Hiring healthcare workers from abroad looks simpler than it is. Some of the routes employers remember are closed, some cover nurses but not personal support workers, and the one that works best for long-term care is the one fewest people know about.
Here is what is open today, and for which roles.
Can you hire a nurse to work as a PSW while they get licensed?
Yes. IRCC says so explicitly.
In a document prepared for the House of Commons immigration committee, IRCC states that where longer training is needed, employers may offer a lower-level position allowing work in the sector while licensing is completed.
In practice, an internationally educated nurse can come in on a job offer and work permit for a personal support worker or health care aide position, and work in your facility while their professional licence is assessed. The immigration side depends on the job offer and the occupation code behind the permit. The licence itself is a separate process, run by the provincial regulator, not by IRCC.
Which federal routes are open?
One permanent route that includes support roles, and one fast track that is only for doctors.
| Route | Status | Who it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Express Entry — Healthcare and social services category | Open | A list of healthcare occupations that includes nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (NOC 33102), as well as registered nurses and licensed practical nurses |
| Global Skills Strategy, 14-day processing | Open | Physicians only (three NOC codes), with provincial nomination support |
| Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots | Closed | They covered home support workers and nurse aides |
The Express Entry category asks for at least 12 months of full-time experience (or the equivalent part-time) in the last 3 years, in one listed occupation, which can be gained abroad.
What about the provinces?
It depends on the province, and on the level of the role.
- Ontario: the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream is open to workers in all TEER 4 and 5 occupations with a full-time, permanent job offer. Support roles qualify without being named.
- Alberta: the Dedicated Health Care Pathway is open, but it is for regulated professions (physicians, RNs, LPNs, nurse practitioners and others). It does not include PSWs or health care aides.
- British Columbia: the BC PNP has a Health Authority stream for positions offered directly by a BC health authority.
Does the LMIA treat healthcare differently?
Yes. The cap on low-wage foreign workers is double.
As a general rule, you can have no more than 10% of your workforce at a location in low-wage temporary foreign worker positions. For hospitals (NAICS 622) and nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623), that cap is 20%.
For a long-term care home, that difference decides how many positions you can fill through the low-wage stream at all.
How to plan your hiring
- Decide the role first. Support worker, practical nurse and registered nurse lead to different routes.
- For long-term care, look at the dual role: hire as PSW or HCA while the nurse completes their licence.
- Check the 20% cap against your current workforce before you open positions.
- Pick the province’s route that actually covers the role, not the one with the most visible name.
Where we come in
Workvantage has spent more than 18 years on the employer’s side of foreign hiring, and healthcare is one of the sectors we know best.
- Matching each role to the route that covers it
- Running the LMIA within the 20% cap
- Bringing in internationally educated nurses on a support role while they license
See how we work with healthcare employers and long-term care homes, or start with a free assessment.
