The Canadian government has advised internationally educated nurses immigrating to Canada to enrol in the Centre for Internationally Educated Nurses’ Pre-Arrival Support Services (PASS) programme to access support and services from their home countries.

“Membership in the program will shorten the amount of time it takes from when you arrive in Canada until you are registered and employed,” the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said in a social media post.

“It’s free to enrol in the program,” the ministry said.

The PASS programme is federally funded by IRCC. PASS is a project of CARE Centre for Internationally Educated Nurses, Ontario’s first government-funded bridge-training program founded in 2001.

The services include individual case management for information and referrals for language, employment and settlement services upon arrival in Canada.

It also includes online courses providing nursing occupation-specific English language and communication training. The programme also holds webinars for participants.

To get eligible to join PASS, nurses must submit proof of nursing education (diploma or degree) and a document proving acceptance for immigration from the Canadian government.