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Ontario Workforce Priority STREAM: Self-Employed Physician
Summary:
The Ontario Workforce Priority Stream: Self-Employed Physician pathway is a permanent residence pathway under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) for eligible self-employed physicians who are authorized to practise medicine and provide publicly funded health services in Ontario.
Unlike applicants applying under the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream with a job offer, eligible self-employed physicians do not need a job offer from an Ontario employer and are not required to meet the stream’s employer requirements.
To qualify as a self-employed physician, an applicant must:
- Be eligible to receive payment for publicly funded health services under Ontario’s Health Insurance Act, meaning they have an Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) billing number.
- Hold an eligible Certificate of Registration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) and be a member in good standing.
Eligible self-employed physicians who receive an Ontario nomination can then apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence. They may also have the option of being nominated through the Express Entry system if they meet the applicable federal Express Entry requirements.
Self-Employed Physician Requirements
To apply under the self-employed physician pathway, applicants must meet both of the following requirements:
1. OHIP Billing Number
The physician must be eligible to receive payment for publicly funded health services in accordance with Ontario’s Health Insurance Act. This means the physician must have an OHIP billing number.
2. CPSO Registration
The physician must hold one of the following certificates of registration and be a member in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO):
- Certificate of Registration authorizing Independent Practice
- Certificate of Registration authorizing Academic Practice
- Provisional Certificate of Registration
Physicians who hold only a postgraduate education licence are not eligible to apply as self-employed physicians under this pathway. However, they may be eligible to apply under the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream with a qualifying job offer from an Ontario employer.
Eligible self-employed physicians who meet the requirements above do not need to meet the other applicant requirements that apply to applicants with a job offer, and the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream’s employer requirements do not apply to them.
Job Offer and Employer Requirements
Eligible self-employed physicians do not require a job offer from an Ontario employer.
As a result, the employer requirements that normally apply to Ontario Workforce Priority Stream applicants with a job offer do not apply to eligible self-employed physicians.
This distinguishes the self-employed physician pathway from the job-offer pathways under the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream.
Expression of Interest
The Ontario Workforce Priority Stream uses an Expression of Interest (EOI) system.
Eligible self-employed physicians must contact the OINP to begin the process of registering an EOI.
Once an EOI is registered, the physician is placed in the applicable selection pool and receives an EOI score based on the scoring factors that apply to the pathway.
Ontario may conduct general or targeted invitation rounds and invite selected candidates to submit an application for nomination.
Receiving an invitation does not by itself guarantee nomination. Applicants must substantiate the information and scoring factors claimed in their EOI and demonstrate that they meet the applicable stream requirements.
Expression of Interest Scoring
Self-employed physicians participate in the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream’s EOI system, although some scoring factors that apply to job-offer applicants do not apply to self-employed physicians.
EOI scoring may consider factors such as:
- NOC TEER category
- NOC broad occupational category
- Ontario medical practice experience
- Canadian work experience earnings history
- Legal status in Canada
- Highest level of education
- Canadian education credentials
- Official language ability
- Knowledge of both official languages
- Regionalization factors, where applicable
The hourly wage scoring factor does not apply to self-employed physicians.
Applicants invited to apply must provide documentation supporting the scoring factors for which they claimed and received points.
EOI scoring factors are separate from the basic eligibility requirements for the self-employed physician pathway.
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Application Process
The application process generally involves the following steps:
- Meet the physician eligibility requirements
Obtain an eligible Certificate of Registration from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, remain a member in good standing and obtain an OHIP billing number. - Contact the OINP to register an Expression of Interest
Eligible self-employed physicians must contact the program to begin the EOI registration process. - Enter the EOI selection pool
The physician receives an EOI score based on the applicable scoring factors. - Receive an Invitation to Apply
Ontario periodically conducts general or targeted invitation rounds and invites selected candidates to apply. - Submit the OINP application
If invited, the physician must submit a complete application and pay the applicable fee within 17 calendar days from the date the invitation to apply was issued. - Receive an Ontario nomination
If the application is approved, Ontario issues a provincial nomination. - Apply for permanent residence
The nominee then applies to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which makes the final decision on permanent residence.
Express Entry Option
Eligible self-employed physicians may choose to be nominated through the IRCC Express Entry system.
To use this option, the physician must:
- Meet the minimum eligibility requirements of a federal Express Entry program.
- Maintain a valid Express Entry profile throughout the applicable OINP application period.
- Indicate that they would like to be nominated through Express Entry.
If Ontario approves the application and issues the nomination through Express Entry, the nomination provides 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points.
The applicant has 30 calendar days to accept or refuse the nomination in the Express Entry system. After accepting the nomination and receiving an invitation to apply for permanent residence, the applicant has 60 calendar days to submit the permanent residence application to IRCC.
Required Documents
The documents required depend on the applicant’s circumstances and the EOI scoring factors claimed. Applicants should follow the official Ontario Workforce Priority Stream applicant document checklist.
Mandatory Physician Documents
Self-employed physicians must provide:
- A copy of their Certificate of Registration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO).
- Proof of their OHIP billing number registration.
Identity Documents
Applicants may also be required to provide applicable identity and civil-status documents, including:
- Passport documents
- Photograph
- Birth certificate, where applicable
- Marriage certificate or other civil-status documents, where applicable
Status in Canada
Applicants applying from within Canada must provide documentation demonstrating their legal status in Canada, where applicable.
This may include:
- Work permit
- Study permit
- Visitor record
- Documentation supporting maintained status, where applicable
Education Documents
Applicants may need to provide education documents, particularly where education was used to obtain EOI points.
For education completed outside Canada, an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) may be required to establish Canadian equivalency for EOI scoring purposes.
Language Test Results
Where an applicant claims EOI points for official language ability, they must provide valid results from an approved English or French language test.
Accepted tests include:
English
- IELTS General Training
- CELPIP General
- PTE Core
French
- TEF Canada
- TCF Canada
Language points are based on the applicant’s lowest Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level across reading, writing, listening and speaking.
Work History and Medical Practice Documents
Applicants may be required to provide documents supporting their work history and Ontario medical practice experience, particularly when claiming EOI points for Ontario experience.
Supporting documents may include applicable employment or professional practice records and other documentation requested by the OINP.
Resumé
Applicants must provide an up-to-date resumé outlining their education, professional experience and other relevant background.
EOI Scoring Documents
Applicants must provide evidence supporting the EOI scoring factors for which they claimed and received points.
Depending on the applicant’s circumstances, this may include documentation relating to:
- Ontario medical practice experience
- Canadian earnings history
- Legal status
- Education
- Canadian education credentials
- English or French language ability
- Knowledge of both official languages
- Regionalization factors
Applicants should ensure that the information in their application is consistent with the information provided in their EOI.
Important Considerations
Applicants should keep the following points in mind:
- Having an eligible CPSO Certificate of Registration and an OHIP billing number is an eligibility requirement, not merely something that can be completed after applying.
- A job offer is not required for an eligible self-employed physician.
- Employer eligibility and job-offer requirements do not apply to eligible self-employed physicians.
- A postgraduate education licence does not qualify a physician for the self-employed physician pathway.
- EOI scoring is separate from the stream’s basic eligibility requirements.
- An Invitation to Apply does not guarantee nomination.
- If invited, the applicant has 17 calendar days to submit the OINP application and pay the applicable fee.
- IRCC, not the OINP, makes the final decision on Canadian permanent residence.
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I’m Rashid Ali, a Licensed Canadian Immigration Consultant, having a designation of RCIC (Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant) from the College of Citizenship & Immigration Consultants of Canada or CICC (Previously known as ICCRC). CICC is the official regulator of immigration consultants in Canada. I’m also a member of the Canadian Association for Professional Immigration Consultants (CAPIC).