September 19, 2026
Pakistani cardiologists can immigrate to Canada as a cardiologist through Express Entry or a Provincial Nominee Program in 2026. Immigration and medical licensing are separate processes. IRCC decides permanent residence, and each province’s medical regulatory authority issues the license to practice.
Cardiologists apply under NOC 31100, Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine. The most recent healthcare category draw, held on 4 September 2026, issued 3,500 invitations at a minimum CRS score of 475.
Rawalpindi and Faisalabad are home to major cardiac hospitals, including the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology and the Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology. AIRCS Group serves doctors in both cities through its offices in Saddar, Rawalpindi and Kohinoor City, Faisalabad.
Key Takeaways: Immigrate to Canada as a Cardiologist
- NOC code: Cardiologists are classified under NOC 31100, Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine, a TEER 1 occupation.
- Healthcare category draw: The 4 September 2026 healthcare and social services round issued 3,500 invitations at a minimum CRS score of 475.
- Credential assessment: When cardiology is the primary occupation, IRCC requires the Medical Council of Canada to assess the applicant’s primary medical diploma.
- Physicians category: The 2026 physicians rounds had cut-offs between 169 and 223, and each required 12 months of full-time work as a doctor in Canada within the last three years.
- Licensing route: Pakistan is not a Royal College-approved jurisdiction, so Pakistani-trained cardiologists apply through the Practice Eligibility Route, a provincial practice-ready assessment or Canadian residency training.
- Provincial nomination: A nomination adds 600 CRS points, and IRCC has reserved up to 5,000 federal immigration spaces for provinces to nominate doctors with a job offer or a letter of support.
Cardiologist NOC 31100 and Express Entry Draws
Cardiologists are classified as Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine, a TEER 1 occupation. Cardiac surgeons fall under NOC 31101, Specialists in surgery. Cardiology technologists are classified under NOC 32123.
All three occupations are on the 2026 Express Entry list for the healthcare and social services category. To qualify, an applicant needs 12 months of full-time work in one listed occupation within the last three years. An equal amount of part-time work also counts.
IRCC accepts this experience from Canada or abroad, regardless of the applicant’s primary occupation. The 12 months do not need to be continuous.
Round type | Eligibility requirement | Latest 2026 cut-off |
Healthcare and social services | 12 months in a listed healthcare occupation | CRS 475 (4 September 2026) |
Physicians with Canadian work experience | 12 months of work as a doctor in Canada | CRS 198 (3 September 2026) |
French-language proficiency | NCLC 7 in all four French abilities | CRS 382 (19 August 2026) |
Canadian Experience Class | One year of skilled work in Canada within the last three years | CRS 521 (1 September 2026) |
Our guide on Canada immigration for healthcare professionals covers the wider healthcare category.
Physicians Category: Canadian Work Experience Requirement
The Physicians with Canadian work experience category held its first draw on 19 February 2026, issuing 391 invitations at a minimum CRS score of 169. The 3 September 2026 draw issued 229 invitations at a minimum score of 198.
This category requires 12 months of full-time work as a doctor in Canada within the last three years. Work experience gained in Pakistan does not count toward it.
A cardiologist becomes eligible after obtaining a provincial license and completing 12 months of work in Canada on a work permit.
Five PR Options for Cardiologists Without Canadian Experience
IRCC lists five permanent residence programs for doctors without Canadian experience. Under all five, a doctor must have their credentials assessed and obtain a provincial license before working as a cardiologist in Canada.
Program | IRCC eligibility guidance |
Provincial Nominee Program | A job offer or a letter of support to work as a doctor in a province or territory |
Express Entry | Eligibility for one of the three Express Entry programs and work experience as a doctor, with no Canadian job offer required |
Atlantic Immigration Program | Work experience or post-secondary education in Atlantic Canada, and a job offer from a designated employer |
Rural Community Immigration Pilot | One year of work as a doctor in the last three years or graduation from an eligible school, and a job offer from a designated employer in a participating rural community |
Francophone Community Immigration Pilot | The Rural Community Immigration Pilot requirements, plus French language ability, in a Francophone community outside Quebec |
Express Entry is the only program on this list that does not require a Canadian job offer or letter of support. Our guide to the Rural Community Immigration Pilot covers the designated communities and employer requirements.
Canada PR for Cardiologists: Expected CRS Score
A single 35-year-old cardiologist scores 436 CRS points. That profile has a professional medical degree, CLB 9 in all four English abilities and three or more years of foreign work experience. The table shows how the total is reached under IRCC’s current criteria.
CRS factor | Example profile | Points |
Age | 35 years | 77 |
Education | MBBS assessed as a professional degree | 135 |
First official language | CLB 9 in all four abilities | 124 |
Education and language | Professional degree with CLB 9 | 50 |
Foreign work and language | Three or more years with CLB 9 | 50 |
Total | Single applicant, no Canadian work experience | 436 |
Age points fall each year from age 30. The same profile at age 38 scores 420. CLB 10 in all four abilities adds 12 points, for a total of 448. On IELTS General Training, CLB 9 requires 8.0 in Listening and 7.0 in Reading, Writing and Speaking.
An accompanying spouse or common-law partner lowers the maximum core points available to the principal applicant. The 35-year-old profile above scores 412 on its own factors. The spouse then adds up to 40 points: 10 for education, 20 for language and 10 for Canadian work experience.
ECA for Cardiologists: Medical Council of Canada Requirement
IRCC requires applicants whose primary occupation is NOC 31100 to have their medical diploma assessed by the Medical Council of Canada (MCC). No other designated organization can issue this assessment, so an ECA from WES does not meet the requirement.
For Pakistani-trained cardiologists, the MCC assesses the MBBS. IRCC sets out this rule on its educational credential assessment page.
The MCC ECA serves immigration purposes only and does not grant a medical license. Applicants submit it through a physiciansapply.ca account, which most provincial medical regulatory authorities also use for licensing applications.
Ontario is the exception, because the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) handles source verification for doctors who plan to practice there. The ECA report must be less than five years old at profile creation and again at submission.
Provincial Nominee Program Routes for Cardiologists
A provincial nomination adds 600 CRS points, which places a candidate above every 2026 draw cut-off. In December 2025, IRCC reserved up to 5,000 federal admission spaces for provinces and territories to nominate doctors with a job offer or a letter of support.
These spaces are in addition to regular PNP allocations. Nominated doctors are eligible for work permit processing within 14 days.
Province | Main prerequisite for a cardiologist |
Ontario | CPSO registration in the independent, academic or provisional class, and eligibility to bill OHIP. Self-employed physicians need no job offer. |
Alberta | A Practice Readiness Assessment for doctors from non-approved jurisdictions, then a job offer from an Alberta healthcare employer under the Dedicated Health Care Pathway. |
British Columbia | A sponsorship letter from a health authority or a BC medical school for a provisional license. |
Manitoba | An approved sponsor and a job offer in a high-need clinical area under the Practice Ready Assessment program. |
Ontario opened the Expression of Interest system for its Workforce Priority stream on 4 August 2026. Our Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program guide covers the full requirements.
IRCC lists federal PR processing at about 7 months for an Express Entry-linked nomination and 13 months for a base nomination. Confirm the current figures on IRCC’s processing times page before applying.
Cardiologist License in Canada
Express Entry does not require a Canadian medical license, but no cardiologist can treat patients without one. The Medical Council of Canada lists four licensing routes for international medical graduates. These are a CaRMS residency match for doctors willing to retrain, a provincial practice-ready assessment, the approved jurisdiction route and the Royal College Practice Eligibility Route (PER).
Pakistan is not a Royal College-approved jurisdiction, so Pakistani-trained cardiologists apply through one of the other three routes. Our guide on how to immigrate to Canada as a doctor covers these routes for general practitioners and other specialists.
Internal Medicine Requirement for Cardiologists
In Canada, adult cardiology is a subspecialty of internal medicine. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada requires certification in internal medicine before a candidate can sit the adult cardiology exam.
The PER assesses primary specialties, so a cardiologist’s training is first assessed against internal medicine standards. Internal medicine requires four years of training under Royal College standards. Up to 12 months of fellowship or subspecialty training may count toward this requirement.
Practice Eligibility Route Steps
Step | Responsible body | Available before moving to Canada |
Source verification and ECA | Medical Council of Canada (CPSO for Ontario) | Yes |
MCCQE, 230 multiple-choice questions | Medical Council of Canada | Yes, at test centers in over 70 countries |
PER training assessment | Royal College | Yes |
Royal College exams | Royal College | Held once a year on fixed dates |
Two years of supervised practice | Provincial medical regulatory authority | No, completed in Canada |
The Royal College issues a ruling three to six months after receiving a complete application. Candidates get four attempts at each exam component within the five-year eligibility period. The internal medicine written and applied exams are both held in spring, and the application deadline is 30 April of the previous year.
Canadian practice is not required to sit the exam, but certification requires two years of supervised practice in Canada. Ontario and British Columbia offer a restricted or provisional license to PER candidates who have passed the Royal College exam.
Provincial Practice-Ready Assessments
Most practice-ready assessment programs in Canada are designed for family physicians, so specialists should confirm the options in their target province first.
Alberta requires doctors from outside its approved jurisdictions to pass a Practice Readiness Assessment before joining its Provisional Register. Manitoba’s Practice Ready Assessment program includes specialists and requires an approved sponsor and a job offer in a high-need clinical area.
MCCQE and English Language Requirements
Most medical regulatory authorities ask for the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC), which depends on a pass in the MCCQE. Since 26 January 2026, the MCC no longer requires 12 months of postgraduate training before issuing the LMCC.
Licensing calls for a higher English score than Express Entry. The CPSO accepts IELTS Academic with 7.0 in each component, OET Medicine with a B in each component, or CELPIP-General with 9 in each component.
CELPIP-General is the one test both IRCC and the CPSO accept, and a score of 9 in each component equals CLB 9. One result can therefore support both applications. CELPIP is available in Islamabad and Karachi.
Cost and Timeline for a Cardiologist
IRCC fees for Canada PR for cardiologists are CAD 1,675 for a single applicant and CAD 3,890 for a couple with two dependent children. The Royal College charges a non-refundable CAD 4,845 for the PER training assessment, with exam fees charged separately.
After an ITA, applicants have 60 days to submit the PR application, and IRCC aims to process 80% of complete files within six months. The PR and licensing tracks can run at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I immigrate to Canada as a cardiologist without a Canadian license?
Yes. A Canadian medical license is not needed for an Express Entry profile or a PR application. The license is a separate requirement that applies before treating patients in Canada.
Can a cardiologist use WES for the ECA?
No, if NOC 31100 is the primary occupation in the Express Entry profile. IRCC requires the Medical Council of Canada to assess the medical diploma, and a WES report does not meet this requirement.
Is an FCPS in Cardiology accepted for Royal College exams?
Not automatically. The Royal College reviews each PER application individually against its internal medicine training requirements. Applicants can contact the PER team at per@royalcollege.ca before applying.
Can a cardiologist in Pakistan enter the physicians category draws?
No. This category requires 12 months of full-time work as a doctor in Canada within the last three years. Experience gained in Pakistan does not count toward it.
Does a clinical fellowship in Canada help a cardiologist?
The Royal College may count one year of a Canadian clinical fellowship toward its two-year practice requirement where the fellowship overlaps with the primary specialty. For Express Entry, only paid work experience counts.
Start Your Canada PR Application as a Cardiologist
AIRCS Group reviews your CRS score, MCC credential assessment, Express Entry category and provincial nomination options in one session.
Book a free assessment or message us on WhatsApp. You can also visit us at Kohistan Tower, Saddar, Rawalpindi, or The Orion Plaza, Kohinoor City, Faisalabad.
