Statements of Need for Postgraduate Training in the United States - Licensed physicians who wish to pursue a fellowship within their current field [Category C].

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 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 their names are listed on the Canadian Medical Register as a Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada.

These applicants will be undertaking additional medical specialty training in the U.S. in their current field of practice and which is in a specialty already included in provincial and territorial physician resource planning. 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 (LMCC), 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 the proposed medical specialty, and that the training is consistent with that province's physician resource plan.

Which training programs are eligible?

Eligible training programs in a fellowship or sub-specialty are accredited by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Advanced training programs in a subspecialty discipline (professional development) are either ACGME accredited or otherwise recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) as professional development in the specialty ("ECFMG Non-Standard Training").

When do I submit my application?

Fellowships: Applications for a Statement of Need in support of fellowship or sub- specialty programs that commence in July/August will be processed starting in January of each year.

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 additional medical specialty training in their current field 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 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 a province or territory in Canada.

4. Evidence of Certification in 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 fellowship or a sub-specialty 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 fellowship or a sub-specialty 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 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. 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.

8. Provincial Letter of Endorsement (Quebec residents only)

Applicants who are licensed in the province of Quebec must 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 (Quebec)
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, 8^e 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 1: For training programs of six months or less, a letter of endorsement from the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux is not required; however, applicants would not be eligible for an extension without provincial endorsement.

Note 2: Quebec applicants must provide the 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.

9. 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.

10. 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 undertake additional training?

Application requirements if you wish to extend your Statement of Need in order to pursue additional training.

Notes