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Statements of Need for Postgraduate Training in the United States - Final year medical students who were enrolled in a medical school in Ontario, British Columbia or Quebec [Category A FYMS] - Extending a Statement of Need

Requirements for extending a Statement of Need

Physicians who already have a Statement of Need and who wish to undertake additional postgraduate medical training (Chief Resident, Fellowship, Sub-specialty) in the U.S. must apply to Health Canada for a new Statement of Need for the additional training. The physician shall remain in the same applicant category as in their initial application.

Which training programs are eligible?

Accreditation and RCPSC Recognition

Programs in RCPSC-recognized specialties and subspecialties which are accredited by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) are eligible to receive a Statement of Need.  These programs would be recognized by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada towards certification in the specialty and subspecialty.  Programs in related disciplines, which are not ACGME-accredited, may be considered once RCPSC specialty training requirements (STRs) have been met. 

Conditions

Canadian Credentials - Certification and Licensure

In general, physicians returning to Canada after residency training will be subject to any physician resource management policies in existence at the time of their return to Canada. 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.

Requests for extensions of Statements of Need are subject to eligibility for certification by the RCPSC and for a specialist license in the province or territory in Canada to which the physician has previously indicated they intend to return.

Action Plan for Certification and Licensure

Extensions of Statements of Need are subject to the physician's meeting the original Action Plan for certification and licensure that was submitted in the initial application.

Standard Canadian licensing requirements: By the end of the third postgraduate year in the United States, the physician should have obtained a certificate that demonstrates they are a Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada. By the end of the third postgraduate year in the United States, the physician should have contacted the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and submitted an application for a preliminary assessment of United States training for the purposes of certification.

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 Next link will take you to another Web site College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia and in Ontario at the Next link will take you to another Web site 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.

When do I submit my application?

Requests for extensions of Statements of Need should be submitted no less than two months before expiry of the original Statement of Need.

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 applicants in this category must submit in order to apply for a Statement of Need for additional training:

1. Application Form

Provide a signed application form.

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

2. 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.

3. Provincial/Territorial Letter of Endorsement

Provide a new letter of endorsement from the Canadian provincial or territorial Ministry of Health or equivalent affirming that the additional training (Chief Resident, Fellowship, Sub-specialty) is consistent with the existing provincial or territorial physician resource plan, and stating agreement to the additional training.

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

Provide a copy one of the following:

  • A letter of offer for the additional training in a Chief Resident, Fellowship or Sub-specialty program from the United States facility. 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 the additional training in a Chief Resident, Fellowship or Sub-specialty program from the United States facility. The training contract should bear your signature indicating you have accepted the offer; or
  • The secure web page confirming you have matched to a Fellowship or Sub-specialty program in the United States.

5. Licentiate of the Medical Council of CanadaFootnote 1

Provide a certified copy of a document from the Medical Council of Canada confirming registration as a Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada. Residents of British Columbia and Ontario may show evidence of eligibility for provisional licensure with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC) or restricted licensure with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO).

Please contact one of the following professionals to notarize / certify your documents:

  • Notary Public
  • Lawyer, Attorney-at-Law
  • Commissioner of Oaths
  • Designated official at a Canadian Embassy or Consulate or a designated official at an American or British Embassy or Consulate or High Commission
  • Medical Doctor or Dentist currently licenced in Canada
  • Police officer (municipal, provincial, or federal (RCMP)
  • Canadian Justice of the Peace, Judge, Magistrate or Mayor
  • Professional accountant who is a member of the Association of Practicing Accountants (APA) (United Kingdom); or one of the following professionals:  Chartered Accountant (CA), Certified General Accountant (CGA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Public Accountant (PA), Registered Public Accountant (RPA)
  • Member of Parliament (MP); Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) (Ontario); Member of National Assembly (MNA) (Quebec); Member of House of Assembly (MHA) (Newfoundland & Labrador); Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) (all other provinces and territories)
  • Funeral director
  • Pharmacist
  • Veterinarian
  • Professional Engineer
  • Manager of a Canadian financial institution or bank
  • Municipal Clerk at a City Hall in Canada
  • Minister of religion
  • Postmaster
  • Social Worker: Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), Master of Social Work (MSW), Doctorate of Social Work (DSW)

This person cannot be a family member. This person must see the original document, make a photocopy of the original document, compare the original document to the photocopy, and must print the following on the photocopy: "I certify this to be a true copy of the original document". This person must write on the photocopy the name of the original document, the date of certification, his or her name, and his or her official position or title. This person must also sign the photocopy. Applicants should not sign anywhere on the photocopy of the document.

6. RCPSC Confirmation of Application for Preliminary AssessmentFootnote 1

Provide a copy of a document from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada that demonstrates the applicant has submitted an application for preliminary assessment of training form, or a copy of a document that demonstrates a preliminary assessment has been completed.

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

Help on accessing alternative formats, such as Portable Document Format (PDF), Microsoft Word and PowerPoint (PPT) files, can be obtained in the alternate format help section.

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.

BC residents must register with Next link will take you to another Web site 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:

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

8. Updated Action PlanFootnote 1

Provide an updated practicable Action Plan that outlines how you intend to obtain RCPSC certification and full / independent licensure so you can practice medicine in Canada.

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 Next link will take you to another Web site College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia and in Ontario at the Next link will take you to another Web site 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.

9. 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 may be submitted by email or facsimile. The RCPSC charges a fee of $135 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 within approximately five working days.

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.

Footnotes

Footnote 1

Note: Applicants who are residents of Ontario and British Columbia, who will seek registration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario/British Columbia respectively, may use a pathway to licensure approved by the College in their action plans.

Return to footnote 1 referrer