The Canadian government has announced a new initiative to grant permanent residency to foreign doctors currently working in the country under temporary status to address the shortage of medical professionals nationwide. Immigration Minister Lena Diab unveiled the plan in Toronto, revealing that an additional 5,000 spots will be made available for international doctors beyond the existing immigration quotas.
The strategy involves establishing a fresh express entry category for foreign doctors starting in 2026, targeting physicians with a minimum of one year of recent Canadian work experience over the past three years who hold current job offers. Eligible practitioners under this program encompass general practitioners and specialists in fields such as surgery, clinical, and laboratory medicine.
In a government statement, it was emphasized that this initiative aims to provide a clear pathway for these doctors to attain permanent residency in Canada, addressing critical gaps in the healthcare workforce and ensuring consistent care and a resilient healthcare system for Canadians. Provinces and territories will now have the ability to nominate licensed doctors with employment offers to the express entry immigration stream, with these nominations supplementing the existing provincial nominee allocations each year.
As part of the new measures, doctors nominated to the stream will have their work permits expedited within 14 days, enabling them to commence work while their permanent residency status is being finalized. The government emphasized that this move seeks to enhance healthcare access for the 17% of adults and 11% of children and youth in Canada who have reported challenges in accessing regular healthcare services.
The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) expressed support for the announcement, recognizing it as a step in the right direction. CMA President Dr. Margot Burnell highlighted that there are currently over 13,000 internationally trained physicians in Canada who are not practicing in their specialized fields, emphasizing the need to harness existing medical talent within the country and attract more skilled professionals from across the globe.