Becoming an LPN in Canada

> hello, i am a license practical nurse here in USA, on my first course when i was in college i took french language class of 12 units and i passed it. as an LPN who wants to work in Canada, do you think i need to take the CELBAN test and if i need it is there a testing center here? thank you so much. God bless.

Dear Friend,

Thank you for your e-mail and question. The answer is a bit more complex, requiring more information.

• Where did you do your nursing degree?
• What kind of program was it: LPN training? RN training? 2 years, 4 years?
• Are you fluent in French or English?
• Where are you from? the US? somewhere else?
• If you come to Canada do you have any idea which province?

The answers to these questions will give me a better idea of how to guide you. For instance if you are fluent in French I would recommend going to Quebec and you would not be required to take the CELBAN because it tests your English. (People in Quebec speak French for daily activities and business.) If you are more comfortable in English other parts of Canada are open to you, and the CELBAN would be appropriate.

Hope this helps!
Kim

>thanks for the info,really appreciate it.i took my nursing program part of it in the Philippines and in here united states of america,they had an offer to challenge the board which i did took and i pass,i worked here as a charge nurse for 3 years,now im doing a private patient….my petition here in US seems like forever waiting,i haven’t been home for 8 years.id been to a lot of lawyers and it always end up to a false promises.im trying to find also a canadian lawyer to fix my papers but im just so scared to trust somebody afraid that i will lose money again,im so sorry i know what your doing is only legal matter and here i am telling you all this things,its just so heavy for me .anyway thanks for taking time to read,if its possible please delete this message,really appreciate it,is toefel acceptable in canada or ielts.? … i know ur only supposed to help people with regards to celban not a personal problem,thats why i really really appreciate,u have a kind heart.i think i found a new friend.thanks so much.God bless your heart.

Dear Friend,

It was great talking to you today! I am so glad that I was able to learn more about your situation and to provide some hope. If you notice the IEPC logo, it is a symbol of a person coming out of the darkness. The tag line is creating connections, sustaining dreams. As you can see the letters are yellow, the colour of hope, and it goes upward: again symbolizing hope. So if I have been able to do that, then you are helping me to obtain my dreams!

Before I begin I need to give a disclaimer. I am an educator working in the area of employment and I am not involved in immigration, and so you need to do your research and make your own decisions. I am creating connections. You get to choose what to do with them. You must perform due diligence. If something happens, I can not be held responsible. But I will do my best to guide you with the best information and knowledge to my ability.

This is what I know, based on contacts and information I already have and the phone calls I made on your behalf (to Mercan, CLPNBC and CLPNA). There are more provinces, each with their own college of LPN’s and RN’s. I am providing the information for BC and Alberta. You can google “College of LPN” or “College of RN” and the name of one of the other provinces to get their information. (See the map of North America to understand the size and location of our provinces http://www8.garmin.com/cartography/mapSource/cityselect.jsp.)

Immigration 

There are many ways to immigrate:

1. through employment opportunities
2. as a Skilled Worker applying for Permanent Residence

Through Employment Opportunities

Through Employment opportunities there are two options:

1. as a temporary foreign worker, a live in care giver through an immigration consultant
2. as a permanent resident, as an LPN through a recruiter

It is important to note that there is a great deal of immigration fraud.

1.TFW

When people come as TFW they can protect themselves by making sure that the immigration consultant is registered with ICCRC, Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council. They work like a licensure body ensuring ethical and legal practices. http://www.iccrc-crcic.ca/splash.cfm. The immigration consultant is contacted by employers, in this instance for live in care givers. The immigration consultant would facilitate the process for the potential employees, including the Licence Management Agreement or LMO. If chosen, they would facilitate the immigration process for the employee. A live in care giver has a TFW status, which is limited: no education, no other employment. I have been contacted by Ray Primack http://www.rayprimack.com/. I have only had brief conversations with him. He was the one who told me about ICCRC and how immigrants can protect themselves from immigration fraud (often perpetuated by people from the Philippines).

Immigration is relatively fast, but one must be a live in care giver for 2 years before being able to apply for permanent residency.  Employment is based on availability. If employers are not contacting the immigration consultants, then there are no opportunities.

2. Recruited PR

Again, this recruitment is based on the availability of positions. An employer contacts a recruiter. The difference is that the positions are higher in status: LPN’s and RN’s. The recruiter verifies the employment qualifications: administering examinations. If a person has a high enough score, including English, they may be interviewed for the position. The immigration process is facilitated, with a permanent residence status. Some expenses are paid.

Immigrations in relatively fast.  Again, employment is based on availability. If employers are not contacting the recruitment offices, then there is no recruitment.

Mercan Recruiting in Canada is involved in recruiting RN’s and LPN’s http://www.mercanrecruit.com/. They offer a free assessment on their home page. People in the Philippines should contact their main office in Manila http://www.mercanph.com/. Note, often RN’s from the Philippines are recruited as LPN’s in Canada. If they choose to go through the RN process they can, but the expense is their own. Becoming an RN can take 2-5 years and up to $5000. Like people who apply as a Skilled Worker PR they would need to apply with the licensing bodies for RN’s: in BC is CRNBC https://www.crnbc.ca/Registration/RNApplication/InternationalEN/Pages/Default.aspx and CARNA in Alberta http://www.nurses.ab.ca/ien/. (This seems to be a good option for people in the Philippines.)

Skilled Worker PR

People can apply for permanent residency from within the country, after 2 years as a TFW, or from their country. This process may take longer, but their status is higher than a TFW. You are responsible for your own expenses. Thus there is more freedom, like where you live and work, there are also more opportunities for coming as a family.

Employment as an LPN

To be an LPN you must be registered with a provincial college of LPNs. In Alberta this is with the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta http://www.clpna.com.
In BC it is with the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of British Columbia http://www.clpnbc.org. You would need to apply with them. The process can take up to 6 months, if you do not have to take the Internationally Educated Nurse route (which may be longer due to some education requirements.)

1. Alberta

If you applied in Alberta you would need to go to the page specific for people from the US http://www.clpna.com/Applicants/LicensedinAnotherProvinceorUSA/tabid/74/Default.aspx. Depending on your education and experience you may be required to apply as an Internationally Educated Nurse (it is explained and linked on the page.)

2. BC

If you apply in BC you need to send an e-mail to info@clpnbc.org with the following information:

• Name
• Address
• Phone Number
• where you are working
• what kind of nursing you are doing

So, that is a lot of information with a lot of different directions: some of it may be better for your son, some of it better for you.

Let me know what you learn, discover and decide.

Hope this helps!

Kim