Canada will launch a new fast-track permanent resident program to bring in foreign doctors who have previous experience in Canada as part of a wider initiative to deal with current shortages of family doctors, surgeons, and specialists. The plan was announced by the immigration minister, Lena Metlege Diab, in Toronto, and she said that it is hoped that international medical professionals would put down their roots and stabilise the system.
The Express Entry stream will open in the year 2026. It will also focus on physicians who have served at least one year in Canada in the last three years to persuade more doctors arriving on temporary permits to remain in Canada in the long run. A government statement indicated that the doctors who can use the program are the primary care physicians, along with surgery, clinical, and laboratory medicine specialists.
The federal government, in a statement, said that by providing these doctors with a definite path to permanent residency in Canada, they are filling some of the most severe gaps in the health workforce, as well as helping to sustain consistent healthcare provision and a stable health system among Canadians.
Provinces to Nominate Doctors for 5,000 New Federal Spaces
Also, in a major boost to the provincial recruitment campaigns, Ottawa will also set aside 5,000 federal admission slots to provinces and territories to nominate licensed physicians whose jobs were offered. They are on the priority list of the current provincial nominee program (PNP).
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The Number of Vacancies in Health Care Has Continued to Increase Throughout the Country
Through the new provisions, the provinces and territories shall be in a position to nominate licensed physicians who have job offers to the Express Entry immigration stream. The government said that these nominations will be on top of the current spaces of provincial nominees per year.
The physicians appointed in the stream will have their work permits done within 14 days, giving them the chance to work till their permanent residency is finalized.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Health Minister Maggie Chi stated that the step was in line with the federal priority of addressing the shortage on the frontline. Providing more qualified physicians to the system and retaining them is necessary. This will enhance quality, timely care in Canada.
The Reasons Why Canada is Changing
The demand of doctors still exceeds supply. In the previous year, there were 5.7 million Canadian adults and 765,000 children who lacked any regular primary care provider. The Canadian Medical Association estimates a shortage of about 23,000 physicians in the country in the form of family physicians.
Dr. Margot Burnell, CMA president, reported that over 13,000 internationally trained doctors in Canada are not engaged in their profession because of the licensing and integration obstacles. She requested a national strategy to organize training, immigration, and credential recognition.
A Step on the Way to Stabilizing the Health Workforce in Canada
The new federal way offers a significant change in the way the immigration policy plays out in the health care system. The accelerated permanent residency, coupled with the increasing provincial nomination slots, is meant to assist in retaining foreign doctors in Canada. It will take success in matching the immigration reforms with provincial modifications on licensing and overcoming the many long-standing barriers that hinder the practice of many internationally trained doctors in their profession.
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