{"id":836698,"date":"2025-03-25T14:13:52","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T19:13:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/25\/opinion-immigration-can-help-address-canadas-healthcare-crisis-and-canadians-agree-according-to-new-survey\/"},"modified":"2025-03-25T14:13:52","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T19:13:52","slug":"opinion-immigration-can-help-address-canadas-healthcare-crisis-and-canadians-agree-according-to-new-survey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/25\/opinion-immigration-can-help-address-canadas-healthcare-crisis-and-canadians-agree-according-to-new-survey\/","title":{"rendered":"OPINION: Immigration can help address Canada\u2019s healthcare crisis \u2013 and Canadians agree, according to new survey"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Published:<\/span> February 27, 2025\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Health care is the top concern for Canadians, according to a recent study by CIC News. This is not surprising, as 6.5 million Canadians don\u2019t have a family doctor, and healthcare wait times reached record levels in 2024.<\/p>\n

Join the Angus Reid Forum and get $5 in points!<\/a><\/p>\n

The lack of access to care can be directly linked to a shortage of medical professionals. In Ontario alone, there were 2,600 vacant physician positions in January of 2025.<\/p>\n

Most Canadians call for an increase in foreign-trained medical professionals to reduce wait times, according to research by CIC News.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time that Canada get serious about removing the barriers to licensing faced by foreign-trained medical professionals, and using immigration to tap into foreign-trained medical talent.<\/p>\n

Barriers to licensing<\/h2>\n

Even with years of experience, foreign-trained medical professionals face serious challenges in becoming licensed to practice their professions in Canada.<\/p>\n

For example, to become licensed for independent practice as a physician in Ontario<\/a> you must complete \u201cone year of postgraduate training or active medical practice\u201d in Canada or \u201ca full clinical clerkship at an accredited Canadian medical school,\u201d and must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s extremely difficult for foreign-trained doctors to obtain the residency spots they need in order to become licensed, as the vast majority of residency spots are reserved for graduates of Canadian medical schools.<\/p>\n

In 2024, 2,936 of 3,086 Canadian medical school graduates obtained residency, a placement rate of 95%. For foreign trained physicians, the placement rate was only 42%, with 671 of the 1,602 applicants having received placements.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, obtaining Canadian permanent residency often takes months or even years.<\/p>\n

In Ontario and elsewhere across Canada, we are welcoming skilled medical professionals such as physicians with years of experience overseas and not providing them the opportunity needed to become licensed to legally practice their professions.<\/p>\n

Improving access to care<\/h2>\n

There is broad support among residents of Canada for addressing the shortage of healthcare workers by welcoming more foreign-trained medical professionals.<\/p>\n

According to research conducted by CIC News among members of the Angus Reid Forum,<\/p>\n