Targeted recruitment campaign planned for Washington, Oregon, California
British Columbia is intensifying efforts to attract doctors and nurses from the U.S. by streamlining credential recognition and launching a focused recruitment campaign, aiming to bolster its healthcare workforce.
With ongoing healthcare workforce shortages and increasing demand for services, the provincial government is working with medical regulatory bodies to simplify the licensing process for U.S.-trained professionals.
“Making it easier for internationally trained health-care workers, especially doctors, to deliver services for people in British Columbia is one of our government’s top priorities,” said Sunita Dhir, Parliamentary Secretary for International Credentials.
“That’s why we’re working to reduce barriers, while ensuring all physicians practising in B.C. have the education and skills to provide the high-quality health care people need. We’re taking action to get internationally trained doctors working and providing the services our communities need.”
To make the transition smoother for American physicians, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. is developing a direct pathway for U.S.-trained doctors who hold certification from the American Board of Medical Specialties.
This change would eliminate the need for additional assessments, exams, or training, aligning B.C. with similar initiatives already implemented in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, said the government. The province expects these changes to take effect in the coming months following regulatory consultations.
Nurses from the U.S. will also benefit from a faster licensing process. The BC College of Nurses and Midwives will soon allow direct applications for licensure, reducing administrative hurdles. Their credentials, including education and regulatory history, will be verified through the U.S. national nurse-licensure and disciplinary database, further expediting approvals, said the province.
The province is immediately increasing its recruitment outreach, followed by a coordinated marketing push in Washington, Oregon, and California in spring 2025. This initiative, in collaboration with health authorities and regulatory bodies, will emphasize job opportunities in high-need areas such as cancer care and emergency medicine, as well as rural regions facing acute workforce shortages.
“With the uncertainty and chaos happening south of our border, we have an unprecedented opportunity to attract skilled health-care workers interested in moving to Canada,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “Our message to doctors and nurses working in the U.S. is that now is the time to come to British Columbia. We will welcome you to our beautiful province where together we can strengthen public health care, deliver services for people and build healthy communities.”
These efforts build on previous international recruitment campaigns, including recent initiatives in the U.K. and Ireland, and complement existing measures to accelerate credential recognition for healthcare professionals from various countries and provinces.
In addition to recruiting from the U.S., the province has also improved licensing for physicians from other Canadian jurisdictions. Since January 2025, fully licensed physicians from other provinces can now obtain a B.C. license within a week—a significant reduction from the previous process, which took over a month.
