Doctors to Get 14-Day Work Permit Processing Under New Rules
Ottawa – Canada is introducing major changes to its immigration system to help address ongoing shortages in the health-care sector. The Honourable Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and Maggie Chi, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, announced new measures that will make it easier and faster for international doctors already working in Canada to become permanent residents.
Under the new plan, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will launch a dedicated Express Entry category for international doctors who have at least one year of Canadian work experience in an eligible medical occupation within the past three years. Thousands of internationally trained doctors currently working in Canada on temporary permits will be able to benefit.
Government officials say the goal is to remove long-standing barriers and provide these physicians with a clear, reliable pathway to permanent residence, allowing them to continue serving patients and helping to stabilize Canada’s understaffed health-care system. The first invitations to apply under this new category are expected in early 2026.
In addition, Ottawa will reserve 5,000 federal admission spaces for provinces and territories to nominate licensed doctors who have job offers. These spots are above and beyond the regular Provincial Nominee Program allocations. Doctors nominated by a province will also receive “expedited processing for work permits—just 14 days”- so they can keep working while their permanent residence applications are finalized.
Federal officials say the measures align with Canada’s broader International Talent Attraction Strategy, designed to strengthen critical sectors of the economy and ensure long-term sustainability within the immigration system.
The government says the changes will help fill urgent health-care gaps and ensure Canadians continue receiving dependable, high-quality medical care across the country.