Professional licensing

Why you see this The MCC accepts translations from three providers only, and you deal with them directly.

Comes after: Open a physiciansapply.ca account and confirm your identity

1. Providers: ITC Global, NATIONS Translation Group or Straker. You pay them directly; the MCC does not refund translations that are not accepted.
2. Upload the original with the translation exactly as you received it, without adding or removing pages.
3. Translate the back of a credential only if it has vital information or stamps not on the front.

How you know it is done When the translation is uploaded with the original, or if all your documents are already in English or French.

Why you see this The MCC sends your degree to ECFMG, which asks your university directly. You must submit and pay this before applying for the MCCQE.

Comes after: Open a physiciansapply.ca account and confirm your identity

1. From your account, submit the verification request for your degree and pay. The MCC reviews the documents and tells you if anything needs fixing.
2. Also verify the credentials your route needs: internship, postgraduate training and specialist certificate. Each credential has its own fee.
3. If ECFMG verified your documents before (for example EPIC or USMLE), still submit and pay, then send your number by message so the earlier verification may be reused.
4. If you need an immigration Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), the MCC is the designated body for physicians. It is for immigration only and does not let you practise.

Fee: CAD 232 · Source verification, per credential (non-refundable) · Medical Council of Canada

How you know it is done When the request is submitted and paid.

Why you see this We found no published national rule for universities that cannot reply because of war or conflict, such as in Sudan.

Comes after: Open a physiciansapply.ca account and confirm your identity

1. If the university does not reply, ECFMG re-sends every two months, up to three requests. After that nothing more happens until the university replies.
2. You may ask for courier delivery at your own cost.
3. Write to the MCC and CPSA, explain your situation and ask about any alternative arrangement.
4. Do not rely on anyone offering verification or substitute documents that do not come from the university.

How you know it is done When you have a written answer from the MCC.

Why you see this The ball is with your university. Meanwhile you can work on language and exams.

Comes after: Request source verification of your medical degree (SVR)

1. ECFMG usually sends the documents to the university within 5 days and usually updates your status within 5 to 10 days of receiving the verification certificate.
2. If your request is more than two years old, contact the MCC: a new request at the current fee may be needed.

Published processing time: No time is guaranteed. University replies can take three months or longer. (the body’s time, not your own time to complete)

How you know it is done When your degree status reads “verification returned – passed”.

Why you see this The common standard lets a regulator accept evidence other than a test. But the MCC eBook says a test is generally still required if you studied in a country whose first language is not English, even when teaching was in English.

1. Evidence that may be accepted: medical education or training in English (its weight fades over time), medical exams passed in English, or documented practice in English.
2. CPSA exempts you if your medical school or postgraduate training was in an English-first country on its list, or more than half of it was, or you practise independently in Canada or a listed country after meeting its English requirement. Sudan is not on the list.
3. If CPSA does not accept it, you will need a language test.

How you know it is done When you know in writing whether your evidence is accepted or a test is needed.

Why you see this These are the tests and scores in the regulators’ common standard. Your province’s rules follow.

1. OET Medicine is preferred: grade B in each component.
2. Or IELTS Academic: 7.0 in each of the four components. Or CELPIP General: 9 in each component.
3. The result must be from within 24 months before you apply for registration. The regulator may waive this if you have worked or trained in English since the test.
4. CPSA: the test within the 24 months before your CPSA application, with verifiable results. CPSA’s page does not say “single test”, but the AIMG program requires the scores on a single test.

How you know it is done When you have a result with the required scores from the last 24 months.

Why you see this It is required for residency in Canada and for the LMCC you need for a full licence, and most PRA programs use it.

Comes after: Request source verification of your medical degree (SVR)

1. From your account: Examinations, then “Apply for an exam”. Once accepted you have 12 months to book and sit it (extendable once).
2. Booking is at Prometric centres only, first come first served, up to five months ahead. Remote proctoring is paused from the August 2026 session.
3. The exam is one day: 230 multiple-choice questions in two sections.
4. 2027 sessions: Jan 19–Feb 11, Apr 27–Jun 1, Aug 10–Sep 7 and Oct 5–26.
5. You have four attempts only, with a full one-year wait after the third result. The pass score is 439 (scale 300–600).
6. If something goes wrong on exam day, report it within 7 days and request reconsideration within 15 days of the result. The only possible outcome is No Standing (not counted as an attempt), never a pass.

Fee: CAD 1500 · MCCQE application · Medical Council of Canada

Fee: CAD 120 · Eligibility window extension (if needed) · Medical Council of Canada

Fee: CAD 1200 · Appeal (if needed) · Medical Council of Canada

Published processing time: Up to four weeks for the application. Results four weeks after the last day of the session (five for April). (the body’s time, not your own time to complete)

How you know it is done When a pass result appears in your account.

Why you see this It is required to apply to the residency match (CaRMS).

Comes after: Request source verification of your medical degree (SVR)

1. Your degree must be “reviewed and accepted” in your account. The MCCQE and NAC can be taken in either order.
2. Apply during the session’s application window and rank up to three centres. It runs twice a year (spring and fall), in person in Canada only.
3. Half a day: 12 clinical stations. In English at all centres and in French at some.
4. You have three attempts, not in consecutive sessions. The pass score is 577 (scale 500–700); results come about eight weeks later.
5. The result has no time restriction, but only your most recent result counts.

Fee: CAD 3320 · NAC application · Medical Council of Canada

Published processing time: Up to four weeks for the application. (the body’s time, not your own time to complete)

How you know it is done When a pass result appears in your account.

Why you see this Most PRA programs require it, including CPSA PRA per the MCC eBook. Passing it alone does not get you into a program.

Comes after: Request source verification of your medical degree (SVR)

1. Your degree must be “reviewed and accepted”. You do not need program approval to apply.
2. Four hours at a Prometric centre: 55 cases, about 110–140 questions, in English or French, in Canada and abroad.
3. Four attempts only, pass or fail. After a fail you cannot apply to the next consecutive session, and after three fails in a row you wait a year.
4. The MCC publishes no result validity. Programs set their own window.
5. The TDM is required for family medicine only. If your training or certification outside Canada is recognized by the CFPC, apply to the CFPC first and email the notice to registration@cpsa.ab.ca.

Fee: CAD 2850 · TDM application · Medical Council of Canada

Published processing time: Up to five business days for the application. (the body’s time, not your own time to complete)

How you know it is done When a pass result appears in your account.

Why you see this A free one-time virtual consultation of about an hour. It is a pilot with limited spots.

Comes after: Check that your medical school and degree are acceptable

1. Fill in the expression-of-interest form on the service page and check the eligibility criteria.

How you know it is done When you know your route, with or without the consultation.

Why you see this CaRMS’s general rule: citizen or permanent resident at the time of application, and pending applications are not accepted. Provinces differ; details follow.

1. There are province-specific exceptions. Read CaRMS’s citizenship summary for your province before paying.
2. CaRMS’s 2026 table shows protected persons as eligible in Alberta, but the AIMG program (required before CaRMS) asks for citizenship or PR. Ask AIMG.
3. The 2027 provincial criteria were not yet posted when we read the page.

How you know it is done When you know whether you are eligible for this year’s match.

Why you see this An international graduate without completed postgraduate training enters residency through the match.

Comes after: Take the MCCQE (Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination)Take the NAC Examination (clinical, in Canada)AIMG file review and Multiple Mini Interviews

1. Alberta requires the AIMG program before CaRMS (steps below).
2. There is no provincial return-of-service requirement for IMGs in Alberta. The Canadian and IMG streams are separate, except in family medicine.
3. Share your MCCQE and NAC results with CaRMS before file review (usually late November).
4. You need a Medical Identification Number for Canada (MINC). The MCC issues it, with written consent, to applicants to its exams.
5. In CaRMS Online: register and pay, prove citizenship (share your MCC identity validity period or upload a document), upload your transcript and MSPR, request references, apply to programs, attend virtual interviews, then submit your rank order list.
6. Read the provincial criteria and pay attention to return-of-service requirements.
7. 2027 dates: citizenship proof through the MCC by October 16, 2026; applications by November 26, 2026 at noon ET; match day March 2, 2027. Your degree must be completed by July 1 of the match year.
8. The fees page shows two tables. Confirm the fee before paying.

Fee: CAD 301.6 plus tax · Match participation fee (includes four programs) · CaRMS

Fee: CAD 66.26 plus tax · Each additional program · CaRMS

How you know it is done When you submit your rank order list.

Why you see this CaRMS matches your rank list with the programs’ lists.

Comes after: Apply to the CaRMS R-1 Main Residency Match

1. When you receive the result, record it here.

How you know it is done When you know the result.

Why you see this You can apply in a later cycle. We have not read CaRMS’s rules for later rounds.

Comes after: Match result

1. Read CaRMS’s page on later rounds and consider the MCC’s free consultation.

How you know it is done When you decide your next step.

Why you see this For the PRA route CPSA requires at least one year of recent practice or postgraduate training in your specialty within the last three years.

1. Without such a year you likely do not meet the PRA route requirement for now. Ask CPSA in writing before you submit the Review of Qualifications or pay exam fees.

How you know it is done When you know whether you meet CPSA’s requirement.

Why you see this For specialists trained outside Canada, the US and approved jurisdictions, in a recognized primary specialty that is substantially equivalent.

Comes after: Request source verification of your medical degree (SVR)

1. Apply through the Royal College eBooking platform: CV, degree, internship documents, a signed letter from the program director with training dates and rotations, and a CanMEDS competence attestation.
2. The degree, internship and training documents are verified through physiciansapply.
3. Deadline: April 30 of the year before a spring exam, or August 31 of the year before a fall exam.
4. No practice time is needed for exam eligibility. Fees are non-refundable; we could not read the amount on the Royal College site.

Published processing time: Assessing a complete application can take three to six months. (the body’s time, not your own time to complete)

How you know it is done When you receive the ruling letter.

Why you see this The letter says whether you are eligible for the exam, or what additional training is required.

Comes after: Specialist: apply to the Royal College Practice Eligibility Route (PER)

1. Reconsideration is possible only on substantive new information or a policy error. The Executive Director’s decision is final, with no appeal.
2. When you receive the decision, record it here.

How you know it is done When the letter arrives.

Why you see this The ruling letter states the additional residency training required.

Comes after: The Royal College eligibility ruling

1. Additional training usually means residency in Canada, through the CaRMS match. Change your answers here to see the residency route.

How you know it is done When you know the required training and how to get it.

Why you see this You have a five-year eligibility period and four attempts per exam component.

Comes after: The Royal College eligibility ruling

1. Registration: Sept 1–Nov 4 of the year before a spring exam, or Feb 1–Apr 15 for a fall exam.

How you know it is done When you pass the exam.

Why you see this The CFPC recognizes training and certification from Australia, Ireland, the UK and the US.

1. Read the Equivalent Jurisdictional Pathway page and check your training meets its conditions.

Fee: CAD 533 · Equivalent Jurisdictional Pathway application · College of Family Physicians of Canada

Fee: CAD 3518 · Certification fee (from March 1, 2026) · College of Family Physicians of Canada

How you know it is done When you receive CFPC certification.

Why you see this Substantially equivalent training opens the approved-jurisdiction route. We could not read the list on the Royal College site.

1. Open the approved-jurisdictions page on the Royal College site, check that your country of training is listed and read the conditions.
2. If your country is not listed, change your answer here to see the PER route.

How you know it is done When you know whether your training is from an approved jurisdiction.

Why you see this From this review CPSA decides your route: the Provisional Register with a PRA, or the Approved Jurisdiction Route.

Comes after: Request source verification of your medical degree (SVR)

1. Submit only if you are ready to complete the next steps within one calendar year.
2. Most physicians verify about five documents with the MCC ($232 each).
3. PRA route: a recognized national exam (MCCQE), a year of recent practice or training in the specialty, and the TDM for family medicine. Family training must include 4 months of community primary care and 8 weeks in 3 of paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery and internal medicine.

Fee: CAD 200 plus tax · Review of qualifications (CPSA, non-refundable) · CPSA

Fee: CAD 240 · MCC Application for Medical Registration · Medical Council of Canada

How you know it is done When the review is submitted.

Why you see this The letter states which register you are eligible for and which assessment you need. Sponsors select applicants with it.

Comes after: Submit the Review of Qualifications to CPSA through physiciansapply

1. When you receive the letter, record it here.

How you know it is done When you receive the letter.

Why you see this CPSA allows a registration decision to be reviewed by an appeal panel.

Comes after: CPSA sends your Eligibility Letter

1. Send a written request to the Hearings Director explaining what you want reviewed and why. A lawyer may represent you.
2. Or reapply once you meet the requirements, or look at the residency route.

Fee: CAD 2730 · Review request (non-refundable) · CPSA

How you know it is done When you file the request or choose another route.

Why you see this The PRA cannot start without a sponsorship form from an approved sponsor.

Comes after: CPSA sends your Eligibility Letter

1. Apply to eligible sponsored jobs on DoctorJobsAlberta.com and send your Eligibility Letter.
2. The sponsor who selects you sends the Physician Sponsorship Form to CPSA (type, scope and location of practice).
3. The sponsor supports you for up to six years until you reach the General Register, keeps your CMPA coverage, and its costs may include work permit support. It must offer you independent legal counsel on the contract.
4. Assessment fees are invoiced to the sponsor, but you may become responsible for them afterwards under your contract. Read it carefully.

How you know it is done When CPSA has the sponsorship form.

Why you see this CaRMS says you must complete the provincial assessment before applying to Alberta’s IMG positions. Requirements may change from cycle to cycle.

Comes after: Check that your medical school and degree are acceptable

1. Citizen or PR (2027 cycle: by August 28, 2026).
2. Alberta residence: two years of high school, two years of in-person post-secondary, or 24 weeks of continuous presence in the set window. Administrative exceptions cannot waive this.
3. A pass in the MCCQE and the NAC, and an English test with the scores on a single test.
4. The 2027 cycle window (May 2026) is closed. 2028 cycle dates are not yet published.

How you know it is done When you know you meet the cycle’s requirements.

Why you see this The Alberta residence requirement cannot be waived. AIMG does not affect applying to residency positions outside Alberta.

1. See other provinces’ roadmaps for the residency match.

How you know it is done When you choose another province or meet the requirement.

Why you see this The University of Calgary program that decides IMG eligibility for Alberta residency positions.

Comes after: Check the AIMG program requirements (needed before residency in Alberta)Request source verification of your medical degree (SVR)

1. Register on the portal with your name exactly as on your documents, and complete your profile in the application window.
2. The identity verification form must be notarized or commissioned. Translations: both the original and the certified translation.
3. Share your physiciansapply profile with AIMG until Match Day. If your degree is conferred, verification must be “Reviewed and Accepted” by the documents deadline.
4. Need an exception (a document you cannot get)? Request it before the exceptions window closes.

Fee: CAD 350 · AIMG application (plus processing fees, non-refundable) · AIMG Program

How you know it is done When the application is submitted and paid.

Why you see this If eligible, you apply to Alberta’s IMG positions through CaRMS.

Comes after: Apply to the AIMG program

1. Read your eligibility notice in the portal and RSVP for the November MMI. Not replying makes you ineligible.
2. The MMI is virtual: 8 stations of 9 minutes. If more candidates are eligible than there are MMI seats, invitations to the MMI go in order of MCCQE Part 1 score.
3. When you receive the result, record it here.

How you know it is done When you know the result.

Why you see this File Review Committee decisions cannot be appealed, and applications are not rolled forward.

Comes after: AIMG file review and Multiple Mini Interviews

1. Apply again in a later cycle, or apply to positions outside Alberta.

How you know it is done When you decide your next step.

Why you see this Residency needs an educational registration with CPSA; its length depends on the specialty.

Comes after: Match result

1. Your program and the regulator explain the registration you need.
2. At the end you take the CFPC or Royal College certification exam.

How you know it is done When you complete residency and pass the certification exam.

Why you see this The Royal College requirement for certification through PER.

Comes after: Register for and pass the specialty exam

1. Two full-time years in one location, with at least half your practice in the specialty, then an assessment with multisource feedback. The provisional licence for this practice comes from CPSA.

How you know it is done When you receive Royal College certification.

Why you see this CPSA sends your file to the PRA program once the application is complete.

Comes after: Find a sponsored job on DoctorJobsAlbertaTake the TDM Examination (therapeutics decision-making)

1. A criminal record check or police certificate from every place you lived over 90 days in the last five years. One Canadian check covers all of Canada.
2. If you cannot get a police certificate from a country other than Canada or the US for exceptional reasons, the Registrar may accept other evidence, such as an affidavit that you have no charges or convictions.
3. Certificates of professional conduct from every regulator you were registered with, sent directly by them.
4. Language proof, and the PRA orientation for international graduates.

Fee: CAD 800 · Registration administration fee (first time) · CPSA

Fee: CAD 100 · Permit to start a PRA · CPSA

How you know it is done When CPSA sends your file to the PRA program.

Why you see this Part A is under the direct observation of an approved assessor and may be waived based on your qualifications. In Part B you practise independently with a supervisor following you, and you can bill Alberta Health.

Comes after: Complete the full CPSA application

1. CPSA can end the assessment at any point if there is enough evidence that you have not passed.
2. Fees for both parts are invoiced to the sponsor: the maximum excluding travel is $35,625 plus GST (2026) and $37,160 (2027).

Published processing time: The whole route up to the end of the PRA: an average of 37 weeks, up to 154 weeks. (the body’s time, not your own time to complete)

How you know it is done When you complete both parts.

Why you see this If you pass, CPSA places you on the Provisional Register.

Comes after: The PRA: Part A (3 months under observation) and Part B (3 months of practice)

1. When you receive the result, record it here.

How you know it is done When you know the result.

Why you see this CPSA has not published what happens after a failed PRA (retry or waiting period), or whether a PRA outcome can be reviewed like a registration decision.

Comes after: PRA result

1. Ask CPSA in writing, and check your contract with the sponsor.

How you know it is done When you know your options.

Why you see this You practise independently as the most responsible physician, while keeping your sponsorship.

Comes after: PRA result

1. You must keep your sponsorship. To change sponsors: the current one withdraws, you apply for a new posting, and the new sponsor files a change form.
2. Renew every year by December 31: fees, liability coverage and continuing professional development.

Fee: CAD 2000 · Annual practice permit (2026) · CPSA

Fee: CAD 1800 · Annual practice permit (2027) · CPSA

How you know it is done When you are on the Provisional Register.

Why you see this AIMG’s pre-residency orientation is mandatory, and there may be a probationary period early in residency.

Comes after: Match result

1. AHS requirements: a criminal record check and vulnerable sector search, and the immunization policy.
2. The mandatory in-person PGME orientation at your matched university: University of Calgary on Tuesday, June 29, 2027, and University of Alberta on Wednesday, June 30, 2027. Do not book holidays for the last week of June.
3. CPSA learner registration with language proof. Delays in CPSA documents may delay the July 1 start.
4. After residency: CFPC or Royal College certification and the LMCC, then apply for independent practice.

Fee: CAD 400 · Medical learner registration (one-time) · CPSA

How you know it is done When you start residency.

Why you see this It is part of the common standard for a full licence.

Comes after: Take the MCCQE (Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination)ECFMG contacts your university and the MCC updates your status

1. Requirements: an acceptable school, an MCCQE pass, a verified degree and nothing owing to the MCC.
2. If you applied for the MCCQE after January 26, 2026, it is issued automatically at no cost. If earlier, apply under Other Service Requests and pay $50.
3. It is now a digital number; paper certificates are not issued automatically.

How you know it is done When an LMCC number is issued.

Why you see this If you do not reach the General Register within six years, the provisional registration expires.

Comes after: Practise on the Provisional Register (up to six years)

1. CFPC or Royal College certification, or up to two CPSA Competency Assessments of your practice in the first three years. Pass the first and you move; if remediation is needed, there is a second.
2. You need a valid criminal record check again before the transfer.

Fee: CAD 3500 plus tax · Competency Assessment (each, up to two) · CPSA

How you know it is done When you are transferred to the General Register.

Why you see this Family medicine: Australia, Ireland, the UK and the US. Specialists: listed colleges in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Ireland, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, the UK and the US, with date ranges. You do not apply for this route directly: CPSA tells you after the Review of Qualifications.

Comes after: CPSA sends your Eligibility Letter

1. MCC exams, the TDM, the PRA workshop, the clinical assessment and the Canadian certification exams are all waived.
2. Certificates of professional conduct from every regulator, sent directly and dated within 90 days of your start date, a criminal record check, the photo and signature form, and language proof if required.
3. In CPSA’s example letter, the file closes if the application form is not submitted within 30 days of the letter, or all documents are not in within 365 days.

Fee: CAD 800 · Registration administration fee (first time) · CPSA

Fee: CAD 2000 · Annual practice permit (2026) · CPSA

Fee: CAD 1800 · Annual practice permit (2027) · CPSA

How you know it is done When you hold a General Register practice permit.