In a bid to fill local gaps in medical services, provinces and territories will be able to nominate 5,000 health care professionals for fast-tracking.

Foreign doctors are to be offered a fast track to permanent residency in a bid to persuade more medical professionals to stay and work across Canada.

The announcement Monday by Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab of a new pathway to permanent residency is designed to increase the number of family doctors in Canada and cut wait times to see specialists and surgeons.

It will be opened next year for foreign physicians who have worked in Canada for more than a year over the past three years.

Provinces and territories will also be given the power to nominate a total of 5,000 health care professionals for fast-tracking in a bid to fill lo

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