Statistics Canada’s latest findings reveal that 60% of foreign healthcare professionals, including nurses, physicians, pharmacists, and dentists, find jobs within their field in Canada.
A recent report by Statistics Canada showed that 76% of the 259,694 internationally educated healthcare professionals (IEHPs) in Canada were employed. However, this employment rate was lower than that of Canadian-educated healthcare professionals, which was 80%. The data includes individuals working in healthcare occupations who may not necessarily be IEHPs.
Immigration makes up a quarter of the total workforce in the healthcare sector, according to IRCC data. The anticipation is that this figure will rise in the coming years, especially considering that approximately 500,000 healthcare workers are over the age of 55. They are expected to retire within the next decade, thereby creating opportunities for new arrivals.
Several studies conducted by Statistics Canada indicate that half of IEHPs in Canada immigrated during their core working years, usually from 25 to 34. Moreover, nearly one-third of all IEHPs recently immigrated to Canada between 2016 and 2021. The majority of IEHPs, about two-thirds of them, were under 50 years old. According to the study, seven out of ten IEHPs in Canada are female, reflecting the diversity of gender within this profession.
Where do Canada’s foreign healthcare professionals typically choose to reside?
With 116,310 people opting to live there, Ontario has emerged as the main location for internationally educated healthcare professionals (IEHPs) in Canada. With 45,235 and 42,035 IEHPs, respectively, British Columbia and Alberta came in second and third.
On the other hand, there were much fewer IEHP residents in Canada’s northern territories and Atlantic provinces. With only 475 people, Prince Edward Island had the smallest IEHP population. A total of 605 IEHPs were located throughout the three northern territories. With 3,195 IEHPs choosing to live there, Nova Scotia in the Atlantic provinces had a considerably larger number than its Atlantic rivals. These regional differences in distribution provide insight into the concentration of globally educated healthcare professionals in Canada.
From where did these healthcare professionals pursue their education?
According to the study, around 63% of healthcare professionals with international education (IEHPs) received their schooling in Asian nations. 11% of IEHPs, on the other hand, had continued their education in English-speaking Western countries.
The concentration of Asian-educated IEHPs was surprisingly found to be particularly strong in Manitoba, where they made up a sizeable 75% of the IEHP population, when specific provinces were examined. In contrast, New Brunswick had a higher percentage of IEHPs who had attended universities in English-speaking Western nations, making nearly 21% of the province’s IEHP population. This report highlights the different educational backgrounds of IEHPs and how the places where they received their education differ across Canada.
60% of foreign healthcare professionals find jobs in Canada – What are their job roles
In Canada, one-third of healthcare professionals with an international education (IEHPs) chose nursing as their area of study, according to Statistics Canada. The top five jobs held by members of this group were light duty cleaners (2%), social and community service workers (2%), registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (34% of the total), nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates (21%), licensed practical nurses (8%), and licensed vocational nurses (2%). It’s remarkable that in Prince Edward Island, more over half of IEHPs had nursing specializations.
Doctors make up 15% of the entire IEHP population in Canada. These medically qualified IEHPs opted to live in Newfoundland and Labrador in large numbers. It’s interesting to note that this province had the highest employment rate for IEHPs working in healthcare occupations, with 74% of IEHPs in the province working in such positions, in addition to having a greater percentage of IEHPs with physician training.
Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia reported high employment rates for IEHPs in healthcare occupations, with both jurisdictions having employment rates above 65%. Just 46% of IEHPs found employment in the healthcare industry in the remaining areas of Canada, which showed a lower employment rate for IEHPs. This information sheds light on the regional employment patterns and distribution of healthcare professionals across Canada’s numerous occupations.
Canada’s labor shortage – An overview
According to the most recent data on job openings provided by Statistics Canada, there were 147,100 job openings recorded in June of the current year.
According to the report on internationally educated healthcare professionals (IEHPs), there is a sizable population of IEHPs living in Canada. This suggests that there is a sizable pool of immigrants already present in the nation who have the potential to play a critical role in addressing the labor shortages in the healthcare workforce.
Provinces easing IEHP licensing
The difficult procedure of being licensed in Canada’s regulated professions is one of the biggest obstacles that IEHPs encounter while looking for work in their particular industries. It’s important to remember that each province in Canada continues to have its own unique regulatory body and specific standards for healthcare practitioners. For IEHPs hoping to land work in their preferred healthcare occupations, this difference in licensing requirements might be a major barrier.
Nevertheless, Canadian provinces have taken the initiative to put policies in place that will reduce obstacles for healthcare professionals with foreign education (IEHPs). For instance, Nova Scotia has implemented an accelerated pathway for licensed and registered foreign nurses. As well as they must be able to work as registered nurses in nations like the Philippines, India, Nigeria, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, or New Zealand.
Ontario, on the other hand, has passed a number of new laws. This includes clauses that, with few exceptions, compel health regulatory institutions to follow specific time restrictions when making registration decisions and forbid the necessity of Canadian work experience for registration.
In addition, IRCC has added six new Express Entry categories in 2023 to prioritize qualified applicants more heavily based on their occupation than their CRS score. People in the healthcare professions alone have received 2,000 ITAs in 2023 under these new categories.
Additionally, in October 2022, the IRCC made it feasible for physicians who were already working as temporary residents in Canada to be able to submit an Express Entry application. This was a significant step. Since most doctors were previously classified as self-employed and ineligible for this immigration stream, this represented a substantial change. Collectively, these programs show Canada’s attempts to ease the hiring of healthcare professionals with overseas education.
