“Ontario’s health minister has sent directives to the College of Nurses of Ontario (#CNO) and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario directing them to make every effort to register internationally trained professionals as quickly as possible.”

“A 2020 report from Ontario’s fairness commissioner showed that 14,633 internationally educated nurses were actively pursuing a licence through the College of Nurses of Ontario. That same year, just over 2,000 international applicants became fully registered members.

The nurses’ college has recently taken steps to speed up the process, including changes to language proficiency requirements and a partnership with the province to create more supervised practice opportunities, a spokeswoman has said.

That program has seen 762 nurses added to the hospital system since the start of the pandemic, the government says.

The college has registered a record number of nurses this year, including more international nurses than in previous years, with 4,728 registrations by the beginning of August, though that number doesn’t indicate how many of those nurses are now working in Ontario.

The college also says it’s looking at ways to streamline the process. In order to practice in Ontario, internationally educated nurses have to show that they have recent experience, pass exams, and demonstrate English or French proficiency.”

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