Immigrate to Canada as an Occupational Therapist – This is the right time for you to immigrate to Canada as an occupational therapist and this is because there are a lot of job opportunities in Canada presently and the Canadian government is looking to invite over 1.2 million immigrants to the country between 2021 to 2023 to fill up labour shortages and contribute to the growth and development of the country.
Occupational therapists are among the jobs that are in demand and this is because the occupation is rare. They also earn high salaries too,
As an experienced occupational therapist, you could earn an average of about $73,847 to $100,647 in a year and this also depends on the province you are working in.
Working in Canada comes with a lot of wonderful benefits like free healthcare services, better work condition and environment, better quality of life etc. so you can see why Canada is the best place for you to immigrate to.
Immigration to Canada has also been made easy as there are over 100 immigration programs designed by the Canadian government to help foreign nationals come to the country depending on the program they meet the requirements.
So we will be looking at some of the best immigration programs to immigrate to Canada as an occupational therapist.
Without further ado, let’s proceed:
Are There Really Jobs For Occupational Therapist In Canada?
Like we mentioned in the course of our introduction that occupational therapist are in demand in Canada and so there are a lot of job opportunities for you if you want to immigrate to Canada as an occupational therapist and they also earn high salaries too.
Since the job is part of the medical field jobs, it is still going to see an expansion in its demand in the near future.
How Much Would I Earn As An Occupational Therapist
The money you will earn as an occupational therapist depends on your work experience and educational qualification but like we said, if you are a professional occupational therapist, you could earn an average of about $73,847 to $100,647 per year.
Also, what you earn as an occupational therapist still depends on the province you are living and working in. let’s look at what occupational therapist are expected to earn in some of the provinces in Canada according to Neuvoo.
| Average Annual Salaries for occupational therapist in Canada | |
| Province | Average Salary per Year (CAD) |
| Alberta | $73,304 – $100,934 |
| Northwest Territories | $70,745 – $102,004 |
| Yukon | $70,364 – $86,540 |
| Ontario | $50,836 – $79,911 |
| Nova Scotia | $55,995 – $78,564 |
| Nunavut | $52,000 – $76,437 |
| British Columbia | $79,000 – $86,065 |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | $52,940 – $74,978 |
| Saskatchewan | $75,094 – $84,009 |
| Quebec | $63,964 – $87,543 |
| New Brunswick | $50,856 – $65,747 |
| Prince Edward Island | $54,985 – $61,519 |
| Manitoba | $80,200 – $93,832 |
How to become An Occupational Therapist In Canada?
We are going to look at some tips you should follow in making your dream of becoming an occupational therapist in Canada a reality.
- Choose the province or city you will live and work
There are 13 provinces in Canada and so it is very important that you choose the province, territory or city you wish to reside and work in.
Choosing where to stay will help you know the best immigration program to gi through to immigrate to Canada and after you must have decided on the province you want to live in, you will have to look for a job as an occupational therapist in that province as this will increase your chances of immigrating to Canada.
We have listed some of the provinces where occupational therapists are needed and so it will be easier for you to get a job in these provinces.
- Get your qualifications assessed and also get registered as an occupational therapist in Canada
If you want to live and work in Canada as an occupational therapist, you will have to make sure your educational or professional qualifications are up to the Canadian standard and you will have to undergo an Educational Credential Assessment which will show that your qualifications are equivalent to the Canadian standard.
Some of the organizations that are permitted to do this assessment are:
- International Credential Assessment Service of Canada
- International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)
- International Credential Evaluation Service
- World Education Services
- Comparative Education Service- University of Toronto; School of Continuing Studies
Also, when you move to any province in Canada and you want to start working as a licensed occupational therapist, you will be expected to write a provincial written or oral examination and you will also be expected to register under a relevant regulatory body such as the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapist and also register with any regulatory body in the province you want to live in.
- Apply for a job in Canada
You can actually immigrate to Canada without a job as it is not really compulsory depending on the immigration program you will be going through but having a job in Canada even before your immigration will make it easier for you to settle in Canada.
You won’t have to start searching for a job when you arrive Canada so that is why it is advised that immigrants apply for jobs in Canada before they move to Canada.
Also, some immigration programs make it a requirement that you must have a job offer from an employer in Canada before you can apply through the program.
- Choose your immigration program and start your application
Like we mentioned earlier that there are about 100 immigration programs through which you can immigrate to Canada and we are going to look at the best immigration programs for you as an occupational therapist. They are:
- The Express Entry System
- The Provincial Nominee Program
- The Express Entry System
This program was initiated in 2015 and since then, it has been the source of a large number of immigrants to Canada and this is because it is fast and easy to go through and immigrants love applying through the system.
It has an application process of about six months and you can get permanent residency through the program all you will have to do is create an online profile as the program is an online program and fill in some information according to the requirements of the program.
These requirements are age, education, work experience, language proficiency and proof of funds and although having a job offer is not a requirement for the program but it will increase your chances of being selected.
You will be expected to complete your online profile within 60 days after which you will be placed in a pool with some other applicants and a draw will be conducted.
This draw is done twice in a month and a Comprehensive Ranking System will be used to determine the applicants that will be selected to get an Invitation to Apply for permanent residency in Canada.
In this ranking system, a score will be given to the applicants based in the information they filled in their profile and this score will be ranked against a CRS cut-off score and applicants that meet or exceed the cut-off score will be selected to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency in Canada.
There are three federal immigration streams under the Express Entry System and they are:
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Canadian Experience Class
The Provincial Nominee Program
This is another program through which you can immigrate to Canada as a teacher and it is designed by the provincial governments in partnership with the Canadian government through the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to help foreign nationals find work and settle in a particular province.
This program allows you to live and work in a province in Canada if you have a job offer and meet the requirements of that particular province.
Each of the provinces in Canada that has a PNP sets it to meet its economic needs and labour shortages. So the PNPs enables employers in a province to hire foreign skilled workers to come fill up job positions in the province and foreign workers with the right skills will be nominated to get permanent residency in Canada.
Also, the provinces do not give you permanent residency but a nomination from a province in Canada will increase your chances of getting permanent residency in Canada.
Final Note
Canada is one of the best countries to immigrate to and this is best time to do so as the Canadian borders are open to welcome any foreigner that is ready to contribute to the growth and development of the country.
So as an occupational therapist, you can look for job in any of the provinces in Canada where occupational therapists are in demand and then start your immigration process through any of the immigration programs that you are eligible for.
When running your immigration process, you can do it yourself or employ the services of Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants as they will make sure your immigration process goes smoothly from start to finish.
