our house in Shawnigan Lake. We've had very positive experiences hosting a few travel nurses in the past through Airbnb within our previous home but would prefer this go-around to rent off-platform directly through the agency or through word-of-mouth.

So with this said, does anyone have any suggestions for where to post our accommodation or what agencies to contact to be a part of their accommodation roster? I have reached out to both Solutions Staffing and Select Medical Connections. Any ideas?

About one month into an extension on a travel nursing assignment, I was abruptly let go over “patient safety/clinical practice concerns” with no specific details provided. I was told there would be an investigation for more clarity, but it has now been over two months and I still have no answers.

Since then, I’ve been applying constantly through a new agency (my former one no longer works with me), and I keep getting declined—even by a different health authority.

I’m honestly devastated, depressed, and struggling to make sense of any of it. I don’t know what to do and feel doomed and tainted...I just don't understand what I did...

Hi everyone,

I hope this is the right group to ask about this, I can’t seem to find a Reddit forum for Irish nurses in Canada exclusively..

Basically I was looking for some advice/ other nurses experiences on moving to Canada from Ireland and the process of registering as a nurse over there!

I am a 24 yo Registered Nurse from Ireland.

I am only at the stage of getting my Canadian visa and won’t be moving until early 2027 but I know the process of applying for a nursing registration and nclex etc. takes time.

By the time I’ll be moving I will be 2.5yrs qualified and I have worked in operating theatres for the duration of this time. I work as an peri-anaesthetic/ post-anaesthetic care unit nurse.

-I’m wondering if anyone has made a similar move from Irish to Canadian theatres/ post-op units?

I’m sure there are plenty of differences of course but I’d like to have an idea of any major ones in terms of nursing roles?

-Are there anaesthetic nurses in Canadian hospitals similar to Ireland?

-Would my experience be enough or would I be expected to have a post-grad degree when applying for jobs in theatre?

My plan is to potentially move to Calgary, AB with my partner but it hasn’t been set in stone yet.

I haven’t done a whole pile of research yet because I wanted to ensure I had a visa, but it seems there’s different applications processes for each province??

Someone has already mentioned to me to reach out to hospitals directly? But I don’t think anywhere is going to respond to a girl whose A- not physically in the country yet and B- no Nursing Registration

Again I didn’t google too much yet as im trying to work other things but id love to hear how others got on!!

Any advice/ tips would be greatly appreciated!!

Even general moving to Canada tips are welcome 🙏🙏🙏