Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada has launched a  new Canada Express Entry category and immigration measures in order to attract doctors in the country. The latest announcement was made by IRCC on December 8, 2025. 

IRCC announced three new immigration measures to make it easier for international doctors to become permanent residents of Canada. The three immigration measures are as follows:

1.   A new Express Entry category;

2.   5,000 specially reserved permanent residence admission for provinces;

3.   Expedited Canada work permit processing for nominated practice-ready physicians. 

Let us Decode New Immigration Measures

The newly introduced immigration measures announced by IRCC will benefit international doctors to stay and discharge their duties in Canada as permanent residents. Let us decode each one of the immigration measures: 

1.   A New Express Express Category

With the introduction of a new express entry category, IRCC has named the new category as “ Physicians with Canadian work experience ” making it eligible for candidates who have accumulated at least 12 months of full-time continuous work experience in Canada, within the last three years. The process of invitation to apply under this category will begin in early 2026.

However, the work experience gained by the individuals must be earned in a single occupation listed below with their corresponding NOC (National Occupation Classification) code as

❖  General practitioners and family physicians (31102);

❖  Specialists in surgery (31101); and

❖  Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine (31100) 

List of Eligible Occupations Listed for the IRCC’s New Express Entry Category

★   General Practitioner and Family Physicians

NOC Code – 31102

Eligible job titles under this category are

●    Family physician

●    General practice resident

●    General practitioner

●    Medical doctor 

★   Specialists in Surgery

NOC Code – 31101

Eligible job titles under this category are:

●    Cardiac surgeons

●    General surgeons

●    Neurosurgeon

●    Obstetrician – gynecologist

●    Ophthalmologist

●    Orthopedic surgeon

●    Pediatric surgeon

●    Plastic surgeon

●    Thoracic surgeon

●    Urologist

●    Vascular surgeon

★   Specialists in Clinical and Laboratory Medicine

NOC Code – 31100

Eligible job titles under this category are:

●    Anatomical pathologist

●    Anesthetist

●    Cardiologist

●    Dermatologist

●    diagnostic radiologist

●    emergency physician

●    Endocrinologist

●    Gastroenterologist

●    general pathologist

●    Geriatrician

●    Hematologist

●    medical biochemist

●    medical microbiologist

●    Nephrologist

●    Neurologist

●    Oncologist

●    Pediatrician

●    Physiatrist

●    Pneumologist

●    Psychiatrist

●    radiation oncologist

●    Respirologist

●    rheumatologist, and others.

2.   Special Admission Allocation

The Government of Canada will now set aside 5000 federal admission spaces for provinces and territories to nominate licensed doctors who have job offers. These spaces are made for applicants who already have offers and want to settle in the Canadian provinces and territories such as Alberta, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia..

3.   Expedited Canada Work Permit Processing

Another major step taken by IRCC is the expedited Canada work processing in just 14 days for candidates who are already in the country, allowing them to work while their permanent residence Canada applications are being finalised. This step ensures the application process is smooth, quick and less-time consuming so that applicants do not have to wait for months in order to get their Canada work permit renewed. 

Even though all these measures have been outlined in a precise manner, you can read the in-depth guide on Canada’s Immigration Plan 2026-2028 and explore how to become permanent residents of Canada. 

Although, these immigration measures will prove beneficial for both sides as the prospective immigrants will now get more chances to become permanent residents of Canada while the country itself will get talented and qualified doctors in the time of need. In the era of increasing medical concerns, Canada has consistently faced shortage of healthcare professionals specially doctors, and by introducing certain measures, Canada will upscale their manpower while accelerating the economy. 

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