Canada's Family Doctor Crisis Deepens; Newcomers Face 6–18 Month Wait for GP
With 6.5 million Canadians now without a family doctor and average wait times rising, newcomers and immigrants settling in Canada face particular difficulty accessing continuity of care, forcing many to rely on walk-in clinics.
Canada's family doctor shortage has reached critical levels in 2026, with far-reaching consequences for newcomers and residents nationwide. An estimated 6.5 million Canadians don't have access to a family doctor. From 2015 to 2025, the percentage of Canadians who have difficult or no access to a family doctor has increased by 25 per cent (40% of Canadians in 2015, 50% in 2025).
Why the Shortage Is Worsening
The federal government expects Canada to be short nearly 20,000 family doctors to fill job openings up to 2031. More than 14,000 of Canada's 48,000 family doctors graduated more than 30 years ago, and less than a third of medical school graduates chose to specialize in family medicine in 2023, down from nearly two in five in 2014.
What Newcomers Face
BC has a chronic family-doctor shortage — most newcomers wait 6–18 months after MSP enrolment to get a regular GP. Similar delays plague Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic provinces. In Ontario, one study found that one in five people who visited the emergency department were there because they did not have access to primary care. One survey calculated the average wait time at walk-in clinics across Canada in 2023 was 68 minutes.
Federal and Provincial Responses
In late 2025, the federal government announced a new Express Entry immigration category targeting medical professionals, promising an expedited work permit in approximately 14 days so physicians can begin practicing while their permanent residency is finalized. In early 2026, a group of Canadian senators proposed that the federal government directly fund at least 4,500 Practice Ready Assessment slots across the country over a four-year period, which they argue could give most Canadians access to a family doctor by the end of that timeframe.
Some provinces are expanding the role of nurse practitioners and other healthcare professionals. From April 1, 2026, medically necessary primary care will no longer be tied so closely to who delivers it. Under the updated interpretation of the Canada Health Act, nurse practitioner clinics and pharmacist led services should become more accessible without financial barriers.
For Newcomers: How to Cope
Upon arrival, register immediately with your province's family doctor matching service (Health Connect in BC; Health Care Connect in Ontario; RAMQ in Quebec). Even though you may wait 6–18 months for a GP appointment, early registration puts you on the list. In the interim, use walk-in clinics for acute care and explore telehealth options, which are expanding across Canada. Consider building a relationship with a pharmacist or nurse practitioner at a local clinic, as they can now provide medically necessary primary care in many provinces without a physician referral.
Sources
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