On December 8, 2025, Minister of Immigration Lena Metlege Diab unveiled a set of new immigration measures designed to streamline the path to permanent residency for internationally trained doctors. Maple News reports that these reforms aim to bolster the healthcare system by retaining highly skilled medical professionals already working in Canada.
The three initiatives, introduced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), include the creation of a new Express Entry category for physicians with Canadian work experience, 5,000 dedicated provincial permanent residence spots for doctors, and expedited work permit processing for practice-ready physicians nominated by provinces.
The new Express Entry category, titled “Physicians with Canadian Work Experience,” will specifically target medical professionals who have acquired at least 12 months of full-time, continuous work experience—or the equivalent in part-time—in Canada within the past three years. The eligible roles under this category include general practitioners and family physicians (NOC 31102), surgical specialists (NOC 31101), and specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine (NOC 31100).
IRCC is expected to begin issuing invitations to apply under this new category in early 2026. Applicants must demonstrate that their Canadian experience is concentrated in one eligible medical occupation. This move reflects Canada’s growing reliance on internationally educated doctors to meet healthcare staffing needs across provinces.
While the existing healthcare-focused Express Entry category includes a broader range of occupations such as nurses, dentists, optometrists, and more, it lacks the in-Canada work experience requirement. The current category only mandates a minimum of six months of work experience, earned either in Canada or abroad. It remains to be seen how the two categories will interact going forward, though IRCC often revises its category priorities at the start of each year.
In addition to the Express Entry update, IRCC will allocate 5,000 permanent residence admissions specifically for use by the provinces to support their local healthcare labor markets. Simultaneously, IRCC will fast-track work permit processing for internationally trained physicians who have been designated as ready to practice by provincial health authorities.
According to Maple News, these changes demonstrate Canada’s continued commitment to leveraging immigration as a strategy to fill critical labor shortages, especially in the healthcare sector. Newcomer physicians already working in Canada now have a clearer, faster route to permanent residency—reinforcing the country’s appeal as a destination for top global talent.