Gail

Feel free to ask any questions. Are you considering coming over on a work permit or are you going to wait for your PR? We have our medicals on monday, the CHC have "prioritised" our application - in reality we are only about 2 months in front of people who applied at the same time so they have hardly rushed it!! Whereabouts in Ajax were you visiting? We like the area and the commuting is ok once you get used to it!! Look forward to hearing from you again.

Gail

twoshoes

Thanks for replying Gail. I stayed at family near the lake at shoal point road. I really liked the area and some of the houses were gorgeous. We have applied for PR only in March so I guess it will be sometime before we hear anything. Will just have to put up with job in UK for a while, which is a bit of a downer as Agenda for Change is just being implemented and has done me no favours whatsoever. Just feel I need to get out of NHS and all the politics that go with it. I'm sure Canada has its problems too. Did you go over on a work permit? Did you get a relocation package? Is it worth doing that and still carrying on with PR application. Did speak to my husband today about that. You just have to be really hopeful that you will be accepted especially if you have sold up in the UK!!

Sue

twoshoes

Hi Gail,

Sorry to mither, but how do you go about getting work permit etc. Have sent application in for PR, but looking at the timescales I cannot wait that long. In the process of AFC here and have just found out that I am being banded in Band 6 along with the E Grades. Absoluted gutted (no offence meant to E grades) but have spent time studying for BSc, take charge on evenings without supervision and supervise the E grades. Only to be told I will be in the same grade. I am so demoralised and cheesed off. Just need to get out of this country now.

Sue

Gail

Hi Sue
Sorry to hear that your AFC hasn't been what you wanted. You will get over here a lot quicker if you can get a work permit and at least you can start to settle as PR takes such a long time. First of all you need to get a job offer, that isn't always easy as they will only take nurses into certain areas where there is supposedly a shortage - ICU, A&E, theatres, psyche and obstetrics were the areas when I applied. A lot of hospitals don't bother recruiting from abroad and you won't even probably get a reply if you get in touch with them. Once you have an offer the hospital will do the paperwork over here for you and apply for HRDC approval. You will have to get a package from the CNO that explains how to register over here, this is time consuming as you have to have references from your employer, a transcript of your training and degree course, and verification from the NMC of your registration. Once all that is sorted you apply to CHC for your work permit, this takes longer than for other professions as you have to have a medical. I think it took about 3 months once we got properly organised. If you are married your husband will get an open work permit so he can work anywhere, you can only work at the hospital and in the area specified on your permit.

As I mentioned before, my hospital actively recruits and I know they are finding it more difficult at the moment because all nurses now have to have the degree. If you want the details of the nurse recruiter just send me a message and I will let you know.

The CNO issues you with a temporary registration and you have to pass the exam within 12 months (I think - not sure if this has changed since we came over).

The whole process can be expensive as everyone has charges for their "bit" and you still have all the other charges for your PR - if you are selling a house in England you will probably be ok. It is a bit harder to get established on a work permit over here as your social insurance number starts with a 9 and is viewed with suspicion wherever you go!!! You will probably have to apply for another work permit after a year if your PR isn't through, we asked the hospital for a longer permit but they would only do it for a year at a time. You will need enough money to buy a vehicle outright, we wanted to try building up our credit rating but no-one would give us a car loan without PR. A car is pretty essential as public transport in many areas does not fit in with nurses hours, it's good during the week but the weekends are another story even if you live nearer to the city than we do.

I really like it over here now, we are going to England for a visit in 4 weeks and quite honestly I'm not that bothered about going. My husband is going through a homesick phase so it will hopefully help him.

The whole process was one of the most stressful things I have ever encountered and we were lucky to have relatives over here to help us sort out many things. I really don't know if I would do it again if I could turn the clock back a couple of years. We do have a better lifestyle and hopefully our children will a better opportunities over here than they would have had in England. Career wise it hasn't been a good move but I just see the job as a means to an end and my priorities have changed.

Keep in touch, let me know what is happening and if you need the recruiters details send me a message.

Gail

twoshoes

Hi Gail,

Thanks for your reply it really is useful. Mark (Husband) read it and basically said go for it, so probably will need the recruiters details if thats ok. Just feel that I havent worked in acute care for six years now so thats a bit scary. Am going to make a conscious effort to get house tarted up and sold and just bite the bullet. Thanks again for your advice. Speak to you soon

Sue

Gail

Hi Sue

I have sent you a private message with the details you asked for.

Gail

jon254

Hi Gail

Well Amanda sat the exam on Wednesday so keep your fingers crossed. She also had an Interview on Thursday, whilst she 'impressed' the panel they did n't realise she was not in Canada already and did not know how to apply to HRSDC, so I've e-mailed the instructions and we can but hope, though not confident, however if we need a second option it may be usful to have a contact else where in Ontario so we'd appreciate it if you could pass on the nurse recuiters details via PM.

Hope you have, had, are having a good break in the UK.

Take care

Jon

Iginla

On the other hand forget the degree and go to another province.

Alberta has a surplus of funds and pays the highest in Canada