Did you know that three-quarters of Canadians visit the dentist at least once a year, which equates to almost 30 million people? In a country with only 23,000 practicing dentists, that means there is a lot of work for everyone. Add to that a population with an increasing median age year after year, it also means many more dental chair visits for the growing population of seniors in Canada.
People love to retire in Canada because it is an incredibly beautiful country with hot summers and snowy winters, snow-capped mountains and blue lakes, deep green forests, and roaring rivers running through the landscape. They can retire in Canada through the government’s world-renowned free public health care system, and although the system does not cover dental care, two-thirds of the population have dental insurance. For the other third, there are government-funded programs to cover their costs.
Immigrating to Canada as a dentist is entirely possible (yes, despite the pandemic), and there is a great opportunity for dental work in Canada, given that the Immigration and Status Board Refugee Agency of Canada (IRCC) always invites qualified foreigners. workers. to emigrate to Canada each month. But what does it take to start practicing? Let’s take a closer look at the requirements.
- STEP 1: Have your credentials assessed (you will need this for your visa application anyway) by a recognized agency
- STEP 2: Apply to the Dental Regulatory Authority (DRA) of the province or territory where you wish to live and work
- STEP 3: Next, you will have the choice between taking a series of exams or completing a shortened qualifying degree program at a recognized Canadian university. If you are already a practicing dentist, you will likely opt for the first option;
- STEP 4: Be sure to prepare. For example, take refresher courses, especially if it has been a number of years since you have engaged with the theory. Once you have successfully passed the admittance exams, you will be certified by the National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB).
- STEP 5: Fix teeth, earn top dollar, and give yourself and your family the life you deserve.
Jobs in Canada for Dentists
You are probably wondering how much dentists make in Canada today. It varies a lot by province, experience, and whether you work in a rural or urban area. The national average salary is around $ 140,000 per year. Obviously, the cost of living will be higher in the cities and the competition will be tougher for jobs, so the pay will be higher. If you are looking for a more relaxed lifestyle, you can’t go wrong with rural areas, where small towns are surrounded by mountains and things move a bit slower. Here are some average annual salaries based on provinces and cities/towns:
| Dentists Annual Income | |
|---|---|
| Halifax, Nova Scotia | $166,403 |
| Vancouver, British Columbia | $167,257 |
| Yellowknife, NWT | $91,850 |
Immigration Options for Dentists
There are many ways to immigrate to Canada as a dentist, the Express Entry system could get you ready to go in as little as six months. Others take longer, but at the end of the day, if you have the qualifications, the language skills, and you pass the qualifying exams, you should have no problem getting permanent resident status in Canada.Advertisements
Express Entry System
Dentists are classified in skill type A according to the CNP. This means that they are eligible to apply as skilled professionals in the Federal Skilled Worker Program. Your eligibility for this program is determined by:
- Skilled work experience – one year of continuous work or 1,560 hours in total
- language ability – your job will depend heavily on your ability to communicate effectively with patients, for this reason, you will need to pass a Canadian Language Benchmark test and earn a minimum score of 7 in all four sections; reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
- Qualifications – as we mentioned above, you will need to have your credentials assessed to show they are equivalent to a Canadian qualification.
- Eligible – you must be eligible to immigrate to Canada, this means you cannot have a criminal record, you must be in good health and you must have legal status in the country you are living in now.
These factors and a few more, such as family ties in Canada and work experience, are used to calculate your full ranking score in your Express Entry program profile. You will then enter a pool of applicants and twice a month a lottery will be held in which those with the highest CRS scores will receive the ITA. The way to ensure that an ITA is sent to you in the next lottery after submitting your application is to get a provincial nomination.
Provincial Nomination Program (PNP)
The Provincial Nomination Program (PNP) works closely with the Express Entry system to complement the specific requirements of each province, but also has its own immigration streams dedicated to the most critical shortages within the provinces. There are two ways you can apply for a provincial nomination. The first is to create an expression of interest in a particular province where you wish to live and work on your Express Entry profile. If the province considers your skills to match their requirements, they will issue you with a Provincial Nomination, which will contribute 600 points out of the 1200 total points available in your CRS, sending you to the top of the candidate pool and ensuring that you have ITA. The second is to create a profile on the website of the provincial government of the province in which you wish to live and work and submit an expression of interest directly. If they need your skills, they will invite you to apply directly to the province and motivate your application for permanent residence with the Canadian government. PNP requirements are very similar to Express Entry eligibility requirements, sometimes just not as stringent.
Atlantic Immigration Pilot
Perhaps you are not yet fully qualified and are planning to complete your education or even start it in Canada. It may also take a long time to complete your qualifying exams once you arrive in Canada, and you can look for a temporary job to help you until you do. To do this, we present to you the option of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot. If your CRS score is too low for the Express Entry program, or if you don’t feel like waiting to be selected from the applicant pool, the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIP) offers residency permanent to applicants with valid full-time employment. offer under CNP 0, A, B, and C. Virtually any valid full-time job offer could make you eligible for permanent residence under this immigration pilot.
The PIA was designed to address the labor shortage in the four Atlantic provinces; Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. All health professions are in high demand in Atlantic Canada. So, if you have a valid full-time job offer in one of the four provinces listed above, you can apply for permanent residence at the same time you apply for your Canadian work permit, and as long as you meet the eligibility criteria, there is no reason why you should not be eligible for public relations status, as a dental assistant or aspiring dentist with a valid job offer.