B.C. reveals results of U.S. health-care worker recruitment so far
Over 400 U.S. health-care professionals have accepted job offers in B.C. in the past 10 months, as the province ramps up its efforts to recruit south of the border.
Between March 2025 and January 2026, the province successfully recruited 89 doctors, 260 nurses, 42 nurse practitioners, and 23 allied health professionals.
B.C. launched these recruitment efforts in March of last year and started the marketing campaign in June 2025, largely targeting Washington, Oregon, and select cities in California.
“Some are here already,” said Premier David Eby at a press conference. “Working in communities throughout the province, and more are on their way. It’s great news for British Columbians. It means more doctors, nurses and health science professionals to support you and your family getting the care you need.”
Eby said that B.C. is “one of the best places to live in the world.”
“A great place to grow your career as a medical professional. A place where we respect reproductive rights, where we respect science. It informs our policy. And we have a universal health-care system, where you don’t have to pull out your credit card to access care or put your family into debt for the rest of their lives to ensure that you get the care that you need,” he said.
“We brought that message south of the border.”
“I’m happy to share with you that our hunch was right, we have been able to recruit a significant amount of health-care professionals.”
The government has worked with regulatory colleges to make it easier for internationally trained health professionals to practice in B.C. by speeding up the credential recognition process and removing requirements for further assessment, examination, or training.
B.C. received more than 2,750 job applications from U.S.-trained doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners and allied health professionals last year, and registered more than 1,300.
Jodie Osborne, B.C.’s minister of health, added that the health professionals are “choosing communities all over British Columbia.”
“These are health-care professionals who are making B.C. their home. They’re strengthening health-care teams here. They’re helping communities across our products access the care that people need. And it is just the beginning,” she said.
B.C. has suffered from an acute health-care worker shortage, resulting in things like hospitals having to repeatedly cut back on emergency department hours and divert maternity patients.