Federal government to open new express entry pathway for international doctors in 2026

Canada will open a new express permanent residency program for international doctors next year, Immigration Minister Lena Diab said Monday.

She said the program will be open to physicians in Canada on temporary work permits — including emergency physicians, surgeons, family doctors, dermatologists, psychiatrists and other specialists — who have been working in relevant jobs for at least one of the past three years.

Doctors who qualify for express entry will be invited to apply in early 2026.

“Many of these doctors are already treating patients in our communities. We cannot afford to lose them,” Diab said at a press conference in Toronto.

“It signals to every doctor here temporarily that we value you and we want you to stay.”

Diab says provinces and territories will be able to nominate up to 5,000 international doctors for work permits that will be processed within 14 days.

These provincial and territorial nominations will be in addition to those already allocated through the Provincial Nominee Program, Diab said.

She said this policy is something her provincial and territorial counterparts have sought for months and will allow them to focus work permit applications on local needs.

“We know Canada needs more doctors, but health care needs look different in downtown Toronto than in rural Saskatchewan,” Diab said.

The minister said this is part of a broader plan to move away from a “one-size fits all” immigration approach and make it easier for people in certain professions to come to or remain in Canada.

Dr. Margot Burnell, Canadian Medical Association president, called the move a “step in the right direction” in an emailed statement. She also said more needs to be done to speed up recognition of foreign medical credentials.

“Currently, more than 13,000 internationally trained physicians in Canada are not working in their field,” Burnell said.

“If we can combine immigration policies like this with scaling up proven licensing pathways that help doctors enter practice quickly, we can make a real dent in the access-to-care crisis without compromising standards of care.”