The Government of Canada plans to give up to $6 million over three years to expand Practice-Ready Assessment (PRA) in Manitoba. The program helps international medical graduates (IMGs) qualify to work as family doctors in the province.
What was announced
Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel and Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced the plan in Winnipeg. Manitoba Health would work with partners to expand and improve its PRA process for IMGs who want to practise family medicine.
The project is expected to produce up to 90 new family physicians ready to work in Manitoba by 2028-2029.
Why it matters for healthcare access
The new doctors would work in both emergency departments and clinics. Officials say the focus is on rural, remote and northern communities, where staffing gaps are the biggest.
Minister Asagwara said the province asked to focus the funding on emergency-trained physicians. The new doctors will not work only in rural areas, but those areas are the priority. Manitoba is also looking at return of service agreements to help keep doctors in the communities that hire them.
How Practice-Ready Assessment works
PRA is a faster route to a licence for internationally trained doctors. It is for doctors who have finished their training and are ready to practise. Manitoba’s program closed in 2022 because of COVID-19 and reopened in the 2025-26 fiscal year. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba told CBC it assessed 12 physicians that year.
What stays unconfirmed
This is a federal intention to fund the project. The release says the funding is subject to a final agreement between the Government of Canada and Manitoba. The “up to 90” figure is a target, not a guarantee.
The wider Canada picture
The release places this announcement within a larger push to bring in more doctors:
- In December 2025, Canada announced new immigration measures for internationally trained physicians. These include a new Express Entry category for doctors.
- Canada also reserved 5,000 extra federal admission spaces for provinces and territories to nominate licensed doctors with job offers.
- Budget 2024 set aside up to $77.1 million to help internationally educated health professionals join the workforce. That includes 120 new family medicine training positions.
- Manitoba says it has added 370 net new doctors since October 2023, but needs remain in rural and northern areas.
What this means for students and professionals
This announcement is about licensing doctors who are already trained. It is not an admission offer or a visa route. Medical graduates should check licensing rules with Manitoba’s regulator and confirm their immigration options before making plans. Study and work routes change often, so it pays to plan early.
If you are weighing study or career options in Canada, you can contact SWEC Visa Consultant in Ahmedabad or Surat for guidance.
Sources
- Health Canada: More doctors to strengthen healthcare in rural and Northern Manitoba communities
- CBC News: Manitoba will hire up to 90 family doctors by 2029 with $6M in federal funding (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/health-ministers-winnipeg-announcement-9.7380282)
- CTV News Winnipeg: New investment to bring more family doctors to Manitoba (https://www.ctvnews.ca/winnipeg/article/new-investment-to-bring-more-family-doctors-to-manitoba/)
