Due to the ongoing shortage of healthcare professionals in Canada, several immigration pathways have been created to facilitate the relocation of foreign nationals in the healthcare sector to Canada.
If you are a healthcare professional looking to immigrate to Canada, some pathways under which you may be eligible to apply for permanent residence are discussed below*:
Express Entry
The Express Entry (EE) system is an online points-based system for skilled workers seeking permanent residence (PR) in Canada. Candidates are scored based on factors such as age, education, foreign and Canadian work experience, and language proficiency. The top-ranking candidates are then invited to apply for PR.
While the cut-off scores to receive an invitation in general draws have been high in recent months, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has held category-based draws specifically targeting candidates in the pool with 6 months or more of recent full-time (or part-time equivalent), continuous work experience in specified healthcare occupations. These targeted healthcare draws have lower cut-off scores than general draws, making it easier for candidates with relevant experience to receive an invitation to apply for PR.
Permanent residence applications submitted under the Express Entry system are typically processed by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in about 6 months.
Provincial Nominee Programs
Canadian provinces and territories each manage their own provincial nominee programs to attract workers who wish to live in a particular province, and who meet the province’s unique economic needs. Some provinces have specialized pathways to attract foreign workers in the healthcare industry, while others prioritize invitations to individuals with work experience or job offers in specific healthcare occupations. Below are some of the current provincial nominee programs targeted to healthcare professionals.
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)
The OINP has various streams under which applicants may apply for a provincial nomination to support their permanent residence application. Some of the streams operate within the Express Entry system, and others operate outside of the Express Entry system, but all streams require an invitation to apply for a provincial nomination certificate, which is issued based on candidate profiles.
To address the province’s labour shortages in the healthcare sector, the OINP has held several draws specifically targeting candidates with work experience and/or a job offer in the healthcare sector in Ontario. Healthcare occupations targeted in recent draws have included: specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine; specialists in surgery; general practitioners and family physicians; nurse practitioners; dentists; optometrists; pharmacists; paramedical occupations; veterinarians and many other professions in the healthcare field.
Most recently, the healthcare specific draws have been held under Ontario’s Foreign Worker stream; the Human Capital Priorities (HCP) stream, which operates through the Express Entry system; and the International Student Stream. In 2023, healthcare specific draws were also held under Ontario’s French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream.
As draws are not announced in advance, qualifying healthcare professionals who may wish to apply under one of these streams should create their Express Entry profile and/or Ontario Expression of Interest to ensure they do not miss out on any future targeted healthcare draws.
British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP)
The BC PNP also has various streams under which applicants with work experience and/or a job offer in British Columbia may apply for a provincial nomination to support their permanent residence application.
While most streams require applicants to register first and wait for an invitation to apply for a provincial nomination certificate, due to the critical need for healthcare and veterinary professionals in British Columbia, the province has created the Health Authority Stream to provide a direct application pathway for foreign nationals in these sectors to apply for a provincial nomination certificate without having to first register and wait for an invitation to apply.
Under the Health Authority Stream, direct employees of a provincial health authority who have a full-time job offer from a B.C. public health authority OR physicians, nurse practitioners, or midwives who have the support of a provincial health authority may apply for a provincial nomination certificate. This stream also has an Express Entry option.
Healthcare professionals who are not employed by a provincial health authority but who have a job offer in a priority healthcare occupation in B.C. may also register to apply for a provincial nomination certificate in another B.C. stream and benefit from targeted healthcare invitations to apply.
Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP)
The province of Alberta also has a dedicated Health Care Pathway under the AAIP for healthcare professionals with a job offer in an eligible health occupation to apply for a provincial nomination certificate to support their permanent residence application. This pathway is available via Alberta’s Express Entry and non-Express Entry streams and provides priority processing to applicants that meet the pathway’s criteria.
Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP)
The SINP’s Health Talent Pathway is designed to attract high and intermediate-skilled healthcare professionals from around the world to settle and work in the province of Saskatchewan. To qualify, applicants must:
-
-
- have a permanent, full-time job offer in Saskatchewan’s health sector under one of the province’s targeted healthcare occupations;
- intend to live and work in Saskatchewan;
- have post-secondary education that relates to the job being offered;
- meet minimum English or French language requirements;
- have the requisite amount of relevant work experience for the stream under which they are applying;
- be eligible for Saskatchewan licensing (if applicable to the occupation); and
- meet all other requirements of the stream under which they are applying.
-
The Health Talent Pathway is open to both express entry and non-express entry candidates.
To assist foreign nationals in the healthcare sector who are interested in working in Saskatchewan, the SINP has also created the International Healthcare EOI submission process whereby foreign nationals can create an Expression of Interest (EOI) to work in a selected health sector occupation in Saskatchewan and be contacted with relevant job posting information. Applicants who are selected and receive a job offer via this process may be eligible to apply for a provincial nomination via the International Skilled Worker: Employment Offer stream.
Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP)
The NSNP has a number of dedicated pathways to facilitate the issuance of provincial nomination certificates to support the permanent residence applications of physicians and other healthcare professionals.
The Labour Market Priorities Stream is an Express Entry stream under which physicians (general practitioners, family physicians, and specialist physicians – NOC 311012, 31100, and 31101) who have an approved offer from the Nova Scotia Health Authority or the Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre may receive a letter of interest under the Express Entry system to apply for a Nova Scotia provincial nomination. Under this stream, applicants may apply for both a temporary work permit to begin working in the position and for permanent residence.
The Physician Stream is a non-Express Entry route open to general practitioners, family physicians, or specialist physicians (NOC 31102, 31100, or 31101) who have an approved opportunity from the Nova Scotia Health Authority or the Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre. Under this stream, applicants may apply for both a temporary work permit to begin working in the position and for permanent residence.
The Healthcare Professionals Immigration Pilot is a permanent residence pathway under a non-Express Entry stream of the NSNP or the Atlantic Immigration Program. On August 28, 2024, this pilot targeted Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians who had Express Entry profiles by inviting them to submit an expression of interest in obtaining employment in the field in Nova Scotia. Pharmacists or Pharmacy Technicians who receive a conditional job offer from a Nova Scotia healthcare employer may then apply to the NSNP or the Atlantic Immigration Program.
The Occupations in Demand Stream is another permanent residence pathway that targets NOC TEER 3, 4, or 5 occupations in demand in Nova Scotia. Under this stream, nurse aids (NOC 33102) are recognized as an occupation in demand, and nurse aides with a permanent, full-time job offer from a Nova Scotia employer and who meet all other eligibility criteria may apply for a provincial nomination.
Work Permit Considerations
As the various permanent residence (PR) streams discussed above target specific healthcare occupations, it is essential that healthcare professionals who also wish to apply for a temporary work permit ensure that the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code selected on their work permit application aligns with one of the targeted healthcare occupations under the PR stream that the foreign worker will ultimately use to apply for PR.
*The pathways discussed above do not cover all potential pathways for healthcare professionals to immigrate to Canada, and there may be other options depending on each individual’s specific circumstances. To learn more about your options and to determine which program is right for you please contact us, we would be happy to guide you through the process.
