The federal government of Canada has announced its plan to address the severe shortage of healthcare workers in the country by utilizing the immigration system. In a joint event, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser and Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos introduced a new dedicated “express entry” stream for health professionals within the economic immigration program.
This initiative aims to invite 500 foreign health workers to apply for permanent residency in Canada, with another 1,500 expected to receive invitations next week. The program is expected to be highly subscribed, as there is a pressing need for doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and optometrists.
The scarcity of healthcare professionals in Canada is a critical concern. According to research compiled by Angus Reid, an estimated six million Canadians do not have access to a family doctor. Additionally, there is also a shortage of specialists in the country.
The situation is projected to worsen over the next five years. Federal data indicates that by 2028, Canada will face a deficit of approximately 44,000 doctors, including over 30,000 family doctors and general practitioners.
One significant factor contributing to this shortage is the difficulty experienced by Canadian doctors trained abroad who struggle to secure residencies due to red tape and bias. Many qualified Canadian doctors who acquired their education overseas encounter obstacles when attempting to practice medicine in their home country. The combination of bureaucratic hurdles and credential recognition issues hampers their ability to obtain licenses.
Recognizing these challenges as well as the urgent need for more healthcare workers, Fraser stated that Canada had welcomed around 21,000 healthcare workers between 2017 and 2022 – an average of just over 4,000 per year. However, with the introduction of this new initiative, the government hopes to double this number and bring in approximately 8,000 new healthcare workers annually.
Nevertheless, it’s important to note that while increasing the recruitment of immigrant healthcare workers is a step forward, it does not completely solve the systemic issues within the Canadian healthcare system. The announcement made by Fraser and Duclos does not directly address ongoing concerns regarding foreign credential recognition, an issue that Ottawa has pledged to tackle in collaboration with provinces and territories. Medical licensing falls under provincial jurisdiction, but the federal government has committed additional funding to streamline the lengthy process.
Foreign-trained doctors can immigrate to Canada; however, their ability to work in their profession is not guaranteed. There are cases of Canadian-born doctors who completed their education abroad but face difficulties returning home to practice due to a complex web of regulations that make it challenging for them to obtain licenses if they were not educated at a Canadian medical school.
The medical residency program is segmented, making it difficult for Canadian doctors with foreign education to seamlessly transition into entry-level positions required for licensure. Additionally, doctors who have already completed residencies and are working overseas face lengthy processes of proving Canadian equivalency and having credentials verified, which becomes a significant deterrent.
To practice medicine in Canada as a foreign-trained doctor, several requirements must be fulfilled. These include having a degree from a recognized medical school, completing discipline-specific postgraduate training (residency), passing an exam, obtaining a “licentiate” from the Medical Council of Canada, and being certified through examination by either the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
Ultimately, it is up to the relevant provincial or territorial college of physicians and surgeons to decide whether a candidate should be licensed. This entire process takes several years and involves substantial costs for medical professionals.
Duclos emphasized that the government will continue its efforts by collaborating with provinces, territories, and stakeholders to address the health workforce crisis comprehensively. Their focus will include improving workforce planning, and retention strategies, and streamlining foreign credential recognition processes so that newly arrived health professionals can effectively apply their skills and expertise in Canada.
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