Canada prescribes fast-track visas for foreign doctors

By Mata Press Service

Canada is rolling out targeted immigration changes aimed at easing the country’s doctor shortage, with Ottawa creating a faster path to permanent residency for internationally trained physicians already working in Canada.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced that a new Express Entry category for doctors will launch in early 2026. The program will apply to foreign-trained physicians with at least one year of Canadian work experience gained within the past three years.

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said many of these doctors are already treating patients in Canadian communities and are critical to stabilizing the health-care system.

“We cannot afford to lose them,” Diab said at a news conference in Toronto. “We’re giving these doctors a clear pathway to permanent residence to help fill urgent workforce gaps and support reliable care for Canadians.”

Under the plan, the federal government will also reserve 5,000 permanent residency admission spaces for provinces and territories to nominate licensed doctors who have job offers. These spaces will be in addition to existing Provincial Nominee Program allocations.

Doctors nominated through the program will benefit from expedited work permit processing of 14 days, allowing them to continue working while their permanent residency applications are finalized.

The measures are part of the federal government’s broader effort to use targeted immigration to address critical labour shortages, particularly in health care. Immigration accounts for nearly all of Canada’s labour force growth, according to federal data.

The shortage of doctors remains a major challenge across the country. In 2024, about 5.7 million Canadian adults, or 17 percent, reported not having a regular health-care provider. Among children and youth, the figure stood at 11 percent, or roughly 765,000 individuals.

Eligible occupations under the new Express Entry category include general practitioners and family physicians, as well as specialists in surgery and in clinical and laboratory medicine. While immigration rules are set federally, foreign credential recognition and medical licensing remain the responsibility of provinces and territories.

Health Parliamentary Secretary Maggie Chi said closer coordination with provinces will be key to improving access to care.

“Increasing the number of qualified physicians with the expertise our system needs will help ensure people across the country receive timely, high-quality care,” Chi said.

The Canadian Medical Association welcomed the announcement, calling it a positive step toward addressing long-standing workforce shortages. CMA president Dr. Margot Burnell noted that more than 13,000 internationally trained physicians currently in Canada are not working in their field.

“We must do more to recognize the medical talent already here and to attract, welcome and retain more doctors from around the world,” Burnell said. “If immigration reforms are paired with faster, proven licensing pathways, we can make real progress without compromising standards of care.”

Federal officials say the new measures build on Canada’s International Talent Attraction Strategy, which aims to strengthen key sectors while maintaining long-term sustainability in the immigration system.

Despite some recent improvements in access to primary care, satisfaction with the health system remains low. A 2025 national survey found that only 28 percent of Canadians were satisfied with how primary care is functioning.

Ottawa says the new immigration pathway is designed to help close staffing gaps faster and bring more doctors into communities where the need is most acute.