For years, internationally educated nurses moved to Canada believing it would be the fastest path to rebuilding their nursing careers abroad.
Many arrived with strong clinical backgrounds, hospital experience, ICU training, emergency care experience, and years of practice from countries like the Philippines, India, Nigeria, Colombia, Mexico, and the Middle East.
What many did not expect was how long the Canadian licensing process could become.
Today, a growing number of foreign trained nurses living in Canada are realizing something surprising:
Starting a nursing career in the United States can sometimes happen faster than becoming fully licensed and employed as an RN in Canada itself.
That reality is changing the way internationally educated nurses think about their future.
Canada Needs Nurses. But Many Internationally Educated Nurses Still Face Delays
Canada continues to experience serious healthcare staffing shortages. Provincial governments regularly announce recruitment campaigns for nurses and healthcare workers.
But internationally educated nurses often discover that demand does not always translate into fast workforce entry.
The Canadian Nurses Association explains that internationally educated nurses must go through province specific licensing and credential assessment requirements before they can practice. These processes may include document verification, competency assessments, language testing, bridging programs, additional coursework, and provincial registration reviews.
A 2025 environmental scan published in the Journal of Nursing Regulation stated that licensure pathways for internationally educated nurses in Canada have historically been criticized for being too lengthy, complex, and costly.
Researchers at Athabasca University also highlighted that internationally educated nurses continue facing major barriers when trying to enter the Canadian healthcare workforce despite the national nursing shortage.
For many nurses, this becomes frustrating very quickly.
Some spend years trying to complete licensing requirements while working survival jobs outside healthcare.
Others eventually become discouraged after realizing that even experienced nurses can face long timelines before entering practice.
Many Internationally Educated Nurses in Canada Feel Stuck
The frustration is not only academic or bureaucratic. It is deeply personal.
Across online nursing communities, internationally educated nurses frequently describe the emotional and financial pressure of waiting years to practice again.
One discussion shared by nurses in Atlantic Canada described internationally educated nurses struggling with delayed workforce entry, lack of Canadian experience requirements, financial pressure, and difficulty obtaining nursing employment even after arriving in Canada.
Reddit discussion from internationally educated nurses in Nova Scotia
Another internationally educated nurse in Ontario described obtaining RN licensure but still struggling to secure a first nursing position despite applying across multiple cities.
Ontario RN employment discussion on Reddit
These stories are becoming increasingly common.
Many internationally educated nurses arrive in Canada expecting a smooth transition into healthcare only to discover that the process can become uncertain and extremely slow depending on the province and individual assessment outcomes.
The United States Is Facing a Massive Nursing Shortage
At the same time, the United States is dealing with one of the largest nursing shortages in modern healthcare history.
Federal workforce projections estimate the U.S. could face a shortage of approximately 263,870 registered nurses in 2026.
U.S. nursing shortage workforce projections
According to workforce projections cited by RegisteredNursing.org, the United States is expected to have more than 193,000 RN openings every year through the next decade due to retirements, burnout, and increasing healthcare demand.
This shortage has fundamentally changed the American healthcare recruitment market.
Hospitals, long term care facilities, rehabilitation centers, outpatient systems, and staffing agencies across the United States are actively looking for nurses.
Not eventually.
Right now.
Why Many Foreign Trained Nurses in Canada Are Looking South
For internationally educated nurses already living in Canada, the United States offers several major advantages.
Faster Workforce Entry
In many cases, internationally educated nurses can move through U.S. nursing pathways faster than Canadian provincial licensing systems.
Many U.S. employers are experienced in hiring internationally educated nurses and already have structured onboarding systems that include:
- NCLEX support
- Immigration assistance
- Credential guidance
- Visa processing support
- Relocation assistance
- Direct placement opportunities
Instead of spending years waiting for provincial reviews or bridging requirements, many nurses are entering the American workforce much sooner.
Canadian Citizens Have a Major Immigration Advantage
Canadian citizens may qualify for U.S. work authorization through the TN Visa category under the United States Mexico Canada Agreement.
For qualifying healthcare professionals, this pathway can be significantly faster and more practical than traditional employment based immigration processes.
That changes everything.
Instead of waiting years for complicated immigration sponsorship systems, many Canadian citizen nurses can legally work in the United States once licensing and employer requirements are completed.
For internationally educated nurses who eventually became Canadian citizens, this creates an enormous career advantage.
The NCLEX Already Opens Doors in Both Countries
Another important reality is that both Canada and the United States use the NCLEX RN examination.
This means internationally educated nurses preparing for Canadian nursing exams are often already preparing for the same exam needed for many U.S. nursing pathways.
Instead of viewing the United States as a completely separate route, many nurses now see it as a parallel opportunity with faster employment potential.
That strategic shift is becoming increasingly common among internationally educated nurses living in Canada.
Higher Salaries Continue to Attract Nurses to the USA
Compensation is another major reason nurses are making the move.
Depending on the state, specialty, and healthcare system, registered nurses in the United States often earn significantly higher salaries than many entry level Canadian RN positions.
American healthcare employers may also offer:
- Sign on bonuses
- Relocation assistance
- Overtime opportunities
- Specialty differentials
- Tuition reimbursement
- Career advancement programs
States experiencing severe shortages are competing aggressively for nurses in specialties such as:
- ICU
- Emergency Room
- Med Surg
- Telemetry
- Long Term Care
- Operating Room
The nursing shortage in the United States has become so severe that hospitals across the country are restructuring recruitment strategies simply to maintain staffing levels.
More Nurses Are Realizing They Do Not Have to Wait
One of the biggest mindset shifts happening right now among internationally educated nurses in Canada is this:
They no longer believe they must wait years before practicing professionally again.
For many nurses, the United States is becoming the faster route back into healthcare.
Instead of remaining stuck in lengthy assessment systems, they are pursuing pathways that allow them to:
- Return to nursing sooner
- Gain North American clinical experience
- Earn higher incomes
- Build long term careers
- Access more job opportunities
- Support their families faster
The opportunity is real, and more internationally educated nurses in Canada are beginning to recognize it.
The American Healthcare System Needs Nurses Now
The demand is not theoretical.
The shortage is happening in real time across the United States.
For internationally educated nurses living in Canada, this creates a rare moment of opportunity.
Many already have the education, resilience, clinical experience, and determination healthcare employers are searching for.
The difference now is that more nurses are realizing they may not need to wait years to use those skills again.
For many foreign trained nurses in Canada, the United States is no longer simply an alternative.
It is becoming the faster path forward.
