Ontario eases licensing barriers for healthcare professions, i.e., the province has moved to expand the list of regulated healthcare professionals who expect to benefit from expedited work authorization. 

Ontario has proposed the inclusion of 16 more regulated professions, including dentists, psychologists, and dieticians, into its ‘As of Right’ regulation. 

Under the proposed legislation, practitioners of regulated professions with certification in other provinces would be able to gain authorization to practice their regulated professions in Ontario in as little as ten days following validation of their credentials.

Presently, obtaining this work authorization in Ontario can take up to six months. 

The province intends to implement the new regulations on January 1, 2026. 

Ontario also aims to enable physicians and nurses to become certified within just two business days. 

In a news release on the provincial website, the Ontario government announced the proposed changes. Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, David Piccini, stated that simplifying the process for workers from other provinces to start working faster would help boost economic growth while ensuring the protection of workers and communities.

The complete As of Right framework is not limited to healthcare professions. Instead, it encompasses certification across 50 Ontario regulatory bodies and includes close to 300 regulated professions. 

Additional Professions 

As Ontario eases licensing barriers for healthcare professions, let us look at other professions that will be added under Ontario’s As of Right framework, as well as their corresponding NOC, i.e., National Occupational Classification codes.  

ProfessionNOC Code
Audiologists / Speech-Language Pathologist31112
Chiropodist31209
Dental Hygienist32111
Dental Technologist32112
Dentist31110
Denturist32110
Dietitian31121
Medical Radiation and Imaging Technologist32121
Midwife31303
Occupational Therapist31203
Optician32100
Optometrist31111
Pharmacist / Pharmacy Technician31120 / 32124
Physician Assistant31303
Physiotherapist31202
Psychologist31200

The original “As of Right” regulations already included the following medical occupations:

  • Physicians
  • Surgeons
  • Registered nurses
  • Registered practical nurses
  • Nurse practitioners
  • Respiratory therapists
  • Medical laboratory technologists

Expedited Authorizations For Physicians And Nurses 

Further, the government is advancing plans to implement automatic recognition for physicians and nurses who are registered ‘and in good standing’ in other provinces and territories. 

Ontario aims to facilitate this move of seamless integration into the provincial labor market by collaborating with the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Ontario and the College of Nurses of Ontario to: 

  • Reduce application fees
  • Reduce documentation requirements 
  • Issue certificates within two business days 

Ontario Deputy Premier & Minister of Health, Sylvia Jones, stated that by adopting a first-in-Canada approach to streamline the labour mobility process, the province is making it faster and easier for healthcare partners and clinicians to deliver the world-class care Ontarians need, when and where they need it.

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