Frequently Asked Questions

The pathway for an internationally-educated nurse to become a nurse in Canada can be complex. OMNI College is proud to be the experts guiding our students through this pathway for over 20 years. Our programs are specifically designed to support students in every step in the Canadian nursing registration process, and set our students up for success. Watch the short video above to get a summary of the registration process in Canada. 

OMNI College has had wonderful success with the NCLEX. We’ve seen a 100% pass rate so far for all OMNI College students who have written the Canadian NCLEX-RN.

Our College is located in the city of Richmond, a bustling suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia. Vancouver played host to the 2010 Winter Olympics and has been rated as one of the world’s best cities to live in year after year. Our College is conveniently located just 5 minutes from the Vancouver International Airport, 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver, and walking distance to the Canada Line Skytrain station, bus stops, the Olympic Oval, major shopping areas, dining and recreation.

The programs offered at OMNI College are currently not available online. The final module of the Canadian Nursing Review program for international students (Leadership in Nursing: Nursing 1004), is offered through distance learning where students are not required to be onsite.

The CELBAN Test Preparation course may be available part-time, depending on demand. You may also qualify for a shortened course length if your English levels are higher than the admissions requirements. If you are interested in an evening or weekend course, or believe you may be eligible for a shortened course length, please contact us at [email protected].

Your tuition fee will depend on which program you qualify for. Please review our Programs on our website as each program page has a list of tuition fees required. You can also download our catalogue, which includes all our program details, start dates, tuition fees, program requirements, and more.

Since the College was founded in 1999, 95% of our students who have written a Canadian nurse licensing exam have successfully passed, and 94% of our graduates have secured employment within 1 month of graduation. Furthermore, the majority of these students gained employment even prior to graduation.

That said, competition can be tough in the major Canadian cities like Vancouver and Toronto. Students who are flexible and willing to work outside major cities or in more rural areas greatly improve their chances of securing employment quickly. OMNI graduates are now working all across Canada, including in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

We accept IELTS Academic, CELBAN, or equivalent [i].

Other English proficiency tests that may be considered ‘equivalent’ are TOEFL, MELAB, OMNI’s English Proficiency Test (must be completed onsite at OMNI College) and others. Please consult with your OMNI Advisor if you have taken a different English proficiency test that you would like the College to consider for your application.

Kindly note that OMNI College does not accept IELTS General scores.

[i] Please note: The admission requirements state the minimum requirements. Applicants who meet the minimum requirements are not automatically granted admission. Depending on the interview results, further assessment may be required.

Yes. If your IELTS Academic score meets our minimum English requirements for the program you are applying to, you may use it for your application to OMNI College [i].

[i] Please note: The admission requirements state the minimum requirements. Applicants who meet the minimum requirements are not automatically granted admission. Depending on the interview results, further assessment may be required.

Yes. Other English proficiency tests that may be considered ‘equivalent’ to CELBAN and IELTS Academic are TOEFL, MELAB, OMNI’s English Proficiency Test (must be completed onsite at OMNI College) and others. Please consult with your OMNI Advisor if you have taken a different English proficiency tests that you would like the College to consider for your application [i].

Kindly note that OMNI College does not accept IELTS General scores.

[i] Please note: The admission requirements state the minimum requirements. Applicants who meet the minimum requirements are not automatically granted admission. Depending on the interview results, further assessment may be required.

Yes. CLB scores may be considered as an ‘equivalent’ English proficiency score for admission to OMNI College. However, depending on the score and how long ago the test was taken, applicants may be asked to undergo further testing or assessment through a phone interview or an actual test. Your success is our priority, so it is important that all applicants granted admission to our College are accepted with the appropriate level of skills and language [i].

[i] Please note: The admission requirements state the minimum requirements. Applicants who meet the minimum requirements are not automatically granted admission. Depending on the interview results, further assessment may be required.

The NCLEX-RN replaced the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination (CRNE) in January 2015. If you have already passed your NCLEX from the USA, please consult directly with your OMNI Advisor.

Although test preparation is included in OMNI’s Canadian Nursing Review programs, our programs are not just about propping you up to pass the licensing exam. Our programs are designed to prepare students to be successful in the workplace as Nurses in Canada. Students who wish to pursue their RN license can opt for the NCLEX-RN test prep course when they reach that portion of their program, or they can choose the CPNRE preparation for LPN/RPN registration. It is the students’ choice which designation they want to pursue. Our Advisors and instructors are also available to guide you throughout your studies based on your work experience and performance in your program.

All students, however, enrolling in our Canadian Nursing Review programs must already be registered as an RN (not LPN/RPN) from their country of origin.

For residents of Canada: OMNI College is designated by StudentAidBC, which means that financial assistance may be available to eligible students. Please visit their website at www.studentaidbc.ca for more details.

In the past, many of our students have been able to bring their families. However, it should be noted that OMNI students are not automatically eligible to do so. We recommend you consult with a licensed immigration consultant to determine whether bringing your family with you right away is the best decision or not.

It is important that OMNI students choose the path that will allow them best to stay focused and the least distracted during their studies. Whether that means coming alone first, or together with family, is unique to each individual. This will ensure the student can become successful in Canada and remain here/bring their families permanently when the time is right for them.

Upon graduation, many of our graduates decide to either continue working as a nurse in Canada and settle permanently as Permanent Residents in Canada, travel to other countries as international nurses, or in the case of international students return back home. Since the College was founded in 1999, the majority of OMNI’s graduates, including international students, have opted to stay and settle in Canada.

The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program is a national program that is currently only available to students who graduate from public institutions or degree-granting institutions. OMNI College is a private institution.

However, even without the PGWP, our students have achieved the right to stay in Canada after graduation by becoming a licensed nurse. By obtaining a nursing job, OMNI students then qualify for numerous Permanent Residency pathways in multiple provinces across the country.

The majority of internationally-educated nurses who have come to OMNI College and who have chosen to stay in Canada after graduation have successfully done so. They have been doing so for more than 20 years since OMNI College was first founded, and they continue to do so – because they have achieved their Canadian nursing license. Very few have opted to return to their home country.

There is a common misconception that many people mistakenly believe that in order to stay in Canada after graduation you must get a Post Graduate Work Permit. This is not true.

While a PGWP does allow you to stay in Canada for up to 3 years after you graduate, it does not make you a Canadian nurse, and it does not allow you to stay permanently.

Without being able to actually achieve your Canadian nursing license, staying in Canada will likely only be temporary.

International students who have a goal of staying in Canada after graduating should prioritize these steps:

• Your 1st priority is to get the training you need from the right school to achieve your Canadian nursing license.
• Then, 2nd – with that license, you will obtain a nursing job in Canada.
• With a job as a nurse, you can qualify for Permanent Residency and remain in Canada.

Generally speaking, student permits are usually granted for the same duration as the length of the program they are enrolled in.

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.

Please make sure to include our DLI number on your student visa application.

OMNI’s DLI # is O19347439002

For more detailed information regarding the International Student Program, please visit Citizenship & Immigration Canada’s website at www.cic.gc.ca.

Once you have received your formal Letter of Acceptance from the College you may apply for your study permit. Processing times vary widely from country to country. We recommend you apply to the College at least 4 months prior to your desired start date so that you have enough time for study permit processing. Please visit the Government of Canada’s web page for processing times for study permit applications submitted to visa offices outside Canada. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/temp/students.asp

Thus far, students applying to OMNI College have generally experienced a very high approval rate for visas. However, if your visa is rejected, we encourage all applicants to refer to the Refusal Letter to determine the reasons for the rejection, and then to try and resubmit. Sometimes, students applying to OMNI College have successfully received their visa approval after their second or third resubmission.

Yes. If your visa is rejected and you decide not to pursue a resubmission, you will receive a refund of your tuition and fees. The amount refunded is determined based on the Tuition Refund Policy, please click here.

If you resubmit a second time, and your visa is rejected by Immigration Canada again, you can provide OMNI College with a copy of the refusal letters for each occurence and you will be eligble for a full tuition refund.

If you plan to study in a program for more than 6 months, you need a study permit; but if you plan to study in a short-term program of 6 months or less, you do not need a study permit. That being said, it is possible for you to apply for enrolment into one or even two of OMNI College’s short programs, such as the CELBAN™ Test Preparation (4 weeks), IELTS Test Preparation (8 weeks) and/or Medical Terminology and Communication (18 weeks), all while holding a visitor’s visa.

Please note it is a good idea to apply for a study permit if you think you might want to study in another OMNI program after you complete your short term program.

International students who wish to enrol in a program longer than six months require study permnits from the Canadian government under the International Student Program. For more information on study permits, go to http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/study.asp

Note: Only Designated Institutions that also hold EQA designation may enrol international students on study permits. OMNI College is a Designated Institution that also holds EQA designation. Our Designated Learning Institution # is O19347439002

We can provide guidance to help you get started with your application for a study permit. We can also refer you to a licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) with proven experience in processing OMNI students, should you wish to have your study permit or any other immigration-related matters processed on your behalf (fees apply). Please speak with your OMNI Advisor for more details.

NNAS stands for the National Nursing Assessment Service of Canada. It is a partnership of all the nursing regulatory bodies across Canada (with the exception of Quebec and the Territories) that offers a one-stop assessment service for Internationally-Educated Nurses applying for registration in Canada. All Internationally-Educated Nurses must first apply through NNAS.

Visit www.nnas.ca for more information.

You will need to apply for NNAS and pay your fees as early as possible, but please take these things into consideration:

1. Some international students choose to wait to pay their NNAS application fees until their study visa/permit has been confirmed for Canada.
2. We strongly recommend that you apply for NNAS before coming to Canada, as delays may result if your application requires specific documents from your home country but you have already left for Canada.
3. You will need to advise the NNAS which nursing regulatory body you will want to apply with when you pay your fees to the NNAS; therefore we encourage you to do your research on the nursing regulatory bodies before paying your fees.
4. Once NNAS receives your application and fees, your file remains active for one year. If your file is incomplete after a year, you must send a letter to request that it be re-activated, and pay a fee. (Reactivate fee for an expired NNAS application is $180 USD)

Regardless if you pay your fees now or later it is important that you understand the NNAS application process in its entirety. Please visit the NNAS website (www.nnas.ca), and review the NNAS Applicant Handbook (https://my.nnas.ca/nnasweb/resources/mounts/reports/ien_resources/nnas_applicant_handbook_english).

All information above is current as of the time of this posting and may change without notice.