CPSBC eligibility bylaws updated | College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC

The board of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC (CPSBC) approved bylaw amendments related to licensure eligibility requirements, which will come into effect on July 6, 2026.

The bylaw amendments will allow internationally trained physicians from select jurisdictions to be eligible for the full class of licensure if they meet certain requirements. An internationally trained physician is one who completed their postgraduate training outside of Canada.

Accompanying this change is the new BC Physician Integration Program policy, which will also come into effect on July 6, 2026. This policy requires any internationally trained physician who has practised independently in Canada for less than 12 months (or equivalent) to complete the BC Physician Integration Program within one year of licensure in BC.

Select jurisdictions
The select jurisdictions covered in the bylaw amendments include: Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Family and specialty physicians who have completed accredited postgraduate training in these select jurisdictions have a route to full licensure if they meet one of the following requirements:

completed a minimum of two years of accredited postgraduate training in a foreign jurisdiction recognized by the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) for the award of certification without examination (CFPC-approved jurisdictions currently include USA, Australia, United Kingdom and Ireland), or
completed postgraduate training and obtained a completion of training certificate and certification in the applicant’s specialty from a foreign jurisdiction where such training meets the criteria for an approved jurisdiction route ruling to access Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) certification through examinations, acceptable to CPSBC’s licensing committee. Note: not all specialties are approved in each jurisdiction.

If you are a current licensee or applicant who meets one of these requirements, you will be notified about how the bylaw amendments and new policy may impact your licensure or application.

Provisional class of licensure
Physicians who trained outside of Canada in a jurisdiction not covered in the bylaw amendments, and who have not obtained certification with the relevant certification body in Canada or the US, continue to be eligible for licensure in the provisional – family or provisional – specialty class.
The following eligibility requirements remain for the provisional class:

completed postgraduate training and obtained a completion of training certificate and certification in the applicant’s specialty from a jurisdiction outside of Canada where such training meets the criteria for a RCPSC practice eligibility route ruling to access RCPSC certification through examinations, acceptable to the registration committee, or
have successfully completed a practice ready assessment, acceptable to the licensing committee in a Canadian province or territory.

These bylaw amendments are part of efforts to streamline pathways for internationally trained physicians wishing to practise in BC and to address the physician shortage in the province. CPSBC will continue working with government and health partners to look for ways to evolve its bylaws, processes and procedures as health care needs in BC evolve.