For many foreign-trained physicians working in Canada, traditional Express Entry rules have posed a barrier to permanent residence. Under standard guidelines, self-employment work experience is not counted for eligibility or Comprehensive Ranking System points. This has been especially challenging for physicians paid under fee-for-service or independent contractor models, even when providing publicly funded medical services.
Recent policy changes and delivery updates from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada now make permanent residence through Express Entry more accessible for many of these physicians, bringing important shifts into effect in 2025 and 2026.
How Self-Employment Used to Affect Physicians
Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, self-employment work is generally excluded when calculating qualifying Canadian work experience under the Canadian Experience Class and when awarding points for Canadian work experience in the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). This exclusion often prevented physicians from counting fee-for-service work toward eligibility or CRS points, even if the work was publicly funded and essential to health care delivery.
Physicians faced a gap between the actual work they were doing and how it could be recognized under federal economic immigration programs.
The 2025-2026 Shift in Express Entry Practice
To address this challenge, IRCC maintains a temporary public policy exception that allows eligible physicians to count self-employment work experience for Express Entry purposes. Under this policy:
- Foreign national physicians invited to apply for permanent residence through Express Entry on or after April 25, 2023, can now count publicly funded fee-for-service work experience in Canada as qualifying work experience.
- Applicants must not select the “self-employed work” box in their profile for that experience to count as Canadian work experience.
This adjustment helps physicians meet minimum work requirements under the Canadian Experience Class and earn CRS points for Canadian experience that would otherwise be excluded. It also affects eligibility under the Federal Skilled Worker Program where arranged employment and work experience are considered.
New Express Entry Category for Physicians in 2026
Beyond the self-employment exception, Canada has introduced a new Express Entry category targeting physicians with Canadian work experience. Announced in December 2025, this category is part of broader efforts to support health care staffing and will begin issuing invitations in early 2026.
Under this category:
- Physicians need at least 12 months of full-time Canadian work experience in the last three years in an eligible medical occupation, such as family physician or specialist roles.
- Candidates meeting these criteria compete against other eligible physicians in category-based draws, which may have more favourable CRS outcomes given the focused applicant pool.
- This new category operates alongside other targeted Express Entry rounds and boosts the likelihood that physicians already contributing to Canada’s health care system will receive invitations to apply.
What Has Not Changed
Standard Express Entry criteria still apply outside these targeted measures. Physicians must:
- Meet language, education, and admissibility criteria
- Have work experience that can be documented and verified
- Be eligible under one of the three Express Entry programs (Canadian Experience Class or Federal Skilled Worker Program) before being considered under a category-based draw
The physician-focused policies do not guarantee an invitation; they adjust how experience is counted and how candidates are ranked.
What This Means for Applicants
For internationally trained doctors working in Canada, these developments are significant. They help bridge the gap between how work experience is earned and how it is recognized in Express Entry. Correctly classifying work experience and understanding eligibility criteria are now more important than ever.
Physicians and employers should ensure profiles reflect accurate employment information and that documentation supports claims of Canadian work experience. Misclassification can affect CRS points and eligibility.
Conclusion
Express Entry remains a competitive path to permanent residence in Canada, but recent updates now support self-employed physicians and introduce a dedicated category for practice-experienced doctors. Understanding how IRCC applies these rules in 2025 and 2026 is essential for physicians planning their immigration journey.
Jain Immigration Law
Toronto, Ontario
www.jainimmigrationlaw.com
416-548-5533
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration policy and procedures change, and each case must be evaluated individually. Readers should consult a qualified immigration professional regarding their specific situation.
Express Entry for Self-Employed Physicians: What’s New in 2025-2026 and Why It Matters
Home » Blog » Express Entry for Self-Employed Physicians: What’s New in 2025-2026 and Why It Matters
For many foreign-trained physicians working in Canada, traditional Express Entry rules have posed a barrier to permanent residence. Under standard guidelines, self-employment work experience is not counted for eligibility or Comprehensive Ranking System points. This has been especially challenging for physicians paid under fee-for-service or independent contractor models, even when providing publicly funded medical services.
Recent policy changes and delivery updates from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada now make permanent residence through Express Entry more accessible for many of these physicians, bringing important shifts into effect in 2025 and 2026.
How Self-Employment Used to Affect Physicians
Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, self-employment work is generally excluded when calculating qualifying Canadian work experience under the Canadian Experience Class and when awarding points for Canadian work experience in the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). This exclusion often prevented physicians from counting fee-for-service work toward eligibility or CRS points, even if the work was publicly funded and essential to health care delivery.
Physicians faced a gap between the actual work they were doing and how it could be recognized under federal economic immigration programs.
The 2025-2026 Shift in Express Entry Practice
To address this challenge, IRCC maintains a temporary public policy exception that allows eligible physicians to count self-employment work experience for Express Entry purposes. Under this policy:
This adjustment helps physicians meet minimum work requirements under the Canadian Experience Class and earn CRS points for Canadian experience that would otherwise be excluded. It also affects eligibility under the Federal Skilled Worker Program where arranged employment and work experience are considered.
New Express Entry Category for Physicians in 2026
Beyond the self-employment exception, Canada has introduced a new Express Entry category targeting physicians with Canadian work experience. Announced in December 2025, this category is part of broader efforts to support health care staffing and will begin issuing invitations in early 2026.
Under this category:
What Has Not Changed
Standard Express Entry criteria still apply outside these targeted measures. Physicians must:
The physician-focused policies do not guarantee an invitation; they adjust how experience is counted and how candidates are ranked.
What This Means for Applicants
For internationally trained doctors working in Canada, these developments are significant. They help bridge the gap between how work experience is earned and how it is recognized in Express Entry. Correctly classifying work experience and understanding eligibility criteria are now more important than ever.
Physicians and employers should ensure profiles reflect accurate employment information and that documentation supports claims of Canadian work experience. Misclassification can affect CRS points and eligibility.
Conclusion
Express Entry remains a competitive path to permanent residence in Canada, but recent updates now support self-employed physicians and introduce a dedicated category for practice-experienced doctors. Understanding how IRCC applies these rules in 2025 and 2026 is essential for physicians planning their immigration journey.
Jain Immigration Law
Toronto, Ontario
www.jainimmigrationlaw.com
416-548-5533
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration policy and procedures change, and each case must be evaluated individually. Readers should consult a qualified immigration professional regarding their specific situation.