Two large pieces of luggage are all that’s left to mark the end of a Toronto nurse’s Canadian dream, at least for now.
John, whose real name we’re withholding because of his immigration status, is packing up his life in Canada after working in the country’s flailing health system. His one-bedroom apartment is almost empty – he’s already sold his television, and his dining set is awaiting to be picked up by a buyer.
Speaking with OMNI news, John shared the almost two years he worked at a Toronto hospital, caring for others, not knowing that eventually, he’d be the one in need.
John arrived in Canada as an international student in 2021. He received his licence as a registered nurse in Ontario in 2023 and helped fill the shortage of nurses in the province’s health care system.
“I’ve seen a lot, especially (patients) waiting for a minimum of six to eight hours in the emergency room,” he says. “Until such time that they’re already worse when admitted.”
John says he chose to be in Canada because he thought nurses or health care providers were more in-demand. He believed this while working in the system, until he received a refusal letter for his permanent residency application.
“That day was a little traumatizing,” he says. “I received the email around 5 p.m. I was still at work that day.”
It was far from the Canadian dream he made for himself. He says he’s devastated not just for the profession he’s leaving behind in Canada but also for the patients in the country whose needs he knows well.
“I’m willing, desperately, wanting to help patients, especially here in Canada,” he says.
‘This would not have happened had employers provided enough support’
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada refused John’s permanent residency (PR) application under the Express Entry system. The IRCC also denied John’s extension for a work permit in February. This has resulted to John losing his immigration status, and as a non-status immigrant, he could no longer work in the country.
In the letter shown to and reviewed by OMNI News, John’s PR application was refused because the immigration officer was not convinced that he met the one year of skilled Canadian work experience needed. The officer was also not satisfied that John performed the main duties he declared for his employment.
“I was so frustrated, anxious, devastated. I think the universe turned on me,” John says. “After several days, a few weeks, I coped with it and accepted it. Because for me, it’s the immigration law, so I just accepted it.”
OMNI News agreed to hide John’s identity because he is worried it may affect a separate application under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program or OINP that is in process. According to the IRCC’s website, the process may take around 21 months.
“I already applied for the visitor restoration visa. I’m waiting for my papers,” he says. “I prefer to just wait in the Philippines rather than stay here because I don’t have the means to sustain my daily living here.”
According to the Integrated Filipino Canadian Nurses Association (IFCNA), an advocacy group for internationally educated nurses, John’s experience is one of many stories of foreign-trained nurses who obtained their nursing license in Ontario but had no choice but to fly back to the Philippines or move to another province because of loss of immigration status.
“The problem is the lack of support for nurses’ immigration pathway,” says IFCNA Ottawa-Ontario co-ordinator Jeremy Pantig.
“When their post-graduation work permit expires, they need to apply for an open work permit while we turn for permanent residency. But this requires a job offer and (around $200) compliance fee from the employer. If the employer doesn’t pay the compliance fee and doesn’t give a job offer, they will get stuck.”
Immigration lawyer Lou Janssen Dangzalan says the transition from one status to another is “one of the deadliest traps” when it comes to immigration in Canada.
“Employer support, especially in Canada, is crucial for most permanent residency applications, if not, all,” Dangzalan says, referencing a trend he’s seen for the last few years – a two-step migration system, wherein people come in as temporary residents and transition onto permanent residents. “Because it’s so new, it is unfortunate that some people get trapped, for example, being out of status. To rectify this can be difficult, especially when it comes to timing, especially when it comes to the program available to them.”
“It doesn’t surprise me,” he says. “I hope there’s something more that can be done.”
Calls for changes
Nurses’ advocates are calling on hospitals and other employers of health care workers to recognize the critical role internationally educated nurses play in the community and the need to support them in the transition from post-graduation work permit to open work permit. This will ensure that these nurses can continue to work while working on their permanent residency.
IFCNA president Mark Gravoso says the struggles internationally educated nurses face do not stop with the registration process.
“It’s continuous until they integrate into the workplace,” he says. “But it doesn’t stop there either. It only ends when they get permanent residency. That’s where they can get peace of mind.”
In a statement to OMNI News, the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development says, “Our government is continuing to grow our health care workforce by supporting Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).
“We’ve removed red tape for nurses registered with the College of Nurses of Ontario and will invest $23 million in Bridge Training Programs to help newcomers get their credentials recognized in fields like nursing. Employers face no compliance fee to support Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) – only a one-time applicant fee applies.”
“Our outreach team works directly with healthcare employers to encourage participation and clarify their role in the application process. Through targeted immigration and strategic investment, we’re building a strong healthcare workforce for Ontario’s future.”
Looking forward
Sitting in his dimly lit dining area, John holds his iPad, reviewing the refusal letters. He says he feels reaffirmed by his immigration lawyer that travelling to the Philippines while he awaits the result of his permanent residency application was his best option.
The silver lining in this situation, he says, is being reconnected with family and friends back home.
He plans to return to Canada if given a chance.
“Of course,” John says enthusiastically. “If you want to establish your family… come back to Canada.”
John shares his story because he wants other IENs to be informed that this can happen, even after they have already practiced as registered nurses in the country.
“Just make sure, before you apply, clarify what kind of support (your employer) can help you with,” he says. “Because with me, they said they can. They gave the (information) needed. But in the long run, when there (are) fees involved, they didn’t.”
He hopes that one day, if he becomes a permanent resident, he can share his story again to inspire others with similar experiences.
For now, he remains patient and hopeful, that his pending application will bring him back to the job he loves and the country he wants to call home.
