VANCOUVER – The Internationally educated nurses (IENs) will no longer be required to pay application and assessment fees upfront, which cost more than $3,700. These fees will be covered directly by the BC government in order to remove financial barriers for internationally educated workers who want to work in B.C.
Premier David Eby said, “There are talented and skilled nurses with the right experience who want to practise in B.C. and support high-quality care, but they are kept on the sidelines by an expensive and complicated registration process. Whether a nurse was trained in or out of the province, we are ready to welcome those who are ready to care for British Columbians.”
The Province is also providing new financial support to nurses returning to practice after a period of absence. Nurses looking to return to practice will no longer be required to pay a $300 application fee, and more than $4,000 in financial support will be available to cover assessment and eligible travel costs for nurses taking assessments in order to re-enter the workforce.
Nurses returning to practice will also be eligible to access as much as $10,000 in bursaries for any additional education required for returning to practice.
Present during the announcement was Harwinder Sandhu, Parliamentary Secretary for Senior’s Services and Long-Term Care, who herself is an internationally trained nurse. “As a nurse educated outside of Canada, I have first-hand knowledge that it could take years for an IEN to be granted registration. I am glad to see the progress made by the BC College of Nurses and Midwives, and the Nursing Community Assessment Service to streamline the process for credential and competency assessments for IENs.”
She said that the contribution of IENs to health care is far reaching. They bring a wealth of experience, knowledge and dedication to their work.
Rita Parikh, executive director, Nursing Community Assessment Service (NCAS), said, “Using innovative, evidence-based practices, NCAS will assess an IEN’s education, language proficiency and nursing competence all before an applicant goes to the BC College of Nurses and Midwives. Our new process will help paint a clear picture of an applicant’s readiness to practise in Canada and support regulators in making more efficient registration decisions.”
In April 2022, government announced $12 million to provide bursaries for IENs, launch a new marketing campaign, provide navigational supports to new and incoming IENs through HealthMatch BC, and launch a consolidated assessment approach.
This has enabled some IENs to join the health-care system more quickly in the role that most closely matches their education and experience. Since then, 5,500 people have expressed interest in working in B.C., with 2,000 people actively working through the various stages of the registration and assessment process. More than 90% of nursing applications received in 2022 by the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) came following these changes.
