Un groupe de plusieurs professionnels de la santé

Restrictive permit – Sponsored professor

If you are an international medical graduate (IMG) and have an academic profile that meets an exceptional need, you may apply for a restrictive permit (sponsored professor) to practice medicine in Quebec.

You must obtain a position as a sponsored professor in one of Quebec’s four faculties of medicine before you submit your application.

Other routes to the permit to practice:

Physicians who do not meet the sponsored professor profile requirements and who completed their medical training or residency program in a faculty of medicine outside Canada or the United States may also take the following routes to the permit to practice:

Please note

Since June 1, 2024, the Collège des médecins du Québec (CMQ) is no longer the employer of candidates applying for the restrictive permit route undergoing an adaptation and evaluation period.

Restrictive permit (sponsored professor)

Pursuant to section 35 of the Medical Act, the Collège may issue a restrictive permit (sponsored professor) in accordance with guidelines established for sponsored professors (in French only) (see the excerpt from the minutes of the meeting of the Board of Directors, CDA-20-152) that is valid for the term of your sponsored professor position. It may be converted subject to certain requirements.

The Committee on Admission to Practice (CAP) of the Collège is responsible for reviewing credentials and issuing permits.

The permit is restricted with respect to three aspects:

  • place of practice (only authorized to practice in a health care institution; the permit does not authorize “independent” or private practice);
  • the professional acts authorized;
  • validity (1 year, renewable annually).

A restrictive permit may be converted into a regular permit subject to certain requirements. Please see the page Converting a restrictive permit into a regular permit.

The guidelines also set out the criteria for revoking a restrictive permit:

  • the permit holder is struck off or resigns from the Roll of the Order;
  • the permit holder no longer has privileges in a health care institution, confirmed by a resolution of the health care institution’s board of directors;
  • the permit holder ceases to practice;
  • the permit holder does not have a sponsored professor position in a Quebec university, irrespective of the health care institution they have privileges in.

Requirements:

  • You have a Doctor of Medicine degree or an equivalent degree from a school or faculty listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools published by the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER).
  • You have completed postgraduate training that is roughly equivalent to that required in Quebec in the discipline for which the restrictive permit application is being submitted.
  • You have a specialist’s certificate (or equivalent credential) in the discipline for which the permit application is being submitted.
  • You practiced competently in the area of medical expertise for which the restrictive permit application is being submitted for twelve months during the two years preceding your application.
  • You have provided proof of French language proficiency or passed the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) examination.
  • You participated in the ALDO-Quebec educational activity before your permit was issued.

Since the full process is lengthy (9 to 18 months on average) and you must maintain your clinical experience, we encourage you to keep practicing as you complete the steps.

Note that the CMQ does not intervene at all steps of the process.
The deadlines indicated at certain steps are given as an indication. They can vary significantly depending on the individual background of the candidates.

Steps

Une médecin consulte son ordinateur

Steps to practicing medicine in Quebec for IMGs

In case of dissatisfaction

You can file a complaint if you are dissatisfied or have difficulty in obtaining a permit or becoming a member of the Order.