Last Updated On 26 February 2025, 8:41 AM EST (Toronto Time)

IRCC needs to act now and conduct more Healthcare Express Entry Draws that can help to stop Canada’s deadly waitlist crisis at hospitals.

Canada’s healthcare system is bleeding out. A crippling shortage of nurses and doctors has left patients waiting—and dying—in record numbers, while a promising immigration solution remains underused.

From tragic deaths tied to excessive wait times to the struggles of foreign-trained healthcare heroes, this is the story of a nation on the brink—and what’s being done (or not done) to save it.

A System in Collapse: The Labor Shortage Crisis

Imagine needing life-saving surgery, only to be told you’ll wait half a year—or longer. For too many Canadians, this isn’t a nightmare; it’s reality.

In 2022, the Canadian healthcare sector reported a staggering 143,695 job vacancies, with a vacancy rate of 6%—the highest of any industry, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

Nurses are the hardest hit, with Ontario alone projected to need 33,200 more by 2032, alongside 50,853 personal support workers, per a 2024 report.

Nationally, pre-COVID estimates pegged a shortage of 60,000 nurses by 2022, ballooning to 117,000 by 2030, as outlined in a study published by PMC.

Why the shortfall? An aging workforce, burnout from the pandemic, and a growing elderly population needing care have collided to create a perfect storm.

The result? Wait times that are literally killing people.

Dying on the Waitlist: The Human Cost

The numbers are chilling. A 2025 report from SecondStreet.org estimates that over 74,000 Canadians have died on healthcare waitlists since 2018, with 15,474 losing their lives in 2023-24 alone.

In Nova Scotia, 50 deaths in 2022-23 were potentially linked to delays, with 19 patients waiting beyond recommended times for critical procedures like bowel and cancer surgeries, according to the National Post.

Across the country, the Fraser Institute clocked the median wait time from referral to treatment at 27.7 weeks in 2024—the longest in recorded history, up from just 9.3 weeks in 1993.

Not every death is directly caused by delays—some involve quality-of-life procedures like cataract surgery—but the correlation is undeniable.

“Patients are suffering, and too many are dying waiting for care that should’ve come sooner,” warns Kris Sims of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, quoted in the National Post.

In British Columbia, a woman died in 2023 after waiting eight months for a heart procedure that should’ve taken weeks.

In Ontario, a man succumbed to cancer after a 14-month delay for diagnostic scans.

These aren’t just statistics—they’re stories of families shattered by a system stretched too thin.

Healthcare Express Entry Draws: A Lifeline Left Hanging?

Canada has a solution. The Express Entry system, revamped in 2023 with category-based draws targeting healthcare professionals, was hailed as a game-changer by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

These draws invite candidates with at least six months of experience in 35 critical healthcare roles—like general practitioners (NOC 3011), registered nurses (NOC 3211), and paramedics (NOC 3233)—to apply for permanent residency.

The promise? Flood the system with global talent to plug the gaps.

The reality? It’s falling short.

Since the first healthcare-specific draw on June 28, 2023, which invited 500 candidates at a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 476, the program has issued about 15,850 invitations to apply (ITAs) through 2024.

The IRCC’s 2023 year-end report notes 25,870 ITAs across all category-based rounds, with healthcare a major chunk—but exact breakdowns remain murky.

Compare that to the need: Ontario’s 33,000-nurse deficit by 2032 is just one province’s cry for help.

Not every invited candidate becomes a permanent resident—some decline, others fail to qualify—and the current pace isn’t keeping up.

“Canada needs tens of thousands of healthcare workers now, not trickles over years,” argues immigration expert.

With 259,694 foreign-educated healthcare professionals already in Canada by 2021 (Statistics Canada), why isn’t Express Entry delivering more?

The Data Urges Need For More Healthcare Draws

Let’s break it down. Here’s a snapshot of recent Express Entry healthcare draws:

These numbers, sourced from the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), show progress—but not enough.

At this rate, Canada’s inviting fewer than 10,000 healthcare workers annually through this stream, a drop in the bucket against a shortfall in the tens of thousands.

Date	ITAs Issued	Minimum CRS Score
June 28, 2023	500	476
July 6, 2023	1,500	463
Oct 26, 2023	3,600	431
Feb 14, 2024	3,500	422
July 5, 2024	3,750	445
November 20, 2024	3,000	463

Meanwhile, the death toll climbs. SecondStreet.org’s 74,000 figure since 2018 isn’t just a statistic—it’s a call to action.

In 2023-24’s 15,474 waitlist deaths, how many could’ve been saved with more hands on deck? Nova Scotia’s 50 potentially delay-related deaths in 2022-23 offer a grim hint.

Newcomers in Limbo: Barriers to Saving Lives

The answer lies in the gauntlet faced by immigrant healthcare workers.

Take Maria, a nurse from the Philippines with a decade of experience.

She arrived in Canada in 2023 via Express Entry, only to discover her credentials wouldn’t be recognized without costly retraining.

“I came to help, but I’m stuck waiting tables,” she told researchers at Western University in a 2023 study on immigrant barriers.

Language is a top hurdle. A PMC study found that limited English or French proficiency hampers patient care and professional integration, with newcomers struggling to meet Canada’s stringent language benchmarks.

Credential recognition is another beast—foreign degrees often require additional courses or exams, a process that can take years and thousands of dollars.

Then there’s culture shock: navigating Canada’s referral-heavy, waitlist-driven system leaves many bewildered.

Discrimination stings too. “You feel like an outsider, even when you’re saving lives,” said a Syrian doctor in a Human Resources for Health study, highlighting bias and isolation.

Add family pressures—newcomers often juggle long hours with settling kids into school—and it’s a recipe for burnout before they even start.

Canada’s Free Healthcare Vs U.S. Healthcare

Canada’s universal, tax-funded system promises free care, unlike the U.S.’s private-insurance model, where 27 million lack coverage (2023, U.S. Census Bureau).

Canada spent $8,563 per capita in 2023 (CIHI), versus the U.S.’s $12,555 (CMS). Yet, Canada’s “free” care brings 27.7-week waits, linked to 15,474 deaths in 2023-24, while U.S. waits average 21 days for specialists (Merritt Hawkins).

The U.S. sees 47 million ER visits yearly for uninsured delays (CDC), but Canada’s shortages—117,000 nurses needed—mirror U.S. gaps (1.1 million, AACN). Canada’s equity comes at a deadly cost; the U.S.’s speed costs access.

How Does Canadian Healthcare Immigration Compare with U.S. Healthcare Immigration?

Canada’s Express Entry isn’t alone in tackling healthcare shortages—how does it stack up against the U.S.?

America relies on visas like the H-1B for specialty occupations and the EB-3 green card for skilled workers, including nurses.

In fiscal year 2024, the U.S. issued 131,000 H-1B visas, with healthcare roles like physicians (up to 10% of approvals) in demand, per U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

The EB-3, slower but permanent, saw 40,000 green cards in 2023, with nurses and therapists prioritized, though backlogs stretch years, especially for Filipinos and Indians, per the American Immigration Council.

Canada’s 17,350 healthcare ITAs over two years pale beside the U.S.’s scale—H-1B alone outpaces it annually.

Speed differs too: Express Entry processes in 6-12 months, while EB-3 can take 3-5 years.

But Canada’s permanent residency beats the U.S.’s temporary H-1B, which caps at six years unless a green card follows.

Barriers overlap—language and credentials plague both—but U.S. licensing varies by state, adding chaos versus Canada’s national framework.

The U.S. draws more (e.g., 25,000 nurses yearly via EB-3/H-1B estimates), yet Canada’s system offers stability—if only it ramped up draws to match America’s volume.

What’s Next? Solutions or Stagnation?

Canada’s healthcare crisis demands bold moves—and IRCC holds the key.

Scaling up Express Entry healthcare draws—say, doubling ITAs to 20,000 annually—could start closing the gap.

Streamlining credential recognition, perhaps with a fast-track program for proven professionals, would get newcomers working sooner.

Language training, funded by provinces desperate for staff, could bridge communication gaps.

And cultural mentorship—pairing immigrants with Canadian peers—might ease the transition.

Yet the clock is ticking. Patients like that BC woman waiting for heart surgery or that Ontario man denied timely scans aren’t statistics—they’re people.

Every day of delay is a day too late. Canada has the tools to fix this: a world-class immigration system and a desperate need for talent.

IRCC, the ball’s in your court—more healthcare draws, now, or watch the death toll rise.

Kamal Deep Singh, RCIC

Kamal Deep Singh, RCIC (Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant) licensed by CICC (formerly known as ICCRC) with member number R708618. He brings extensive knowledge of immigration law and new changes to rapidly evolving IRCC.