Medical doctors and certain health care specialists: Get faster processing
If you’re a doctor in one of the 3 eligible National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes, you may be able to get 14-day processing on your work permit application.
On this page
Who’s eligible
You can get faster processing of your work permit application if you
- are applying online
- have a full-time and non-seasonal job offer in 1 of the 3 eligible NOCs
- NOC 31100 – Specialists in clinical laboratory medicine
- NOC 31101 – Specialists in surgery
- NOC 31102 – General practitioners and family physicians
- have a support letter from a Canadian province or territory nominating you as a permanent residence applicant through the Provincial Nominee Program
- You don’t need to have applied for permanent residence yet.
- meet the general eligibility requirements (opens in a new tab) to apply for a work permit, depending on where you’re applying from
Steps before you apply
There are some things that you need to do to avoid delays and take advantage of faster processing.
Check your NOC
If you submit your application with the wrong NOC, you may not be eligible for 14-day processing. Check your NOC with your employer before you apply to be sure you’re using the correct one.
Get your documents ready
You must include all the required documents with your work permit application. Get the documents ready before you submit your application.
Valid support letter from the province or territory that nominated you
The province or territory that nominated you for permanent residence must give you a letter of support. To be eligible for faster processing, you must include this letter when you apply.
You don’t need to have applied for permanent residence when you apply for your work permit.
Employer documents
Before you apply for your work permit, your employer must provide you with the right documents.
With your application, you must submit
- an employment contract or proof of employment from a province or territory (provincial authority) or an employer
- the offer of employment number
- The provincial authority or employer will get this number when they submit information through the Employer Portal.
- the labour market impact assessment exemption code (T13)
- proof that your employer paid the employer compliance fee
Make sure you have these documents from your employer before you start your application.
Upfront medical exam
To apply for this work permit as a doctor or health specialist in 1 of the 3 eligible NOCs, you must include results from your upfront medical exam. Book your exam before you apply so that you can include the results with your application.
Find out how to get your upfront medical exam.
Police certificate (and other country-specific documents) Not always needed
Police certificates and other country-specific forms or documents are part of the visa office requirements for the country you’re applying from.
The document checklist in your online account will include these documents, but you can prepare them ahead of time by selecting your country of residence in the drop-down list below.
Where are you applying from?
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Andorra
- Angola
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Aruba
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Benin
- Bermuda
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bonaire
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- British Virgin Islands
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Burma (Myanmar)
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Cabo Verde
- Cayman Islands
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Chile
- China (People’s Republic of)
- Colombia
- Comoros Island
- Congo
- Costa Rica
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Curaçao
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Holy See
- Honduras
- Hong Kong SAR
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macao SAR
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Martinique
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia (Federated States of)
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- North Macedonia (Republic Of)
- Norway
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palestine
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Puerto Rico
- Qatar
- Romania
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- South Sudan
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Swaziland
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syria
- Tahiti
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste (Timor oriental)
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
- Uruguay
- US Virgin Islands
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Get certified translations
Everyone must include certified translations of documents that aren’t in English or French—even if your visa office says that documents in other languages are acceptable.
Submit a complete application
You must apply online. Read the instruction guide to get a detailed description of the application process.
You must submit a complete application to get faster processing. This means that when you submit your application, you must
- include all the forms and documents listed in the document checklist
- pay all applicable fees
- work permit fee ($155)
- biometrics fee, if needed (starting at $85 per person)
If you don’t submit a complete application, there will be delays.
Create an account or sign-inFaster processing for your family members Outside Canada applicants only
If you’re outside Canada when you apply for your work permit, family members included in your application can also get faster processing for their
- visitor visa
- work permit
- study permit
When they apply, they must
- get their documents ready
- The documents they need to prepare will depend on what they’re applying for.
- get certified translations (if needed)
- submit a complete application
- submit their application together with yours
- give their biometrics within 2 weeks of getting their biometric instruction letter (if needed)
Eligible family members
Eligible family members include your
- spouse or common-law partner
- dependent child (yours, your spouse’s or your common-law partner’s)
- dependent child of a dependent child
Give your biometrics within 2 weeks of getting your biometric instruction letter Not always needed
You may need to give your biometrics after you submit your application. If you do, you must pay the biometrics fee (starting at $85 a person) when you apply.
If you need to give your biometrics, we’ll send you a biometrics instruction letter (BIL) when we check that your application is complete.
Your BIL will have instructions on how to make an appointment to give your biometrics. You must bring your BIL with you to your appointment.
To get faster processing, you must give your biometrics within 2 weeks of getting your BIL.
If you gave your biometrics in the past
If your biometrics are still valid, you don’t need to give them again.
However, if your biometrics are going to expire soon, you should pay the fee when you apply and give your biometrics again.
We can’t issue a visa or permit with a validity period extending beyond the expiry date of your biometrics.
Processing times
Processing begins after
- we check that your application is complete
- you give your biometrics
We won’t notify you that your application is being processed. Contacting us will not speed up the processing of your application.
While your application is being processed, we’ll only contact you if
- your application is missing documents
- If that’s the case, you won’t get faster processing.
- we made a decision on your application
Things that will delay processing
You won’t get faster processing if
- your application is incomplete (it’s missing documents)
- you don’t give your biometrics on time
- you haven’t done your medical exam