Get a work permit while you wait Status: Closed to new applicantsAs of December 19, 2025, we’re no longer accepting new applications.
If you already have a work permit under the Start-up Visa Program, you may be able to extend it while your permanent residence application is being processed.



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Choose Canada for your medical careerYou can apply for permanent residence through Express Entry, and regional, provincial and territorial programs
New
Express Entry category for medical doctors who have at least 1 year of full-time Canadian work experience as a medical doctor, in the last 3 years
New
5,000 federal immigration spaces reserved through the Provincial Nominees Program to nominate medical doctors with job offers or letters of support to live and work in Canada permanently
New
Medical doctors nominated by a province or territory will also get a work permit processed in 14 days, so they can work while they wait for permanent residence
You can include your family members in your application

New Ministerial Instructions for the 2026 calendar year will come into effect on January 1, 2026. Since applications received as part of the 2025 intake will be accepted into processing in 2026, these instructions provide authority to accept into processing up to 10,000 applications received as part of the 2025 intake in 2026. 
These instructions also specify that as of January 1, 2026, no new permanent resident visa applications made by parents or grandparents of a sponsor, and no sponsorship applications made in relation to those applications, are to be received for processing until further instructions are issued. It’s important to note that these Ministerial Instructions are being given for administrative purposes. 
Details on the next intake will be shared when they are available.

• Read the full text of MI89​