Canadas Doctor Shortage: Ontario Changes Immigration Rules

Canada’s new Express Entry (EE) pathway helps internationally trained doctors easily become Canadian permanent residents.

As outlined in our previous article, starting January 1, 2026, Canada is accelerating permanent residency for foreign trained doctors. Under new rules, more internationally educated physicians will be able to apply for permanent residence (PR) through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).

Who Is Eligible for This New EE Stream?

Doctors in the following National Occupational Classification (NOC) categories can now apply:

• NOC 31100 – Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
• NOC 31101 – Specialists in surgery
• NOC 31102 – General practitioners and family physicians

To qualify, as mentioned on the government of Canada website, doctors must be members in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). Additionally, under the new rules, postgraduate education is no longer accepted. This is because doctors with this status cannot get an OHIP billing number, which is needed to treat patients and be paid by Ontario’s health system.

Instead, Ontario has added “provisional certificate of registration” as a new accepted certification which aligns with recent updates to the Medicine Act, 1991, and removes previous barriers inhibiting qualified foreign doctors from working in Ontario.

Doctor Shortages in Canada

As mentioned in our previous article, Canada is currently short an approximate 23,000 family doctors. Evidently, this decision is not only going to help fill workforce gaps, but the changes are meant to make it easier for foreign-trained doctors to live and work in Ontario, especially in communities that do not have enough doctors.

How the Program Will Work

The changes are meant to make it easier for foreign-trained doctors to live and work in Ontario, especially in communities that do not have enough doctors.

No job offer required

Under the new rules, some doctors will no longer need a traditional job offer from an employer to qualify for the OINP. Instead, they can apply as self-employed physicians.

This is important because many doctors in Ontario work independently, such as family doctors who run their own clinics.

What to Expect When Applications Open

Spots under this new Express Entry category are in high demand and it is your chance to take advantage today. For internationally trained doctors who are new to Canada, the updated OINP rules offer a clearer and more realistic path to permanent residence and medical practice in Ontario.

If you’re interested in this pathway, do not wait and contact us today as interest is already rising, and spots are expected to fill quickly!