Work Permits for Visa-Trainee Physicians

Key Messages

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) supports the integration of internationally trained healthcare professionals by facilitating work permits to visa trainee physicians who come to Canada temporarily to complete their medical education.
Visa-trainees do not take opportunities from Canadian medical graduates because they are not eligible for the residency matching process used by Canadian trainees.
They contribute to the health care system and provide care at no cost to Canadians, as they are financially supported by foreign governments to complete their training in Canada. In some cases, some governments also pay fees to host institutions, creating additional revenue that supports Canadian medical programs and innovation.
Visa-trainee physicians are internationally mobile, and it is a privilege that they choose Canada’s world class institutions.
Given the global competition for talent, attracting skilled professionals, even temporarily, is a smart investment.

Since 2015, just over 16,000 work permits were issued to visa trainees. While there has been a slight increase over the years, there are no major fluctuations.
Between 2024 and September 30, 2025, 5,328 work permits were issued to visa-trainees under the International Mobility Program (no Labour Market Impact Assessment required);
- In 2024, 2,797 were issued, and
- In 2025, 2,531 were issued (as of September 30).
Most who come are specialists. Of the 5,328 work permits issued since 2024:
- 3,931 work permits were issued to specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine,
- 788 to specialists in surgery,
- 42 to general practitioners and family physicians, and
- the remaining work permit holders work in a variety of other healthcare-related occupations (e.g., research, teaching).
Most visa trainees are in Ontario, followed by Quebec and British Columbia.
The top eight countries where visa trainees come from are:
- Saudia Arabia (1,668)
- Kuwait (297)
- India (189)
- Israel (176)
- Australia (149)
- Oman (122)
- United Kingdom (130)
- Brazil (113)

Visa-trainees are physicians who are sponsored by a home country to come to Canada to train under a postgraduate training agreements with Canadian medical schools.
Visa trainee physician positions are funded by foreign governments and health-related charitable organizations. The foreign governments cover costs related to the trainee’s salary, benefits, as well as any training-related costs. This means that they are not paid or supported financially with Canadian-sourced funds.
Visa trainee physicians do not compete for residency positions reserved for Canadians and permanent residents. Residency allocations are set by provincial governments, and medical schools manage these positions within those allocations. Visa trainees are outside the matching systems for Canadian Medical Graduates and International Medical Graduates.

Visa trainee physicians are issued work permits under the International Mobility Program and do not require an LMIA.
To facilitate training opportunities, IRCC introduced an LMIA exemption in 2009 (known as C-45 or Bulletin 230). This exemption simplifies the process for foreign physicians and fellows to come to Canada for advanced education and training. A labour market opinion issued by Employment and Social Development Canada in 2009 detailed that visa trainees and fellows come to Canada to advance education or training and contribute to Canada’s medical institutions and would not adversely impact the labour market.

This is a win-win as this international knowledge transfer, and access to specialized training in Canada, is expected to help returning trainees apply their advanced skills and knowledge to the local healthcare system. Canada benefits because it helps strengthen our national healthcare capacity in a cost-effective manner, while also improving cultural competence and adaptability.
Those who return home take with them experience from a well-recognized Canadian medical school, strengthening Canada’s reputation, and contributing to the development of their home country's healthcare system.
After completing their training, some may apply for permanent residency through economic immigration programs. If they stay, they help provide care in their local communities that need more doctors, without affecting the number of residency spots available to Canadians.

2026-03-18