Canada Announces Over $31 Million to Integrate Internationally Educated Health Professionals
The Government of Canada is investing more than $31 million across six projects to help internationally educated health professionals join the workforce, including a $20 million expansion of Ontario's Practice Ready Ontario program aimed at creating up to 200 new family physicians by 2028-29.
On October 7, 2026, in Ottawa, ON, Minister of Health Marjorie Michel and Ontario Minister of Health Sylvia Jones announced that the Government of Canada is providing more than $31 million in federal funding for six projects designed to help internationally educated health professionals join Canada’s health workforce. 
The largest portion of the funding, $20 million over four years beginning in 2025-26, supports the Government of Ontario in expanding the Practice Ready Ontario (PRO) program. The expanded program will create 50 additional positions per year for internationally educated family physicians, resulting in up to 200 new family physicians ready to work in Ontario by 2028-29. A key focus of the PRO program is improving access to primary care in underserved northern and rural regions and Francophone communities in Ontario, including a specific stream for French-speaking physicians. Family physicians completing the program are required to fulfill a three-year return of service commitment within an underserved community in Ontario.
Ontario Minister of Health Sylvia Jones stated that the province is investing over $25 million into the PRO program to support 150 participants annually starting in 2026/27.
According to Statistics Canada Census data, approximately 60% of internationally educated health professionals employed in Canada work in their trained fields.
The remaining federal funding supports five national organizations in developing navigation resources and assessment improvements:
- The Medical Council of Canada (MCC) received $4,645,700 over two fiscal years to enhance bilingual navigation services, upgrade the Physicians Apply platform, and create a National Assessment Framework for Practice-ready Assessment programs.
- The Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators received $2,166,007 over two years to develop learning modules, pre-arrival resources, and a centralized information hub for internationally educated physiotherapists.
- The College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) received $2,046,648 over two years for the 'Re-IMGine' project to improve certification processes for internationally trained physicians.
- The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy received $1,762,489 over two years to develop a bilingual online portal guiding internationally educated occupational therapists on licensure and workforce integration.
- The National Nursing Assessment Service received $621,599 over two years to develop online resources helping internationally educated nurses navigate licensing processes across provinces.
This initiative is part of broader federal efforts to address healthcare worker shortages and streamline credential recognition. On December 8, 2025, the Government of Canada announced targeted immigration measures including a new Express Entry program, 5,000 new Provincial Nominee Program spaces, and 14-day work permit processing for eligible internationally trained physicians. Budget 2024 provides up to $77.1 million to integrate internationally educated health care professionals, supporting navigation systems, 120 new family medicine training positions, and increased assessment capacity. Additionally, Budget 2025 invests $97 million over five years to create a Foreign Credential Recognition Action Fund to make credential recognition fairer and faster.