Whereas there is a significant shortage of healthcare professionals in the province, which impacts the availability and quality of healthcare services; And whereas the current process for licensing out-of-province and internationally-trained healthcare professionals is lengthy and inefficient, resulting in delays filling critical positions and exacerbating the workforce shortage: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the provincial government to streamline the licensing process for out-of-province and internationally-trained healthcare professionals, ensuring a more efficient pathway for these professionals to practice and contribute to addressing the healthcare workforce shortage in the province.
Ministry of Health Health care workers coming from international and other Canadian jurisdictions have an important impact on the health care system in BC. This is why the BC government has implemented substantial changes across the system, strengthened through the International Credentials Recognition Act 2024 and the Health Professions and Occupations Act HPOA. The HPOA comes into force on April 1, 2026, and includes provisions that require regulatory colleges to remove barriers to practice, encouraging more internationally trained health professionals to work in BC. Significant progress has been made provincially to improve credential recognition pathways for nurses and doctors. This includes the launch of a streamlined assessment process for Internationally Educated Nurses IENs to be assessed simultaneously for the Health Care Assistant HCA role or Licensed Practical Nurse and Registered Nurse RN designations. This process helps to determine where IENs best fit in BCs health workforce so they can start work sooner. Further, US nurses can now apply directly to the BC College of Nurses and Midwives BCCNM and have their education, exam results, employment, and registration history confirmed through Nursys, a licensure and disciplinary database for all nurses in the US. With a complete application, a US RN can now become registered in a matter of weeks. Similarly, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC CPSBC implemented bylaw changes that allow US doctors to apply directly to become fully licensed in BC without the need for further assessment, examination or training if they hold certification from the American Board of Medical Specialties, American Board of Family Medicine or the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians. Furthermore, doctors trained outside of Canada and the US are no longer required to hold the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada, reducing costs and shortening the licensing process - making BC an attractive place to work. Further, BC implemented a focused US recruitment campaign in 2025 highlighting the new expedited pathways for US nurses and doctors. From May to October 2025, over 2,100 job applications from US health professionals were received and nearly 260 health-care workers accepted job offers. Recognizing the importance of interprovincial labour mobility, BC is taking steps to make this easier: - Nursys implementation: Canada is introducing Nursys, a secure database that gives regulators access to registration information about Canadian nurses. BCCNM is an early participant in this federally funded, Pan-Canadian system and has also enhanced its temporary emergency registration process to allow eligible individuals to be registered quickly during health emergencies. - CPSBC fast-tracked licensure: As of January 2025, the CPSBC has updated its fast-tracked licensure policy, allowing eligible applicants to apply directly without the need for credential verification. - Expedited HCA registration: The BC Care Aide Community Health Worker Registry offers an expedited registration pathway for HCAs who have graduated from recognized programs in other Canadian jurisdictions. These initiatives demonstrate the Provinces ongoing commitment to facilitating labour mobility and to streamlining licensing pathways for health professionals interested in working in BC.