ONTARIO EASES IMMIGRATION FOR SELF-EMPLOYED PHYSICIANS
Immigration law
24 Mar
Ontario has made it easier for self-employed physicians to obtain permanent residency through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)—because if you're skilled enough to run your own practice, you’re definitely skilled enough to handle Canadian winters!
To address Ontario's physician shortage, the OINP has implemented changes in line with Canada's growing demand for healthcare services due to an ageing population.
Several provinces, including Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Manitoba, have introduced incentives to attract skilled healthcare immigrants. In 2023, IRCC launched category-based selection draws targeting candidates with experience in in-demand occupations, including healthcare.
Additionally, the latest Immigration Levels Plan, announced in October 2024, prioritizes healthcare, trades, and French-language proficiency as key categories for 2025 because Canada needs more doctors, more handypeople, and definitely more folks who can confidently order poutine in perfect French.
Under the updated requirements, physicians can now qualify for certain streams by counting their self-employed work experience - no job offer needed. Because if you have been running your own practice, chances are you already know how to diagnose, treat, and juggle a million things at once.
The OINP has updated the following streams:
- Express Entry – Human Capital Priorities
- Express Entry – French-Speaking Skilled Worker
- Employer Job Offer – Foreign Worker
Previously, many physicians struggled to qualify since they are often self-employed in Ontario, but these changes aim to bridge that gap because saving lives shouldn’t come with extra red tape.
RRM Law Office can assist self-employed physicians in obtaining permanent residency through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) by navigating the complexities of self-employment in the immigration process. We ensure proper documentation, address self-employment challenges, and provide legal representation for refusals or judicial reviews. With expert guidance, we streamline the PR process, helping physicians establish their careers in Ontario’s healthcare system.
The OINP has updated its regulations to allow candidates applying through the Human Capital Priorities and French-Speaking Skilled Worker streams to count their self-employed experience as physicians toward the required work experience because treating patients shouldn’t disqualify you from qualifying yourself.
To qualify, candidates must have self-employment experience under one of the following National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes:
- NOC 31100 – Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
- NOC 31101 – Specialists in surgery
- NOC 31102 – General practitioners and family physicians
Previously, many physicians were ineligible for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) as it required employment experience, whereas most physicians in Ontario operate as self-employed professionals.
Physicians can now qualify for the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream without needing a job offer. To be eligible, applicants must:
- Apply under NOC codes 31100, 31101, or 31102.
- Be registered and in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario in a certificate category that permits patient care (Independent practice, Academic practice, or Postgraduate education).
- Be eligible to receive payment for publicly funded health services.
Prior to this change, self-employed physicians couldn’t qualify for this stream, as it previously required a job offer from an Ontario employer-basically, you had to be hired by someone else to get hired by Ontario.
These OINP streams are enhanced PNP programs, meaning they are linked with the federal Express Entry system. Through the enhanced PNP program, provinces can nominate candidates from the Express Entry pool. Once a candidate receives a provincial nomination, they gain an extra 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, significantly increasing their chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in the next Express Entry draw.
In addition to immigration services, RRM Law offers support in other legal areas, such as criminal defense attorney, real estate lawyer, and family law attorney. They can represent you in communications with the government and help you navigate the application process, including the next steps toward applying for permanent residence with the Canadian federal government. "Looking for the best? Call RRM Law today."