How to Work and Immigrate to Canada as a Pharmacist?

Canada welcomes skilled workers from all around the world, and there are numerous immigration programs that pave the way for them. The pharmacist can immigrate to Canada if they are qualified for one of these immigration procedures. 

This article brings you all you need to know on how a pharmacist can immigrate to Canada. 

Canada immigration programs for pharmacists

Canada is in desperate need of doctors, nurses, and other skilled workers. The unemployment rate has decreased to its lowest rate. 

Pharmacists do not have much trouble; they just indeed to be eligible and meet the requirements. The following immigration ways are appropriate if you want to move to Canada as a pharmacist: 

Where can pharmacist work in Canada?

Canada is the land of opportunities, and you may not be able to predict what will happen. However, you can expect to work in one of the following places as an immigrated pharmacist; 

• Hospitals
• Universities
• Community Pharmacies
• Government departments
• Long-Term Care and Assisted-Living Facilities
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Quality assurance
• Family Medicine Clinics
• Insurance companies
• Canadian Armed Forces
• Regulatory affairs

Is immigration to Canada as a Pharmacist without a job offer possible?

Yes. in case you have a high score in the Express Entry by other selection factors, you don’t have to hold a job offer to immigrate to Canada as a pharmacist. 

The minimum score in the Express Entry is 67. As long as you reach it, you do not have to have a job offer. However, a job offer increases your score to a large extent, and it doesn’t seem impossible to get one. 

What are the benefits of immigrating to Canada as a pharmacist?

Canada is one of the leading countries in terms of immigration and attracting skilled workers. The benefits of moving to this amazing country are countless of course, but there are drawbacks to living everywhere. However, the advantages of living in Canada make you forget to leave behind your home country and your past. 

Amazing job opportunities 

Canada has always lacked skilled workers, and the situation has gotten a bit worse after the pandemic. It means further opportunities for immigrants, including pharmacists. 

The rate of unemployment has been at its lowest rate in the past few years. 

At the moment, there are about 900.000 vacant job positions waiting for the right skilled workers. 

Companies, the government, and everyone expected that the pandemic would hurt them so badly. But they were able to recover and pull themselves together. 

Startups and entrepreneurs are moving to Canada, and they require skilled workers to fill the job positions. 

A secure steady political system 

One of the most stable countries in the world is named Canada. According to Economist Intelligence Unit, Canada ranked number five in terms of the world democracy index. It managed to pass behind the other North American countries. 

The country was able to get the top score in the Qualify of Life and Social Purpose metrics.

Safe and secure 

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection has reported that Canada has got the title of the third safest country in the world. 

What is the safest city in the world? Yes, Montreal. It has made it a unique and interesting palace for the immigrants to live and work in. 

Access to free healthcare 

Citizens and PR cities have access to the free health care system. The health coverage and insurance policy are a bit different in each province. 

If you are new, you need to register with the insurance system and get a health card. 

You won’t have to pay for most of the emergency and medical services under the free healthcare system. 

The third-best education system in the world

The government has been able to create one of the top education systems in the world, the third-best one. At least five Canadian universities are among the top 100 universities in the world. 

The rest of the universities, colleges, and education centers enjoy a high education standard. If you get admission to one of them, you can ensure brilliant future job employment. 

A multicultural and diverse community 

Canada was among the first countries to pass the Canadian Multiculturalism Act into law. It has helped to become a diverse country with people from all around the world. You can expect people from various parts of the world to live in peace and happiness together. 

There are people from over 200 countries residing in Canada, so you may feel homesickness less than in European countries. 

Various immigration programs 

There are over 100 Canadian immigration programs. They are to bring skilled and talented people to the country, as Canada has always lacked a skilled workforce. 

The IRCC has just announced that the application process with Express Entry will become faster, and the processing time will go back to six months. It is the average processing time before the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Also, each Canadian province has its own immigration program. They enable the local provinces to bring the required skilled workers they need easily. 

A robust, dynamic, and developing economy

The economy is flourishing fast. The thing you can ensure is the future economic situation and calm down. This is the point that immigrants and especially the ones from the Middle East, will understand. They know how horrible it is to wake up and see new higher prices every day. You can not plan and progress in life. 

Since 2016, there has been a  growth of 4.3% in the economy. It has been going on since then, and startups are helping to make it better. One of the G8 members and a powerful production and export rate calms you down that you have made an appropriate choice. 

Getting PR sooner than in European countries 

When you apply through Express Entry, you receive PR or permanent Residency right away. You can live and work in the country like its citizens but without a few points. 

The PR is valid for five years, and you can extend it as long as you want. You may work and live in any province or city you want. After that, you get to apply for citizenship. 

The point is that Canada provides PR sooner than other countries, especially the EU. 

Pharmacist salary in the best Canadian provinces  

How much you earn as an immigrant pharmacist is up to different factors:

• The province or city you work in
• Work experience 
• Skills and knowledge 
• Qualification 
• Language proficiency 

However, pharmacists can expect to earn between $54,112.00 per year and $144,300.00 per year in Canada. 

According to Canada Job Bank, a pharmacist earnings in Canadian provinces is as follows: 

The average base salary of a pharmacist in Cadan is about $47.76per hour, according to the Indeed website. 

The followings are some of the top companies that have pharmacy job opportunities. You can see the salary they are willing to pay according to the previous source

What Canadian cities pay the highest salary to pharmacists?

Taxes, the standard of living, and salaries are different in Canadian cities. You should expect to earn differently in each of the Canadian cities. 

The below list is some of the most famous cities in Canada. You can take a look at seeing how much you will get as a pharmacist. In case the city you want to move to is not there, you can subtract the paid amount by a few percent and get the average earned salary. 

You can expect to earn the following in Canadian cities as a pharmacist: 

Do pharmacy job positions earn differently?

Job positions earn differently by the work they do. Also, the company pays differently for the position, and it is inevitable. 

If you are looking for a higher salary as a pharmacist, you can see the below table. You can work a bit harder, find out how to get that position, and prepare yourself for it. 

The following related job positions to a pharmacist earn differently: 

What are pharmacist job responsibilities?

Your responsibilities and tasks as a pharmacist in Canada depend on various factors. The job you have and the company are determining factors. 

You can visit the websites introduced in the above section to find a job in Canada and to know the full details of job responsibilities. 

However, you can expect to take the below list of responsibilities in Canada: 

• Check prescriptions for proper dosage
• Compound-prescribed pharmaceutical products
• Advise customers 
• Keep or prepare medication profiles of customers
• Watch over proper preparation, packaging, distribution, and storage
• Keep stock of pharmaceutical supplies
• Coordinate and supervise the activities of staff 
• Research in the development of new drugs
• Clinical investigations
• Control the quality of drug products
• Evaluate labeling, packaging, and advertising

Move to Canada as a pharmacist from Iran

Iranian pharmacist who wants to move to Canada need to apply through one of the immigration programs mentioned above: 

• Express Entry System for pharmacists immigrating to Canada 
• Federal Skilled Worker Program
• Canada Experience Class 

Each of the above immigration programs got explained at the beginning of this article. You can find out more about them and know what to do. 

Also, the Iranians have to go through the license and registration procedures. You can see this section above too.  

The quality of the education system in Iran is good in the region, and the people work hard. If they are qualified, they can immigrate to Canada as a pharmacist easily. 

Best universities to study pharmacy in Canada

Students of pharmacy will study Health Sciences, medical formulations, and drug information. The MA in pharmacy mixes the gained academic knowledge with practical first-hand experience. 

The following list of universities is ideal for studying pharmacy in Canada. Although there are other universities that provide the program. 

You would better visit the university’s website and find out the requirements for admission. As the following list are the best and most famous universities to study pharmacy in Canada, the competition is tough and hard. You need to have a great resume, a high GPA, a language fluency test, and the other requirements to compete with the other candidates. 

• University of British Columbia
• University of Waterloo
• University of Alberta
• Dalhousie University
• Memorial University of Newfoundland
• University of Toronto
• University of Saskatchewan
• McGill University
• University of Manitoba
• Western University (Canada)

Do you need IELTS to immigrate to Canada as a pharmacist?

IELTS is one of the approved language tests by Canadian universities and the federal government. There are other approved language tests as well: 

English 

• CELPIP: Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program
• IELTS: International English Language Testing System

French 

• TEF Canada: Test d’évaluation de français
• TCF Canada: Test de connaissance du français

Canadian universities accept different language tests, and it is up to their standards. But the following are some of them: 

• IELTS 
• TOEFL 
• PTE 
• Duolingo 
• CAEL
• Cambridge Assessment English

You need to visit the website of each university and find out the approved language tests and the required score. 

Let’s sum up…

This article explained how pharmacists can move to Canada and what they need to do in the meantime. The immigration procedures, licenses and certificates, job positions, opportunities, and everything else got covered. 

With this guide, you know everything to immigrate to Canada as a pharmacist.

You can visit the explained immigration methods article from the left sidebar to know more about them. 

If you have questions, write them in the comment section. The Visa Library team will respond to them ASAP.

Frequently Asked Questions about moving to Canada as a pharmacist