Why This Matters
Imagine dedicating your life to healthcare—saving lives, easing suffering, and making a real difference—only to arrive in a new country where you can no longer practice the career you’ve worked so hard to build. This is the harsh reality for thousands of Internationally Educated Healthcare Professionals (IEHPs) in Canada.

Many IEHPs come to Canada full of hope, encouraged by immigration programs that prioritize their healthcare expertise. However, upon arrival, they find themselves excluded from the system they were promised to join.

• Fewer than 40% of IEHPs transition into healthcare roles after immigrating to Canada (Statistics Canada, 2022).
• Thousands take jobs far removed from their expertise—driving taxis, working in warehouses, or other unrelated roles—leaving their training and passion underutilized.
• For IEHPs, this isn’t just a career setback; it’s a loss of dignity and purpose, leading to depression, financial strain, and a growing sense of despair.

This disconnection also hurts Canadians:

• 5 million Canadians don’t have access to a family doctor (Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2023).
• Wait times for care exceed six months in many provinces, with rural areas facing particularly severe shortages.

By failing to effectively integrate IEHPs, Canada wastes valuable skills and resources while communities suffer. This is a crisis that impacts everyone—but it’s also one we can fix.

Our Ask
We call on the Ministry of Employment to take concrete steps to keep IEHPs in healthcare, ensuring they have the dignity, opportunities, and pathways to thrive. Specifically, we ask for the following reforms as outlined in the Canada’s First National IEHP Integration Charter:

 
1. Establish Transitional Healthcare Roles for IEHPs
Why It’s Needed:

• IEHPs often face years of licensing exams and barriers before they can practice in Canada. Many lose hope and leave healthcare entirely.
• Transitional roles—such as clinical assistants, technicians, or healthcare aides—offer a way for IEHPs to stay connected to their field while working toward licensure.

Action:

• Collaborate with healthcare employers to create structured, non-regulated roles that allow IEHPs to contribute meaningfully.
• Provide IEHPs with practical, hands-on experience in Canadian healthcare settings to ease their transition.

2. Incentivize Employers to Hire IEHPs
Why It’s Needed:

• Employers are often hesitant to hire IEHPs due to perceived risks or additional effort required for training. Without incentives, IEHPs are left without opportunities to prove their value.

Action:

• Develop tax credits, grants, or subsidies for employers who hire IEHPs in transitional roles.
• Fund mentorship programs where licensed professionals guide IEHPs, providing cultural adaptation and professional growth.

3. Create Clear Employment Pathways for IEHPs
Why It’s Needed:

• Many IEHPs don’t know where to start or what roles they qualify for.
• Without clear guidance, they feel lost, leading to career abandonment.

Action:

• Collaborate with the Ministry of Health to publish clear, region-specific employment guides that outline transitional roles and long-term licensure pathways.
• Develop a centralized job portal connecting IEHPs with employers who value their expertise.

Why This Is Important
For Canadians:
When IEHPs thrive, Canadians benefit. Transitional roles ensure that healthcare professionals stay in their field, reducing wait times and improving care access for all. This is particularly critical in rural areas, where shortages are most severe.

For IEHPs:
This isn’t just about jobs; it’s about restoring dignity. IEHPs are passionate about healthcare—they didn’t train for years to take unrelated roles. Providing transitional roles and employment pathways means giving them a chance to live their purpose, regain confidence, and feel valued in their new home.

For Canada’s Healthcare System:
With over 75% of healthcare professionals nearing retirement in the next decade (Conference Board of Canada, 2023), integrating IEHPs is critical to sustaining Canada’s healthcare system. A supported IEHP workforce ensures we meet today’s needs while building resilience for the future.

 
A Story of Loss and Potential
Take Maria’s story:
Maria, a trained nurse with 15 years of experience, immigrated to Canada with hopes of continuing her career. She was excited to contribute her expertise to help Canadians. But the licensing process was overwhelming, and without clear pathways, she had to take a warehouse job to support her family. Her skills are wasted, her confidence shattered, and Canada loses another healthcare hero.

Maria’s story isn’t unique—it’s shared by thousands of IEHPs. But with the right systems in place, Maria could be working in a transitional nursing role today, supporting patients while earning her license. Together, we can make this a reality.

 
What We’re Asking You to Do
Sign this petition to support:

• The establishment of transitional roles to keep IEHPs engaged in healthcare.
• Incentives for employers to hire and mentor IEHPs.
• Clear employment pathways that empower IEHPs to succeed.

These changes will not only strengthen Canada’s healthcare system but also restore dignity and purpose to those who dedicate their lives to helping others.

 
Stand With IEHPs, Stand for Dignity and Healthcare Access
When IEHPs thrive, we all thrive. This is about fairness, progress, and ensuring that no talent goes to waste.

Sign and share this petition to build a stronger, more compassionate healthcare system for all Canadians.