Canadian provinces recruit U.S. nurses and doctors to ease staffing gaps
Several Canadian provinces have begun actively hiring health-care workers from the United States, and the program is already delivering doctors and nurses to hospitals such as Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.
In response to chronic staffing deficits, Canadian provinces have turned to the United States for health-care talent, with Ontario alone hiring 33 doctors and 2,300 nurses in 2025 and British Columbia reporting over 580 new hires since March. The recruitment scheme offers accelerated licensing and provincial nomination for permanent residence, a process that enabled nurse Shane Tyson to obtain his B.C. licence in three months and begin work at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.
Island Health, which started its U.S. hiring in April 2025, has added 76 physicians and 102 nurses, aiming to fill remaining gaps despite a 15 % nurse vacancy rate. An online Discord community founded by former a journalist at one outlet and his wife Jocelyn provides peer support for newcomers on issues ranging from licensing to family services. Canadian medical and nursing associations caution that while foreign recruitment helps short-term, long-term solutions must focus on better retention of home-grown workers.
Why it matters
The influx of U.S. clinicians eases Canada's health-care staffing crisis but highlights the need for better retention of domestic workers.
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