Can a doctor trained in China practise in Canada? Three pathways and costs

Direct answer

No. BC has relaxed licensing for doctors from several countries in the past two years, but mainland China is not among them. Medical degrees and licences from mainland China have no fast track in BC.

Which doctors have a fast track

• From July 2025, doctors with US specialty certification can receive a full licence within weeks.^[2]
• From July 2026, doctors who completed certified training in Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland or the UK can apply directly.^[1]

Pathway 1: exams, then residency

Candidates first sit the Medical Council of Canada's MCCQE Part I ($1,230) and the NAC clinical exam ($2,775),^[4] then apply for residency through CaRMS. In the 2026 first-round match, 1,494 international medical graduates applied and 800 matched; among earlier graduates the match rate was only 48%.^[3]

Pathway 2: PRA-BC, family doctors only

PRA-BC has up to 96 places a year. It requires at least 2 years of family medicine training and 2 years of independent practice, the required English test scores, and 3 years of service in a community that needs doctors after licensing.^[5]

Pathway 3: associate physician

An associate physician needs at least 1 year of accredited postgraduate training, works under supervision, and cannot practise independently.^[6]

Scale: many BC doctors trained abroad

BC has about 17,000 doctors, roughly 6,000 of them trained abroad.^[7] But according to CAPER's 2025-26 data, only 54 residents and specialty trainees across Canada graduated from mainland Chinese medical schools.^[8]

Nurses

Internationally educated nurses must also be assessed by BCCNM, may need additional courses, and then write the NCLEX. The province runs a bursary program for internationally educated nurses.^[9]