The Manitoba government has recently announced a new initiative to provide support for internationally educated nurses (IEN) endeavoring to practice in the province. The plans will include adding nearly 400 new nursing education seats over the next few years and financially supporting the licensure process for IEN’s.
“Our government is committed to ensuring Manitoba has a strong nursing workforce now and into the future…Increasing the number of nursing seats and supporting IENs’ pathway to licensing will accelerate the entry of students and internationally educated nurses into nursing professions, and will increase the number of nurses in Manitoba who can staff our hospitals and health-care clinics.”
Health and Seniors Care Minister, Heather Stefanson
Meanwhile, this announcement comes amidst a chronic nurse shortage at Winnipeg hospitals. The working conditions caused by this critical staff shortage is causing even more nurses to leave, worsening the situation. When speaking to CBC in early May, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority had indicated a vacancy rate of nearly 30% at the ER department of St. Boniface Hospital.
Manitoba plans to address the province’s nursing shortage by mitigating the challenges faced by many IEN’s. Through this initiative, they aim to facilitate a more accessible and less financially burdensome process for these individuals. Accordingly, the provincial government will be providing up to $23,000 CAD per internationally educated nurse; in doing so, they will help to cover the various costs involved in becoming licensed in the province. This funding will not only go toward assessments and training, but will also cover living expenses, transportation, and child care.
Internationally educated nurses interested in applying for this support can start by filling out Manitoba’s information form.
How can I immigrate to Manitoba as a nurse?
Manitoba’s Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) has three main skilled worker streams, Skilled Workers in Manitoba, Skilled Workers Overseas, and the International Education stream. Each stream has its own unique eligibility criteria.
If a candidate qualifies under one of the above streams they may submit an Expression of Interest (EOI), which MPNP ranks using their points system. Nurses with qualifications fully recognized by Manitoba’s licensing body are eligible to claim an additional 100 points toward their score. Some other points factors considered are language proficiency, age, work experience, education, and adaptability.
Once a candidate submits an EOI to MPNP’s pool of candidates, they are under consideration for nomination; MPNP holds regular draws in which they invite candidates that meet the minimum points cut-off to apply for nomination. Successful applicants are subsequently invited to apply to the Canadian government for permanent residency.
Lauren Boorman
