Priority Areas

CVMA Member Survey on Recruitment of Internationally Trained Veterinary Team Members

A member survey was launched in early September to inform a second set of Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) immigration webinars that were hosted by CVMA in December 2023.

The CVMA now offers an Immigration Concierge Service to help members navigate the process for recruiting foreign trained veterinarians and veterinary technologists/technicians for employment in Canada. This includes helping members connect with Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Outreach Officers and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) program officials to flag an issue; determine the status of immigration files and work permits; identifying federal and provincial programming to help foreign trained hires naturalize to Canada; and factors to consider when using an immigration consultant to help with the process.

Please contact Mike Bradshaw if you are currently in the process of bringing a foreign trained veterinarian or veterinary technologist/technician to Canada for employment or thinking about it and have questions.  This concierge service is free to CVMA members.

Navigating the Immigration Process when Recruiting Internationally Trained Veterinarians

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

The 'Strategies for Recruiting Foreign-Trained Veterinarians' webinars on Friday, March 15, Monday, March 18, and Tuesday, March 19 outlined strategies for recruiting foreign-trained veterinarians to address the industry's talent demand in Canada. It covered global accredited veterinary colleges, the international mobility program, and the temporary foreign worker program, providing insight into recruitment processes and opportunities.

Click here for the English recording and here for the French recording.

In December, the CVMA and IRCC collaborated for a second time to develop and deliver ten region-specific webinars. The webinars were presented on December 4, 5, 6, 7 and 11, 2023 and explained the immigration pathways best suited to recruiting and retaining internationally trained veterinarians.

The CVMA also collaborated with IRCC to develop and deliver seven regional (Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba/Saskatchewan, Alberta/Yukon/NWT, and British Columbia) webinars on February 21, 22, 24, 27, 28, March 2 and March 29, 2023.

This set of webinars had a total of 487 registrants and 240 participants from across Canada.

Participant questions touched on specific cases on how best to reduce delays, confirm the status of an application or resolve overly long processing cycle times. Participants were provided with contact information to discuss specific issues with the IRCC's Dedicated Service Channel.

IRCC is also conducting a broad-based engagement initiative to consult on the “Immigration System for Canada’s Future.”

As part of the consultation, IRCC is reaching out to provinces and territories for feedback on their immigration requirements, including a revised stream for health professionals that could include veterinarians and veterinary technicians and technologists.

Efforts are now under way to ensure the inclusion of veterinarians and veterinary technicians and technologists in any new or revised immigration programs that may wave Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) and other immigration requirements.

Developing and Implementing Pathways for Restricted/Specific Licensure for Canadian and Internationally Trained Veterinarians

The Canadian Council of Veterinary Registrars (CCVR) and the National Examining Board (NEB) are working on a new pathway to assess competencies for designated/species specific veterinary assessment and licensure for internationally-trained veterinarians.

The Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM)'s foreign-trained veterinarian swine residency certification program is expected to help address the shortage of swine veterinarians across Canada. Read more about the program here.