Overview
- IRCC will create a physician-specific Express Entry category limited to candidates already in Canada with at least one year of Canadian work experience in the last three years.
- Invitations to apply under the new category are scheduled to begin in early 2026, according to the federal announcement in Toronto.
- Ottawa will reserve 5,000 federal admission spaces for provinces and territories to nominate licensed physicians who have job offers.
- Doctors nominated by a province will be eligible for in-Canada work permits processed in 14 days so they can work while permanent residence applications are finalized.
- IRCC has not yet released the list of eligible physician occupations or clarified how the 5,000 reserved admissions will be accounted for within existing allocations.