Canada Allocates $86 Million For Foreign Healthcare Credentials

The Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault announced that 15 organizations across Canada will receive $86 million in funding.

This support aims to enhance foreign credential recognition for about 6600 internationally educated health professionals (IEHPs) which focuses on healthcare occupations such as nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, lab technicians, and respiratory therapy.

In the second quarter of 2023, 90,000 healthcare positions in Canada remained unfilled. IRCC's Express Entry draws prioritize healthcare occupations due to a chronic worker shortage and the data reveals that 36% of physicians and 25% of registered nurses in Canada were born abroad.

Foreign-trained medical professionals face challenges in obtaining proper licensing in Canada. Hence, this funding addresses these issues, facilitating the recognition of international credentials in healthcare.