Healthcare PR Pathways in Canada: What’s Still Open for Workers?

In the last few years, Canada’s approach to recruiting healthcare professionals has changed dramatically. The labour market shortage of healthcare workers is visible everywhere. That reality made many professionals believe the country is asking them to apply.

But that’s not quite what’s happening. Canada isn’t saying, “Please apply and we’ll see if you qualify.” What it’s really saying is, “If you’re already helping solve our staffing shortage, we’ll find a way to keep you.” It means In-Canada focus is the new way of Canadian immigration.

I first noticed this shift about two years ago when IRCC launched Category-Based Express Entry draws targeting specific occupations. Healthcare quickly became one of the main focus areas.

But the real change happened on the ground-level. Provinces stopped waiting for Ottawa to send them workers. Instead, they began building their own pipelines. They started creating healthcare-focused PNP programs. In some cases, even streamlining licensing so foreign-trained professionals could start working right away.

This isn’t about long-term policy anymore. It’s about filling critical roles as fast as possible.

So, if you’re a healthcare professional looking to move to Canada right now, you need to understand the new reality and play the right game.

In this article, we’ll also explore which healthcare PR pathways are still open for workers.

2 Healthcare PR Pathways and 2 Two Types of Candidates

Canada’s current approach to healthcare immigration is built around two main permanent residence (PR) pathways, and each suits a different type of candidate.

1. Strong Candidates

• Your CRS score is strong.
• Your occupation appears on the federal healthcare list.

Over the last two years, the federal government has run Express Entry draws specifically for healthcare professionals, with CRS cutoffs ranging from 422 to 510.

More recently, those cutoffs have been in the 470–475 range, which is significantly lower than the Canadian Experience Class draws (typically 518–547).

If you’re in this group, you can get permanent residence directly, no Canadian work experience required.

For example: One of our clients, a registered nurse from India with the right education, experience, high language scores, and a CRS of 485, qualified directly for a federal healthcare draw (cutoff: 470). We applied for her permanent residency without her ever working in Canada first.

2. Moderate and Low CRS Candidates

If your CRS score isn’t high enough, your occupation isn’t on the federal healthcare list, or both, we don’t aim for a perfect PR application right away. Shift your focus to get you into Canada and working as soon as possible.

Here’s how it works:

• First, secure a job offer from a province like Ontario or British Columbia.
• If you’re trained in the U.S., you can take advantage of new fast-track licensing rules to start working quickly.
• Otherwise, the first step is to obtain your Canadian license and arrive on a work permit.
• The priority is to gain valuable Canadian work experience in a high-demand healthcare role.

Even though most Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) quotas have been reduced, provinces still give preference to healthcare workers already in Canada. These are those who are actively filling shifts, and contributing to the system.

The experience you gain now will greatly strengthen your chances for a provincial nomination, or position you well for a future federal healthcare draw.

For example: A general practitioner from Egypt with 15 years of experience but a CRS of 398 can’t qualify federally.He secures his licence to practice, a job offer from a rural Saskatchewan clinic, and, after 12 months, gets nominated through Saskatchewan’s Health Talent Pathway.

If the same applicant had been from the U.S., they would have been allowed to practice in Ontario while their registration was in process.

So, if you can’t qualify for PR today, the answer isn’t “wait and hope.” It’s “get in, get working, gain Canadian experience, then convert.”

Two years ago, I couldn’t say that because licensing took too long, and provinces couldn’t move people through the system quickly. Now I can. And that changes everything.

Read more: US Doctors Moving to Canada

How Does Working in Canada for 6–12 Months Change My PR Chances as a Healthcare Worker?

Let me tell you what I see happen when someone moves from an offshore applicant to a working healthcare professional in Canada.

When you’re offshore, you have qualifications on paper. You’re asking Canada to believe you’ll be useful. Provinces don’t have any obligation to you at that stage.

After about six months working in Canada, something changes.

You’re on payroll at a Canadian health facility. The province considers you ‘active staff,’ not an applicant. You’re covering shifts and part of the team. You start being valued for retention rather than just evaluated on points.

I’ve seen this happen dozens of times. Provinces use PNP nominations to keep the people they already depend on. If you’re physically there, filling gaps, you become someone they need to retain.
After twelve months, the points kick in.

One year of full-time Canadian work experience makes you eligible for the Canadian Experience Class and grants CRS points for that experience. This typically puts you within reach for either a provincial nomination or a federal healthcare draw.

• Direct federal route: 6-8 months from invitation to PR
• Work-first route: 18-24 months (including licensing, Canadian work experience, and immigration processing)

The difference isn’t about qualifications. It’s about whether Canada is taking a chance on your potential or keeping someone already helping solve their problems.

Why Are US-Trained Doctors and Nurses Getting Fast-Tracked to Work in Canada?

It’s not about who Canada “respects” more. It’s about who Canada can deploy tomorrow morning without blowing up its own risk profile.

Ontario now allows US-licensed physicians, nurse practitioners, and RNs to begin working in Ontario health settings for up to six months while they finish full registration. BC registers U.S.-trained professionals in days using direct verification through NURSYS.

Three reasons why this matters:

Clinical comparability: Canada and the U.S. both use the same licensing exam for nurses. In Ontario, physicians can be certified by U.S. boards through defined pathways. The province is confident in your ability to manage patients safely from day one.

Instant verification: For U.S. candidates, Ontario and BC can verify license status, discipline history, and board certification electronically within hours. This allows you to start on Monday, while they complete the paperwork, so you’re already covering a shift.

Supply and proximity: Ontario and BC are actively recruiting from the U.S. because thousands of doctors and nurses trained in Canada or comparable to Canadian standards are working there under burnout conditions. A U.S.-trained ER nurse can cross the border and be in scrubs within days.

Additionally, under CUSMA, if you are an American citizen, certain healthcare occupations may be eligible for an LMIA-exempt work permit almost immediately, instead of months.

Which NOC Code Should I Use as a Healthcare Worker?

When someone tells me “I’m a health support worker,” the first thing I ask is: What’s your exact NOC code?

Often, the title alone isn’t enough; the job duties determine whether your occupation is considered skilled or not and which immigration pathway would work for you.

Because that code determines which conversation we’re having.

The current federal healthcare category includes 37 occupations.

If your occupation is on that list and your CRS is competitive, you qualify for a direct Express Entry draw from outside Canada. That’s the straightforward path.

If not, you’re dependent on provincial nomination or other immigration pathways, depending on your NOC. And that’s where things get more strategic.

I had a consultation this morning with a Nigerian applicant who has been working as a Direct Support Professional with a Community Living organization in Ontario for the last two years. The applicant wanted us to apply for their PR under the Canadian Experience Class, hoping that their job makes them eligible for this category. However, when we reviewed their job duties, they aligned with those of a Home Support Worker (NOC 44101), which is a TEER 4 occupation and does not qualify under either the CEC or the Healthcare category.

Here’s what most people don’t realize: not all healthcare NOCs are treated equally. A registered nurse, a continuing care aide, and a medical lab technologist may have different priorities and may need to target different provinces, regions, or immigration pathways.

Know your NOC code and TEER level before you talk to employers. It’s the first filter in the system.

How Are Provinces Making Licensing Faster for Internationally Trained Nurses and Doctors in Canada?

Two years ago, employers wouldn’t talk to you without a full registration in hand. Now, if you’ve started your file with the regulatory college, you’re hireable.

In Canada, provinces are reducing the licensing timelines for nurses from 12-18 months to just 3-6 months. They are now providing provisional licenses, allowing you to begin working while your full registration is being processed.

Ontario, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia have all introduced streamlined credential recognition and faster assessment processes. The goal is simple: to get qualified healthcare workers into the system within months, not years.

That’s why the work-first pathway now works effectively. Licensing-in-progress is sufficient to attract employer interest. You don’t have to wait offshore for full registration before beginning discussions with Canadian employers.

Which Provinces in Canada Are Nominating Healthcare Workers for PR?

Every province uses its PNP differently to target healthcare workers, and understanding these differences matters.

• British Columbia, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI are prioritizing healthcare workers already working in their provinces who hold valid work permits. If a hospital, long-term care facility, or clinic will hire you, these provinces will nominate you.
• New Brunswick requires 12 months of employment before nomination. The message is clear: get in, prove you’re essential, and then they’ll keep you.
• Ontario, Alberta, and Saskatchewan run employer-driven streams. Ontario issued 2,643 healthcare invitations in one day (September 2, 2025), targeting roles outside the GTA.
• Alberta created a dedicated Health Care Pathway.
• Saskatchewan runs a Healthcare Worker EOI pool where employers select candidates directly.
• Manitoba and Newfoundland prioritize healthcare workers willing to serve smaller communities and rural areas.
• Manitoba issued 583 LAAs to health occupation workers on October 9, 2025.
• Newfoundland focuses on nurses and allied health professionals in rural placements.
• Geographic flexibility leads to quicker pathways. Thunder Bay, Moose Jaw, Moncton, and Prince George progress faster than Toronto or Vancouver.

The pattern I see across all of this: each province is using PNP allocation to address healthcare staffing gaps. The question isn’t whether a pathway exists. It’s the province that aligns with your occupation, credentials, and willingness to go where need is greatest.

I’m Not US-Trained: Can I Still Work in Healthcare in Canada and Get Permanent Residence?

Let me be honest with you. If you’re trained in India, the Philippines, the Middle East, or anywhere outside the U.S., you’re not in the fast lane. Canada sees you differently than someone who can start work immediately. But that doesn’t mean you can’t succeed. You just need a different strategy. Here’s what that means in practice.

You may not enter Canada in your final professional role. Many international nurses are initially hired as healthcare aides or community support workers while their RN/LPN registration is being processed.

Is this what you hoped for? Probably not. But it gets you into Canada on a valid work permit, allowing you to earn income, build Canadian experience, and position yourself for permanent residency.

Think of it in two steps:

• Take an entry-level healthcare job you can do now (this gets you into Canada)
• Finish your licensing, move up to your real role, then apply for permanent residence

Your choice is simple. Stay in your home country and wait (possibly forever), or take that first step and start making progress. The people who say “I’ll only come if I get my full title immediately” are usually the ones who never make it to Canada at all.

What Should I Do Right Now If I Want to Move to Canada as a Healthcare Worker?

If you’re a healthcare professional considering Canada, here’s what matters in the next 90 days.
Verify your exact NOC code and confirm whether it’s on the federal healthcare category list. Your NOC determines which pathways are even available to you.

1. Check your eligibility for one of the federal economic immigration programs and calculate your CRS score using the official calculator. This tells you which conversation you’re having – direct federal pathway or work-first conversion.
2. Start your licensing process immediately: Register with NNAS if you’re a nurse, with the Medical Council of Canada if you’re a physician, or with the regulatory body in your chosen province. Licensing usually takes between 3 and 12 months, depending on your profession and province. Unless you are a U.S.-trained healthcare professional eligible to work while your registration is pending, employers won’t consider you without your license in place.
3. Be realistic about geography: If you’re willing to work in smaller communities outside Toronto and Vancouver, your pathway to PR will be 6-12 months faster. If you’re only considering major cities, you’re choosing a longer timeline. That’s not judgment. That’s just the reality of where the gaps are.
4. The immigration system is complicated: Licensing requirements vary by profession and province. Pathways frequently change. Having someone who understands both the immigration process and licensing procedures can prevent costly mistakes and save you months.

Take Professional Help from Licensed Consultants

Canada needs healthcare workers. The pathways exist. But Canada isn’t inviting. Canada is retaining. Be the person they’re already relying on.

Keshav Sharma, a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC), leads a team with extensive experience in healthcare immigration pathways, provincial nominee programs, and employer-specific work permits. Our team helps international healthcare professionals navigate licensing requirements, secure job offers, and build clear pathways to permanent residence.

Don’t risk delays or missed opportunities. Contact our experts today to develop an immigration strategy tailored to your healthcare qualifications and career goals.