Canada is treating the physician shortage as a national workforce emergency and reshaping immigration policy around it. A new Express Entry category just for doctors, plus 5,000 reserved PR spaces.

On December 8, 2025, IRCC announced a major new pathway just for physicians: a doctor-specific Express Entry category that is expected to start issuing invitations in early 2026, subject to final approval under Budget 2025.

Alongside this, Ottawa is also reserving 5,000 permanent residence (PR) spaces for provincially nominated doctors and offering 14-day work permit processing—making this one of the most aggressive physician-focused immigration initiatives Canada has ever introduced.