New immigration rules could bring more internationally trained doctors into Canada.
On Monday, the feds announced a new and faster path for them to become permanent residents.
Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab says the country needs this.
“We’ve seen the strain in our emergency rooms. We hear it from families waiting for a doctor, and we feel it from the front line staff who are stretched thin,” said Diab.
Doctors will be eligible if they have at least one year of work experience in Canada and at a related job. Those eligible related positions include general practitioners and family physicians, specialists in surgery and specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine, according to a news release from the federal government.
On top of that, anyone nominated through the program will have their work permit applications expedited in 14 days, so they can work while they wait for permanent residency.
The federal government will reserve 5,000 federal admission spaces for provinces and territories to nominate doctors. However, that does not take up any of the annual Provincial Nominee Program spots.
Invitations to apply will be sent out in early 2026.
