How to move to Canada as a Physician in 2022?
Canada is always in a need of trained physicians, especially since the global pandemic. To fill the labour market gap, the government of Canada offers different federal and provincial migration pathways for Physicians who wish to move permanently.
In order to practice in Canada, a foreign trained physician must have an approved medical degree from an educational institution, which is listed on World Directory of Medical schools.
Apart from that, a foreign trained physician must get educational credentials verified by the MCC, i.e., Medical Council of Canada to get an ECA (Education Credential Assessment) report. Once the transcripts and degree are duly verified, applicants must get an ECA report from PhysiciansApply.ca.
Upon obtaining a Canadian PR status, applicants may complete their tests and training (if required) to get a Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC).
Above all, each Canadian province and territory run its own medical regulatory authorities that have a few additional eligibility criteria. Thus, it is essential for them to choose a province where they wish to live and work before starting the process.
Key Canada Immigration Programs for Foreign Trained Doctors/Physicians
There are a plenty of immigration pathways for foreign trained Doctors/Physicians. One of the fastest ways to obtain Canadian permanent residency as a foreign physician is to move via Canada’s Federal Express Entry program.
Federal Express Entry Pathway
Express Entry provides an expedited pathway to Canadian permanent residency for skilled foreign workers. To migrate via the Express Entry pathway, candidates must have relevant work experience in NOC skill level A, B, or 0. The NOC, i.e., National Occupation Classification code for Physicians and specialized Physicians comes under skill level A and must apply via Express Entry's Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program.
Express Entry follows a points-based selection system via which IRCC (Immigration, Refugee, Citizenship Canada) invites the highest-ranking applicants to apply for Canadian permanent residence. If a foreign trained doctor doesn't meet minimum points requirement for FSWP, they have choose to apply via a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) as well.
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
Each Canadian province and territory operates its own provincial nominee program, which is designed to allow them select and nominate eligible foreign nationals for Canadian PR visa. Most of the provincial nominee programs are designed with an aim to meet labour market shortages and target specific in-demand occupations.
Provinces like British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan have specific PNP streams for Physicians who have prior job offers in hand from these provinces. A lot of other provincial nominee programs are also for those applicants who are either working in a province, or have a full-time job offer in hand from an employer in a province.
