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By Cynthia M. Piccolo (Career Questions)
dearCPRadiographerWantsCanadaOrUsa image

Dear Cindy: 
I am from the Philippines and have been qualified to practice medical imaging since 1999. I have been to the UK before coming here in Ireland. I also have a state board licensed in the state of Florida, USA. I am interested in immigrating to Canada or the USA, and in continuing to practice my profession. Please advise on how I can achieve this.

Sincerely,

AC

Dear AC: 

For specifics about immigration requirements, see the Citizenship & Immigration Canada's Immigrating to Canada page, particularly the Skilled Workers and Professionals page. A person can qualify for immigration without prearranged employment, but having prearranged employment allows for additional points towards one's application for immigration. You will need a provincial license before an employer will consider hiring you or sponsoring you for a work visa. Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) and Service Canada (SC) maintain regional lists of occupations under pressure. What this means is that if an occupation is on the list for the region, employers in the region will not be required to undertake lengthy or comprehensive advertising efforts before being eligible to apply to hire a foreign worker, which saves them time. However, the employer will still have to apply for a Labour Market Opinion (also known as an employment confirmation) from SC, which can take weeks. Currently, the "occupations under pressure" list includes medical radiation technologists in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec; therefore, if you wanted to come to Canada, obtaining licensure in one of these provinces would be your best bet at his time.

USA

For specifics about immigration requirements, see the State Department's Immigrants to the US page. For employer-sponsored immigration, as someone in medical imaging, you may qualify under the third-preference employment, or E3 visas, for "Skilled Workers, Professionals Holding Baccalaureate Degrees and Other Workers." Those seeking to use an E3 will require prearranged employment and a labor certification, or Schedule A designation, or evidence that they qualify for one of the shortage occupations in the Labor Market Information Pilot Program.

With the Florida license, you could contact employers in the state to see if any would be willing and able to sponsor you. Otherwise, you would have to obtain other state and/or ARRT qualification to apply elsewhere. Again, you would have to find an employer who would be willing and able to sponsor you.

Of course, in the case of either country, other immigration possibilities may exist for you, e.g., having a family member sponsor you.
Comment from jeannette g.genove
i am a sr.radiographher , im just trying to search and trying to work in canada , its my dream to work in canada
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