Polish Student: Work as a paramedic in Canada?

[pietreck]

Hi everyone!

I'm Polish student of Emergency Medicine (Paramedic, the studies last 3 years). In Poland it is called "Ratownictwo Medyczne".

I have question to you: Can I find a work in Canada in spite of the fact that I've ended Polish university with diploma, which allows me to work abroad? What kind of courses I should take to have a possibility to work as a paramedic.

As for my language references I've got FCE and CAE passed.

Thank you for information in advice

Sorry for lingual and grammar mistakes

Greetings from Poland

[cprted]

The program you'll need to look into is called "Primary Care Paramedic." It can be as long as a two year program in Ontario, or as short as the accelerated 7-8 month program in BC.

[Arctickat]

Qualifications and requirements vary province by province. It would depend on where you expect to be working. Most of the provincial organisations will evaluate your current education and determine what, if any, remedial training you might require to fulfill the requirements for certification. Don't be too surprised if you discover that your current training exceeds that for the designation you are approved for in Canada.

[Kiwiology]

It's funny how people post on can I work in X or Y and everybody says sure go to X or Y program of talk to Z regulatory agency but nobody seems to ever realise you need a work visa to seek employment in another country and these are notoriously difficult to obtain.

To study in Canada you need a student visa, you will be required to pay international tuition fees and living costs yourself as you will receive no assistance from the CSLP (government student loans). This will not allow you to work, you will be required to obtain a work visa through a sponsoring employer. This will cost the employer several thousand dollars and take many months, most of the Canadian provinces are able to fill their employment needs from within that province or internally within Canada in fact I hear Ontario is facing an over supply of graduates but I am not sure.

I do know of several Paramedics who have moved internationally to Canada from Australian and the UK but they have been very, very experienced Intensive Care Paramedics (ALS) or equivalent the State Registered Paramedic in the UK. They have not been graduates with zero experience.

What you want is probably not impossible, just extremely difficult and costly. If you have the financial resources and time on your hands then you may in fact achieve your goal given persistence and appropriate investment. Good luck.

[Arctickat]

I do know of several Paramedics who have moved internationally to Canada from Australian and the UK but they have been very, very experienced Intensive Care Paramedics (ALS) or equivalent the State Registered Paramedic in the UK. They have not been graduates with zero experience.

CIC doesn't care if you're a new grad or have 20 years experience. It's all the same to them provided you fit the qualifications and jump through the immigration hoops. I didn't bother to discuss the immigration requirements because the OP didn't ask for that info and I suspected he'd already researched that. However, a visitors visa will permit him to attend school as well as work temporarily within certain constraints.

Edited July 13, 2012 by Arctickat