Statements of Need for Postgraduate Training in the United States - Licensed physicians who wish to pursue medical specialty training different from their current field of practice [Category C - Change of Specialty].

Table of Contents

• Who is eligible?
• Which training programs are eligible?
• When do I submit my application?
• How long will my application take to process?
• What documents do I need to submit?
• Where do I submit my application?
• I already have a Statement of Need - what do I do if I wish to change my location or undertake additional training?

Who is eligible?

Applicants in this category are physicians already fully licensed to practise medicine in a medical specialty in a Canadian province or territory.  These applicants are already certified in a medical specialty by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) or the Collège des Médecins du Québec or certified in Family Medicine by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and they are Licentiates of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC).

These applicants will be undertaking medical specialty training in the U.S. in a field that is different from their current field of practice. A letter of endorsement from a Canadian provincial or territorial Ministry of Health or equivalent is not usually required.

To be eligible the candidate must be:

• A Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident in Canada, and
• Fully licensed to practise medicine in a medical specialty in a Canadian province or territory, and
• A Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada, and
• Certified in a medical specialty by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, or
• Certified in a medical specialty by the Collège des Médecins du Québec, or
• Certified in Family Medicine by the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

Quebec residents

Please note that Quebec residents who wish to pursue a training program of more than six months in duration are required to provide a letter of endorsement from the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux stating that there is a need for qualified practitioners in in the proposed medical specialty, and that the training is consistent with that province's physician resource plan.

Which training programs are eligible?

Eligible residency programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The training must be in a specialty recognized by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC).

Some residency training programs in the United States are shorter in length by one or two years than the Canadian residency training program, and therefore they do not fully meet the Objectives of Training and Specialty Training Requirements (STRs) of the RCPSC.  It is important that applicants be aware of this difference and plan their training accordingly.

A Note on RCPSC Certification and Independent Specialty Licensure
Physicians' practice in a province or territory will be subject to obtaining certification from the RCPSC and specialty licensure from the provincial or territorial licensing body according to the requirements in place at the time of application for a medical licence. As part of the requirements for obtaining a Statement of Need, licensed physicians who wish to pursue medical specialty training in the United States different from their current field of practice must submit to Health Canada an Action Plan (see item 8 in What documents do I need to submit? below) that will outline how they intend to:

• meet the RCPSC's Objectives of Training and Specialty Training Requirements in order to obtain RCPSC certification
• achieve full specialty licensure in the province or territory where they will practice medicine upon completion of postgraduate training in the United States

The Action Plan should clearly lay out a time table for all medical examinations that are required for licensure in the province or territory to which they will be returning for medical practice.

Note:  Applicants who are residents of Ontario or British Columbia, who plan to seek registration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario/British Columbia respectively, may use one of several alternate pathways and / or registration policies in their action plans.

For additional information about the above certification and licensure requirements, applicants should contact the RCPSC and the licensing authority.

Additional information and direction on preparing an Action Plan

Essential Resources on Medical Licensure and Specialty Certification in Canada

Information and links to Provincial and Territorial Government Websites

When do I submit my application?

Residencies: Applications for Statements of Need for residency programs that commence in July will be processed after the results of the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) in March and the San Francisco Matching Program (SFMatch) in January.

Extensions: Requests for extensions of Statements of Need should be submitted no less than two months before expiry of the Statement of Need. See the I already have a Statement of Need section below for more information.

How long will my application take to process?

Please allow 30 working days to process an application and issue the Statement of Need. The Statement of Need, bearing the seal of the Canadian Federal Department of Health, is delivered directly to the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). A copy of the signed Statement of Need is sent by Canada Post to the applicant.

What documents do I need to submit?

Below is the list of documents that fully licensed physicians who wish to pursue medical specialty training in a field that is different from their current field of practice must submit in order to apply for a Statement of Need:

1. Application Form

Provide a signed application form.

Application Form for a Statement of Need (Category C: Licensed Physician)

Print the PDF form and fill it in, then submit it by mail, email, courier or fax to the Program Administrator (Health Canada).

2. Proof of Canadian Citizenship/Permanent Residency

Provide proof ^{Footnote 1} of Canadian citizenship or permanent residency by submitting a certified copy^{Footnote 2} of one of the following documents:

• Canadian citizenship card
• Canadian Passport
• Record of birth
• Permanent Resident Card

3. Copy of Medical License

Provide a certified copy^{Footnote 2} of your current full and independent licence to practise medicine in the province or territory.

4. Evidence of Certification in a Medical Specialty

Provide a certified copy^{Footnote 2} of a certificate from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, the Collège des Médecins du Québec, or the College of Family Physicians of Canada as evidence of certification in a medical specialty.

5. Letter of Offer/Training Contract/U.S. Match Webpage

Provide a copy of one of the following:

• A letter of offer for a residency from the clinical training program in the United States. The letter must be on the institution's letterhead and should be accompanied by your signature of acceptance of the offer. or
• A training contract for a residency from the clinical training program in the United States. The training contract should bear your signature indicating you have accepted the offer. or
• The secure web page confirming you have matched to a clinical residency training program in the United States.

6. Curriculum Vitae

Provide your curriculum vitae in electronic format. Send by electronic mail to j1visa@hc-sc.gc.ca with "Your Name, CV" in the subject line.

7. Registration with HealthForceOntario Marketing and Recruitment Agency (HFO MRA) or Health Match BC (HMBC)

Ontario residents must complete the HFO MRA registration form and submit the form directly to HFO MRA before a Statement of Need will be issued.

HFO MRA Registration Form (PDF)

BC residents must register with  Health Match BC.

New: Ontario and British Columbia residents are also required to provide a yearly update on their contact information at the end of each residency year. Yearly updates with HealthForceOntario Marketing and Recruitment Agency (HFO MRA) or Health Match BC (HMBC) will be important factors considered when physicians apply for future extensions of their Statements of Need.

Notes:

1. If you do not yet have a U.S. home address, please provide the training program address.
2. HFO MRA notifies the Program Administrator at Health Canada directly by email when the registration and update process is complete.

8. Action Plan^{Footnote 3}

Provide a practicable Action Plan^{Footnote 3} that outlines how you intend to:

• meet the RCPSC's Objectives of Training and Specialty Training Requirements in order to obtain RCPSC certification
• achieve full specialty licensure in the province or territory where you will practice medicine upon completion of postgraduate training in the United States

Notes:

Applicants who are residents of Ontario or British Columbia, who plan to seek registration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario or the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia, may use one of several alternate pathways or registration policies in their action plans.

Information on physician registration in British Columbia can be found at the  College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia and in Ontario at the  College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

Applicants from Ontario and British Columbia must register with HealthForceOntario Marketing and Recruitment Agency or HealthMatchBC before accessing help with their Action Plans.

Additional information and direction on preparing an Action Plan

Essential Resources on Medical Licensure and Specialty Certification in Canada

Information and links to Provincial and Territorial Government Websites

9. Evidence of provincial residence

Applicants must provide two documents.

1. A photocopy of your current provincial Driver's Licence, and
2. A photocopy of a government-issued document that bears your name and principal and permanent address.

Please note the following important additional instructions.

The Ontario or British Columbia Driver's Licence must have been issued at least three months before the date of application for a Statement of Need. The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care reserves the right to request additional information for verification of Ontario residence, if necessary.

Ontario and British Columbia residents: The second item must be chosen from the following list of acceptable documents that display your name and current principal and permanent address in Ontario or British Columbia. If you do not operate any type of vehicle, you must provide two documents from the list of acceptable documents.

Other provinces and territories: If you do not operate any type of vehicle, you must submit two documents that display your name and current principal permanent residence, but the documents are not limited to the list of documents mentioned above.

10. Provincial Letter of Endorsement (Quebec residents only)

Provide a letter of endorsement from the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (see contact information below) stating that there is a need for qualified practitioners in the proposed medical specialty, and that the training is consistent with that province's physician resource plan.

Contact Information:
Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (Québec)

Sébastien Arseneault
Responsable du programme
Direction de la main-d'oeuvre médicale
Direction générale des services de santé et médecine universitaire
Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux
1075, chemin Ste-Foy, 8e étage
Québec (Québec) G1S 2M1
Téléphone: (418) 266-5807
Télécopieur: (418) 266-6938
visaj1@msss.gouv.qc.ca
Alternate:  Brigitte Moreau, (418) 266-6986

Note: Applicants who are licensed in Quebec must obtain a letter of endorsement from the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux for their initial application only. For any subsequent extension of the Statement of Need a new letter from the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux is not required.

11. Optional: RCPSC Letter of Recognition of U.S. Training (for medical specialty training programs of two years or more)

For medical specialty training programs of two years or more in duration, applicants need to provide a letter from the RCPSC indicating that the clinical training program in the United States would be recognized in full or in part to the extent that the content of training satisfies the College's training requirements.

Requests to the RCPSC must include a copy of the residency training contract with the U.S. Program and the name of the program director and may be submitted by email or facsimile. The RCPSC charges a fee of $140 CDN for the letter of recognition; this fee is subject to change without notice.

Email:  credentials@rcpsc.edu (include "J-1 Visa Letter" in the subject line)
Fax: (613) 730-3707 (include "J-1 Visa Letter with your request)

note: The RCPSC letter of recognition of US training is always delivered by email to both you and the Program Administrator at Health Canada in approximately five working days.

12. Optional: Consent to Disclosure of Personal Information form

Provide a signed original of the Consent to the Disclosure of Personal Information to Provincial and Territorial Governments for Recruitment Purposes (the Consent Form). By signing the Consent Form, the individual permits Canadian provincial and territorial health authorities to initiate the process of recruitment of an individual for employment in Canada after completion of their medical training in the United States.

The individual can sign the Consent Form at the time of application for a Statement of Need or at any time during their training in the United States. Physicians will be subject to any physician resource management policies in existence at the time of their return to Canada.

Where do I submit my application?

All the required documents listed above must be sent to the Program Administrator, Statement of Need Program, Health Human Resources Policy Division, Health Canada. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure all required documents are submitted.

With the exception of certified and notarized documents, all the required documents listed above can be submitted to Health Canada by fax, email, mail or courier.

Certified and notarized documents must be sent by mail or courier.

See below for electronic mail, regular mail, facsimile and courier addresses:

Regular Mail
Program Administrator
Statement of Need / J-1 Visa Program
Health Human Resources Policy Division
Health Canada
Jeanne Mance Building, Address Locator 1918C
200 Eglantine Driveway
Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0K9

By Courier
Program Administrator
Statement of Need / J-1 Visa Program
Health Canada
200 Eglantine Driveway
Jeanne Mance Building, Address Locator 1918C
Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9
Telephone: (613) 952 1912

By Facsimile
Program Administrator
Statement of Need Program
Health Human Resources Policy Division
Facsimile: 613-948-8081

By Electronic Mail
j1visa@hc-sc.gc.ca
Subject: Application for Statement of Need, "Your Name"

If you have a question about the administration of your application, please contact the Program Administrator using the following email address: j1visa@hc-sc.gc.ca.

I already have a Statement of Need - what do I do if I wish to change my location or undertake additional training?

Additional Training (Extension)
Application requirements if you wish to extend your Statement of Need in order to pursue additional training.

Notes