‘With the chaos and uncertainty happening in the U.S., we are seizing the opportunity to attract the talent we need’
More than 1,000 U.S.-trained nurses have been approved to work in British Columbia in less than a year, sharply increasing the number of American health care professionals relocating to Canada under President Donald Trump’s second term.
The British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives approved 1,028 American applicants between April 2025 and January, NPR reported, citing data from the college.
That compares with just 112 approvals from the United States in 2023 and 127 in 2024.
Vancouver Island, with a population of about 860,000, has been a key destination. The island’s health authority reports gaining 64 U.S.-trained nurses since April, including at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, where at least 20 Americans have joined the staff.
The shift comes as both countries struggle with nurse shortages. Canadian nursing vacancies nearly tripled between 2018 and 2023 to reach close to 42,000 open positions. Meanwhile, the NPR report projects a U.S. deficit of about 270,000 registered nurses and at least 120,000 licensed practical nurses by 2028.
Why are American nurses moving to Canada?
Relocating nurses cite politics, safety concerns and perceived attacks on the profession as significant push factors. NPR reports that many are alarmed by what they view as authoritarian policies, cuts to public health and insurance funding, and deepening social division under Trump.
Justin and Amy Miller, both nurses from Wisconsin, told NPR they packed their three children, two dogs and a pet bearded dragon into their vehicles and drove more than 3,000 kilometres to resettle on Vancouver Island.
Justin now works in the emergency department in Nanaimo alongside other American recruits. “There are so many like-minded people out there,” he said. “You aren’t trapped. You don’t have to stay. Health care workers are welcomed with open arms around the world.”
Individual nurses report different pressures at the workplace level. American emergency nurse Brandy Frye told NPR she left a California hospital after it began “stripping words associated with diversity and equity out of its paperwork to appease the Trump administration.” She said the changes “felt like a step against everything I believe in” and left her feeling she no longer belonged.
Provinces move to capture discontent
Canadian provinces have acted to convert this dissatisfaction into a recruitment advantage. Ontario and British Columbia have streamlined licensing processes for U.S. nurses, reducing barriers to practice for qualified applicants.
British Columbia has also launched an advertising campaign targeting nurses in California, Oregon and Washington state. Other provinces have also made efforts to recruit more American nurses and healthcare professionals.
“With the chaos and uncertainty happening in the U.S., we are seizing the opportunity to attract the talent we need,” provincial health minister Josie Osborne said in a statement quoted by NPR.
Canada is in a favourable position to recruit health professionals who have been affected by mass layoffs in the U.S., according to an expert.
