🇨🇦 Canada → UK
Work in the UK
from Canada.
Canadian nurses, doctors, dentists and pharmacists are usually exempt from IELTS and OET, and have two ways into the UK — the under-35 Youth Mobility Scheme or the sponsored Health & Care Worker Visa. We map your registration and visa route end to end.
Overview
Your move from Canada to a UK healthcare career.
Canadian healthcare professionals are well placed for a move to the UK. As a professional from a majority English-speaking country you are typically exempt from the IELTS and OET language tests, and Canadians have a visa option many nationalities do not — the Youth Mobility Scheme for under-35s — alongside the sponsored Health & Care Worker Visa for a permanent move. Your registration route depends on your profession, and we map it for you below.
English language
Typically no IELTS or OET required
Canada is on the NMC, GMC, GDC and GPhC lists of majority English-speaking countries, so Canadian-trained professionals usually prove their English through their English-medium qualification or recent Canadian practice rather than a separate test.
If you qualified in French — for example in Québec — the regulator will look at whether your training and clinical interactions were in English. If they were not, you may need IELTS or OET. We check this with you before you apply.
Your registration route
How each profession registers in the UK.
Nurses
Regulator: NMCCanadian Registered Nurses register with the NMC through the Test of Competence — the CBT (which can be sat in Canada) and the OSCE (taken in the UK). Your Canadian registration and NCLEX-RN background are strong preparation. Official NMC fees total around £1,170.
Doctors
Regulator: GMCCanadian doctors usually register with the GMC via PLAB (now the MLA), or by using an accepted Canadian postgraduate qualification awarded within the last three years in place of PLAB. The older MCCQE exemption route is effectively closed to recent graduates. Specialist registration is via CCT or the Portfolio pathway.
Dentists
Regulator: GDCCanadian dentists register by passing the GDC’s Overseas Registration Exam (ORE). Canadian dental degrees are not directly recognised, so the ORE is the route.
Pharmacists
Regulator: GPhCCanadian pharmacists register via the OSPAP — a one-year UK postgraduate diploma — followed by 52 weeks of foundation training and the GPhC registration assessment.
Visa & immigration
Two routes: Youth Mobility or Health & Care
Canadians aged 18–35 can use the Youth Mobility Scheme to live and work in the UK — including in healthcare — for up to three years, with no employer sponsor and no ballot. It is fast and flexible, but temporary and does not lead to settlement. For a permanent move, the Health & Care Worker Visa is sponsored by a UK employer, is exempt from the Immigration Health Surcharge, and leads to indefinite leave to remain after five years. Many Canadians start on the Youth Mobility Scheme and switch to a sponsored visa later.
No Immigration Health Surcharge
The Health & Care Worker Visa exempts healthcare staff and their dependants from the IHS, and comes with reduced application fees.
A clear route to settlement
The Health & Care Worker Visa leads to indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after five years in the UK.
We handle sponsorship
We help you find an approved UK sponsor — NHS trust or private provider — and prepare your Certificate of Sponsorship and application.
Step by step
From Canada to working in the UK.
Free eligibility review
We map your Canadian qualification to the right UK regulator route and check your English-evidence and visa options.
Register with your regulator
NMC Test of Competence, GMC/PLAB, GDC Overseas Registration Exam or GPhC OSPAP.
English language
Usually exempt; we confirm your evidence and flag French-medium qualifications early.
Choose your visa
Youth Mobility Scheme if you are under 35, or the sponsored Health & Care Worker Visa for a permanent move.
Start work in the UK
Begin practising in the UK — with a five-year route to settlement on the Health & Care Worker Visa.
FAQ
Moving to the UK from Canada — common questions.
Do Canadian nurses need IELTS for the NMC?
Usually not — Canada is on the NMC’s list of majority English-speaking countries. If you trained in French (for example in Québec), the NMC looks at whether your training and clinical interactions were in English; if not, you may need IELTS or OET. You still complete the NMC Test of Competence.
Can I move to the UK on a working-holiday visa from Canada?
Yes. Canadians aged 18–35 can use the Youth Mobility Scheme to work in the UK — including in healthcare — for up to three years with no sponsor and no ballot. It is temporary and does not lead to settlement, so for a permanent move the Health & Care Worker Visa is the route.
I qualified in French in Québec — do I need an English test?
Possibly. Canada is on the accepted list, but the regulator assesses whether your training and practice were in English. If they were not, an IELTS or OET test may be required. We review your specific qualification with you before you apply.
Do Canadian doctors still need PLAB?
Usually yes, unless you hold an accepted Canadian postgraduate qualification awarded within the last three years. The MCCQE exemption route is effectively closed to recent graduates, so most Canadian doctors register with the GMC via PLAB (now the MLA).
Information is correct to the best of our knowledge in 2026. Regulator requirements, fees and immigration rules change, and English-language exemptions are evidence-based rather than automatic. We confirm your exact route with the relevant UK regulator before you apply.
Free consultation
Planning your move from Canada?
Tell us your profession, qualification and where you trained. A Global Pathways advisor will map your UK registration and visa route — completely free.
Email us directly
info@globalpathways.co.ukResponse time
Within 1 working day