Moving to Canada with a healthcare background sounds straightforward on paper: arrive, find a job, build Canadian experience and work toward permanent residence.
But the latest Statistics Canada Economic and Social Reports reveal a more complicated picture.
A new September 2025 report examining immigrant nurses in Canada found that among immigrants admitted between 2010 and 2020 who intended to work as nurses, only 63% were working in nursing occupations in 2021.
The bigger surprise? Canadian work experience made a major difference.
Among immigrants who had Canadian work experience before admission, 81% secured nursing jobs, compared with 53% of those without Canadian work experience.
For internationally educated nurses and other healthcare professionals planning immigration to Canada, these findings offer an important look at what happens after arrival—not just how to get through the immigration process.
Immigrant Nurses in Canada: What Did Statistics Canada Find?
The study, “Immigrant nurses in Canada: Alignment between intentions and employment outcomes,” was jointly conducted by Statistics Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Researchers examined immigrants aged 18 to 54 who were admitted to Canada between 2010 and 2020 and who intended to work as nurses.
In 2021:
- 63% were employed in nursing occupations.
- 25% were either working in lower-skilled health or non-health occupations or were not employed.
- Canadian work experience was strongly associated with working in nursing after immigration.
The difference was particularly noticeable among candidates with and without Canadian work experience.
Canadian Work Experience Made a Significant Difference
Among immigrants who intended to work as nurses:
81% with Canadian work experience obtained nursing jobs.
By comparison:
53% without Canadian work experience were working in nursing occupations.
This highlights a challenge that many internationally educated nurses in Canada already understand: immigration approval and professional employment are two separate hurdles.
Getting permanent residence does not automatically mean professional credentials will be recognized or that employment will immediately match previous experience.
Not Every Immigrant Nurse Originally Planned to Become a Nurse
Here’s another interesting finding.
Among immigrants who were working as nurses in 2021, 65% had not originally intended to enter the nursing profession when they were admitted to Canada.
According to Statistics Canada, these individuals were generally younger at admission and were more likely to have completed their highest level of education in Canada.
That shows how unpredictable an immigrant’s career pathway can be.
Someone may enter Canada intending to pursue one career, gain Canadian education or work experience, and eventually move into healthcare.
For prospective immigrants, this reinforces the importance of looking beyond a single occupation when developing a Canada immigration plan.
Work Experience and Canadian Immigration: Why It Matters
Canadian work experience can influence several parts of an immigrant’s journey.
For example, people who gain eligible Canadian employment may potentially benefit from immigration pathways that recognize Canadian experience, depending on their circumstances.
This can include programs connected to Express Entry Canada, the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and certain Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).
However, work experience requirements vary by immigration program.
Candidates should not assume that any Canadian job automatically qualifies as immigration work experience.
The occupation, duties, hours worked, employment status, and other program-specific requirements can matter.
What Happens to Canada’s Work and Study Permit Holders?
The September 2025 Economic and Social Reports also examined what happens to people holding Canadian work permits and study permits.
The study, “Tracking yearly shifts in residency status among Canada’s work and study permit holders,” analyzed year-end data from 2018 to 2022.
The research found that between 64% and 79% of work and study permit holders retained non-permanent resident status in the following year.
Meanwhile:
- 12% to 20% did not extend their permits.
- 4% to 10% became permanent residents.
Looking three years after the reference year, the picture changed:
- 36% to 38% still held non-permanent resident status.
- 23% to 33% had not extended their permits.
- 31% to 40% had obtained permanent residence.
These figures show that Canada’s temporary resident population is constantly changing.
People enter Canada temporarily, extend their permits, transition to permanent residence, or leave the temporary resident system.
From Study Permit to PR: The Path Is Not Automatic
For international students, this data carries an important message.
A Canada study permit is temporary.
Studying in Canada does not automatically guarantee Canadian permanent residence.
After graduation, eligible students may pursue options such as a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), gain Canadian work experience and potentially qualify for a permanent residence pathway.
The exact options depend on the person’s education, occupation, work experience, language ability and the immigration programs available at the time.
The same principle applies to foreign workers.
A Canada work permit provides temporary authorization under specific conditions. It does not automatically convert into PR.
That distinction is important for anyone planning a long-term Canada immigration pathway.
Why Canada’s Temporary Resident Numbers Can Change So Quickly
Statistics Canada notes that the number of work and study permit holders is influenced by three major factors:
- New arrivals to Canada
- Transitions to permanent residence
- Permit extensions
That means simply looking at the number of temporary residents at a particular point in time doesn’t tell the whole story.
Some temporary residents transition to Canada PR.
Others extend their permits.
Others stop holding temporary status.
Understanding these movements gives policymakers and immigration professionals a clearer picture of Canada’s immigration system.
Canada’s Business Entry and Exit Rates Also Changed
The September 2025 issue wasn’t only about immigration.
Another study examined the long-term evolution of business entry and exit rates in Canada between 1980 and 2021.
The research found that Canadian firm entry and exit rates declined by approximately half over the study period.
By the late 2010s, both rates had stabilized at around 12% to 13%, a level similar to the United States.
The report describes declining business dynamism as an important issue because business creation and closure contribute to innovation and productivity growth.
For people considering business immigration to Canada, these broader economic trends provide useful context about the Canadian business environment.
Teleworkable Jobs in the Greater Toronto Area
The report also looked at jobs that can potentially be performed remotely in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Using 2021 data, researchers found a significant concentration of potentially teleworkable jobs in downtown Toronto and other areas close to the city centre.
There were well over 50,000 potentially teleworkable jobs in Toronto’s financial district and downtown core.
The research is particularly relevant to Canada’s changing workplace landscape.
Although fully remote work is less common than during the COVID-19 pandemic, hybrid work remains more widespread than before the pandemic.
The study also examined how converting underused office buildings into residential housing could potentially contribute to Canada’s housing supply.
Employment Outcomes for Canadians With Disabilities
Another study in the September 2025 Economic and Social Reports examined job tenure among Canadians with and without disabilities.
Researchers linked the Canadian Survey on Disability with tax data to study how long employees remained with the same employer.
The findings showed that overall job tenure among employees with disabilities was broadly in line with what would be expected based on factors such as age, gender and sector.
However, job tenure was lower than expected for people with certain types of disabilities, people with non-episodic disabilities, and people with severe or very severe disabilities.
This research provides additional insight into Canada’s labour market and employment patterns.
What These Statistics Mean for Future Immigrants
The biggest lesson from these reports is simple: getting into Canada and building a career in Canada are not necessarily the same thing.
For internationally trained professionals, especially internationally educated nurses, professional licensing, Canadian work experience and employment opportunities can influence what happens after immigration.
For international students and temporary workers, the transition from temporary status to permanent residency in Canada can take time and depends on eligibility for the relevant immigration pathway.
And for people planning their immigration strategy, current program requirements matter far more than assumptions based on older immigration rules.
Planning to Immigrate to Canada?
If you’re considering Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Programs, study permits, work permits, healthcare immigration or permanent residence in Canada, understanding your options before applying can help you avoid choosing a pathway that doesn’t match your profile.
At VisaNexa, we help prospective immigrants understand Canadian immigration pathways and organize their applications around their individual circumstances.
Before making an immigration decision, review the latest requirements from IRCC and the relevant provincial authorities.
