Skip to main content

OMNI College Welcomes Nurses from Africa

Upcoming

OMNI College Visits to Africa

Are you a Registered Nurse from Africa?  Do you want to work as a nurse overseas or abroad?  If you said yes, then OMNI College is the perfect place for you.

We specialize in preparing Internationally-Educated Nurses for work in Canada.  We have successfully trained Nurses who came from many African countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia, and more.

Our Canadian Nursing Review Program provides Internationally Educated Nurses (IEN) with the skills required to pass the NCLEX-RN and become certified to work as a nurse in Canada.

OMNI College is a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) approved by the Government of Canada.  This designation allows full-time students enrolled at OMNI College to work part-time during studies and full-time during scheduled breaks without a work permit. To qualify, candidates applying to admission to OMNI College need to include OMNI’s DLI number on their application for a study permit. This number is DLI# O19347439002

Are you ready to begin your journey to Canada?

Check to see if you qualify today, or plan to attend one of our in-person information sessions held in countries across Africa.  We also host regularly scheduled live online information sessions.  Subscribe to our mailing list for updates on our next information seminar in your city.  We hope to meet you soon!

How do I become a nurse in Canada from Africa?

1. Have The Minimum Requirements For Enrollment Into OMNI College:
  • Be currently registered as an RN in good standing in your home country
  • Have a minimum of 1125 hours of RN work experience within the past 4 years, and 2 years of RN work experience within the past 6 years
  • Have achieved a minimum score of 6.5 overall on an IELTS Academic exam, or pass an OMNI English assessment*

*speak with one of our Overseas Coordinators in Nairobi to learn more about the OMNI English assessment

2. Complete OMNI’s Admission Process:
  • Attend OMNI College’s Online Information Session
  • Submit OMNI College’s Enrolment Application Form & all required admission documents
  • Attend a one-on-one Admissions Appointment with an OMNI Advisor for final qualifying
  • Receive your conditional letter of Acceptance
  • Pay required tuition fees, text & materials fees including any other fees of requested services
  • Submit signed Student Contract
  • Receive your official letter of Acceptance
  • Apply for visa & study permit
3. Begin Your Canadian Nursing Review – 12 Month Program

3.1 Your student journey at OMNI College begins by completing the CELBAN Test Preparation course (4 weeks). CELBAN is one of the only English assessment tests accepted by the nursing regulatory bodies in Canada. By preparing at OMNI College, you will maximize your chances for success on the CELBAN test, bringing you closer to achieving your Canadian nursing license.

3.2 After CELBAN you will move on to your intensive Canadian Nursing Review (12 months, beginning with Nursing 1000/1001)

*If they have not already done so, students start their account application with the National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS). We have created the below step by step process as an example for Internationally-Educated Nurses, assuming they have selected British Columbia as their preferred province, and thus applied to the British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals (BCCNP).

  • Nursing 1000/1001 is a highly intensive training portion of your nursing program, consisting of daily classroom lectures and regular skills practice and lab work.
  • You will then complete a clinical experience at a local health care facility, where you will utilize your hands-on skills in a real life Canadian health care work environment.
  • Through the guidance of your instructors and advisors at OMNI, you would have timed your CELBAN test writing date to be around half way through your nursing program.
  • Once you receive notification of your successful CELBAN scores and after they have been received and confirmed by the NNAS, you will receive your NNAS Advisory Report.

*Congratulations, you have now finished your application with NNAS!

  • NNAS will then send your advisory report to the Canadian Nursing Regulatory Body you chose to register with (ie. BCCNP or other provincial body).
  • The nursing regulatory body will inform you whether there are any further documents required for your application.
  • If there are no further documents needed, they will allow you to proceed with the next step: scheduling your Nursing Community Assessment Service (NCAS). This assessment is made up of three components: a computer based assessment, a simulation lab assessment and an oral assessment.
  • Once you have an NCAS test date, you will undergo 6-weeks of intensive training at OMNI to prepare for this assessment.
  • After your preparation, you will be ready to complete the NCAS Assessment
  • You may only take the NCAS once.
  • Your NCAS results will highlight your strengths and any gaps, if you have any. Keep in mind, the regulatory bodies use these results, along with other information they have obtained from you, to help them make their registration decisions and determine if you are ready to work as a nurse in Canada.
  • If the Regulatory Body deems you have to complete certain requirements (such as further courses) please note, you will have to complete those requirements BEFORE you are eligible to move on to the next step: which is completing the NCLEX-RN exam.

*At this stage, you are almost there – keep going!

  • Your program continues with OMNI helping you to prepare for your NCLEX-RN exam
  • Take your NCLEX-RN exam
  • You can expect your results approximately 6 weeks after taking the exam. For those who do not pass the exam, they will receive a report that indicates how the candidate performed in each area. Candidates can use this as a guide to prepare them to retake the exam.
  • Once you pass your NCLEX-RN exam, it should not take more than a few days to get you RN license number!

OMNI FACT:Since January 2015 when the Canadian NCLEX-RN replaced the previous CRNE, OMNI has had 99% of its students pass their NCLEX-RN exam on their first attempt!

*Congratulations, you have achieved your license as a nurse in Canada!

  • As a licensed nurse, you are now eligible to complete the co-op portion of your program to gain that valuable Canadian work experience! You will work as a nurse for a 4 month period and solidify all the in-class training and skills learned throughout your program.
  • The final piece to your program at OMNI will be the Leadership in Nursing module. You will use the experience gained from your co-op and apply it towards completion of the Leadership course. Once submitted and you achieve a passing grade, you will then graduate from OMNI College!

DID YOU KNOW? By the time of your graduation, you will already be 1) a licensed nurse and you will have already gained 2) Canadian work experience. These 2 factors, combined with a job offer, will open doors to many immigration pathway options should you choose to remain in Canada after your studies.*

OMNI FACT: Since 1999, 90% of OMNI graduates have successfully immigrated as Permanent Residents in Canada.

*Disclaimer: Any immigration-related information presented is for general reference only, and should not be considered as advice. For up to date information, please consult with a regulated Canadian immigration consultant and visit www.cic.gc.ca

  • Bimpe

    I got all the support I needed from my arrival at Vancouver Airport to my becoming a registered nurse in Canada. I will forever be grateful to God for the amazing tutors, course mates and homestay hosts I met through OMNI. Thank you!

    Bimpe | Nigeria
    Currently: Working as an RN in Campbell River, BC
  • Chinenye

    The support I received from OMNI not only equipped me with the confidence and knowledge that I needed to become a nurse in Canada. It also helped shape the lives of my entire family members in a very positive way. It was a tough journey indeed but OMNI was there for me all the way!

    Chinenye | Nigeria
    Currently: Working as an RN in Vancouver, BC

Have questions about OMNI College?

Questions. Email Us
1. I have achieved my nursing license, what now?

Now that you have achieved your nursing license, you are ready to start working as a nurse in Canada. The college assists its students and alumni on finding job opportunities across the country.

Securing a job opportunity will depend on your ability in passing an interview with a hiring manager, but also on how open you are on moving around in Canada. If you are flexible and are willing to move to a different city or province, your chances of obtaining a job sooner than later is very high.

OMNI College students have secured employment not just within the city of Vancouver, but also in the Interior and Northern British Columbia and elsewhere. We have many alumni working in various cities across the country in other provinces as well.

OMNI FACT: OMNI has students and graduates working as nurses all around the country, including British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

2. Can I stay in Canada after I become a nurse?

An internationally-educated nurse who has obtained a Canadian nursing license and who has gained actual work experience in Canada may qualify for immigration through various application channels.*

Once you are successful in achieving your nursing license, your program at OMNI is not yet complete. You will be eligible to begin a co-op work experience through OMNI’s program. This will give you the hands-on Canadian work experience you need to not only be successful in the workplace, but also to be competitive in the job market. A candidate who has actual Canadian work experience as a nurse will be a much more suitable candidate and more attractive to an employer than other candidates who have had zero experience in Canada.

The combination of a Canadian nursing license, work experience, and a job offer, will greatly improve your chances of remaining in Canada, if that is your goal.

OMNI FACT: Over 90% of OMNI students join our program with the intent to remain in Canada. So far, the majority of OMNI graduates have successfully secured permanent residency in Canada following (and even before) graduation through various immigration application pathways.

*Disclaimer: Any immigration-related information presented is for general reference only, and should not be considered as advice. For up to date information, please consult with a regulated Canadian immigration consultant and visit www.cic.gc.ca

3. Can I work while I study?

Yes. OMNI College is a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) under the International Student Program (ISP) approved by the Government of Canada. International students enrolled in our Canadian Nursing Review programs are eligible to work part-time up to 20 hours per week during studies, and up to 40 hours per week during academic breaks, without a work permit.

However, it is important to note that students must come to Canada with enough money to support themselves during their program. Our students who work part-time do so just to give them extra spending money. The ability to work should not be for you to cover your regular living expenses, as this would require a significant amount of working hours and may distract you from your studies.

The Canadian Nursing Review programs at OMNI are intense and will require a lot of focus in order to become successful. These are not easy programs. They are designed to give you the right kind of training you need to succeed in the workplace. So please ensure that while you are eligible to work during studies, you should also make study time and your commitment to the process as your top priorities.

For your student visa application please make sure to include our DLI number:

OMNI’s DLI # is O19347439002

For more detailed information regarding the International Student Program, please visit the Government of Canada immigration and citizenship website at www.cic.gc.ca.

OMNI FACT: OMNI students have been hired during studies for jobs ranging from restaurants to retail, to gas/petrol stations, and also to jobs in health care such as companions and as actual health-care assistants.

4. I do not know anyone in Canada and I am concerned about leaving all my friends and family back home.

You are not alone — this is a very real worry that all of our international students face. The idea of leaving home can be very daunting, but the payoff is very rewarding as well. Once successful as a nurse in Canada, so many of our graduates have been able to reunite with their loved ones and have brought them over to Canada to live permanently as well.

Every student at OMNI is an internationally-educated nurse, and because everyone has this in common, the friendships that form are very natural and very quick. The college organizes regular social activities and events that students can participate in to meet new friends, join in on group activities, and enjoy the city around us.

OMNI is also a family for you. Students and alumni often refer to the “OMNI family,” specifically because of our homely environment and supportive school culture. Students in the past were asked what one word would they use to describe OMNI, and the most common responses were “family,” “home” and “motivation.”

The city of Vancouver, where OMNI College is located, is known as one of the most diverse, multicultural and accepting communities in the world. You will witness this as soon as you arrive; we have people from all over the world, plus food and restaurants of every ethnicity, and a very accessible Vancouver International Airport (YVR) that serves direct flights to all parts of the world.

OMNI FACT: Almost every month, various OMNI alumni often return to visit the college just to say hello, introduce their families, or join us in regular celebrations with students. Their visits are not only incredibly inspiring to our current students, but are also so welcomed by our staff who get to share in their ongoing successes.

5. What kind of student support services will I have access to?

Your very first day at OMNI College is Orientation Day. You will meet all your classmates, the staff and tour the facilities. We’ll share with you all the information you need to become familiar with the services in and around the college that will help you get settled in.

Throughout your studies, the same Admissions Advisors & Student Success Coordinators who helped you during your application process are still available to assist you through your journey. After all, there is a reason why they are called “Student Success Coordinators.” They are not there just to get you in the door, they are there to support and help you become successful!

The nursing instructors themselves also provide a great level of mentorship and support to students. Beyond the classroom, they guide and support students through their journey.

The college has various services, on and off site, available for students’ use. These include free Wi-Fi across campus: printing copying/faxing computers dedicated for student use, and third-party resources such as homestay services, airport pick-up services, discounted medical insurance, to name a few. Often, employers visit the college and set up job fairs looking to hire OMNI graduates; additionally, we offer regular job search workshops to help prepare students for job placement and interviews.

While studying at OMNI College can be intense and will require a lot of study and hard work, we also know students need to kick back and relax some times. Social activities and events are held regularly throughout the school year for students to be able to have some fun and enjoy good times with their classmates.

OMNI FACT: “Support” is one of the for core values upheld by OMNI College. It works alongside our other values of “quality,” “integrity” and “family.” Our relationships with students and staff are extremely important, so the college always aims to provide a very high level of support. Students are supported from the day they inquire to our college, through their studies and the entire nurse registration process. The guidance and advice often continues even following graduation, long after they have moved ahead in their nursing careers. We understand the pressure our students carry on their shoulders and that failure is not an option — so the entire OMNI team rallies behind each student and through their journey towards success.

Mr. Kevin Mack

Hi, I’m Kevin. I will be happy to help you in your application. Do not hesitate to contact me and ask any questions.

If You Have Any Questions Call Us
+1-604-279-1800