The federal government announced that it will use the Canadian immigration system to employ more healthcare workers, who are in high demand in Canada, which is facing a severe shortage of some professionals in this field, such as family doctors.

The announcement was made on Wednesday by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser and his colleague Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos during an event in Bedford, Nova Scotia, where they unveiled a "fast entry" portal for healthcare professionals in the economic immigration program.

The two ministers said that a notice will soon be sent to 500 foreign healthcare workers inviting them to apply for permanent residence in Canada. Another 1,500 workers will receive an invitation next week.

Invitations will be directed to foreign doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, physical therapists, and optometrists as part of the federal government's efforts to address a healthcare crisis largely due to staff shortages.

The situation is indeed difficult. There are about six million Canadians without a family doctor, according to research conducted by the Angus Reid Institute, which specializes in opinion polls and surveys. Canada also lacks specialist doctors.

The shortage of doctors is also expected to become more severe within just five years. Federal data indicates that by 2028 Canada will lack about 44,000 doctors, including more than 30,000 family doctors and general practitioners.

Healthcare professionals work around the clock to provide world-class care to individuals in local communities across Canada, but it is no secret that our healthcare system needs more workers to continue delivering the quality care that people in Canada deserve. Quoting Sean Fraser, Canadian Minister of Immigration

"There is no sector where the labor shortage is more pronounced than in healthcare," said the Canadian Health Minister.

"Today's announcement will facilitate, accelerate, and simplify permanent residence applications, and will help improve workforce recruitment efforts by bringing more qualified healthcare professionals to Canada," Minister Duclos added yesterday.

In the same context, Minister Fraser said that between 2017 and 2022, Canada received about 21,000 healthcare workers, averaging just over 4,000 workers annually. He added that the current goal is to bring in about 8,000 healthcare workers from abroad annually.

While the federal government is committed to bringing in more immigrant healthcare workers, this process does not solve all the problems the healthcare system is facing in the country.

The Wednesday announcement does not address ongoing issues related to the recognition of foreign credentials, which the federal government has also pledged to address with the provinces and territories.

Medical licensing is exclusively under the jurisdiction of the provinces and territories, but the federal government has promised more funding to help simplify this difficult process.