"What is this??? Been through hell and back to get a license, moved to another province...AND THE SAME THING IS REPEATING AGAIN!"
NO! NOT ANYMORE! Everything changes on January 1st!
⚠Ontario's new rules for interprovincial workers: what will change on January 1st, 2026
On January 1st, 2026, the "As of Right" mechanism comes into force in Ontario, which breaks down the bureaucratic walls between provinces.
But it is important to emphasize: we are not talking about health professions, but about other regulated professions: such as engineers, architects, geologists, land surveyors, as well as many construction trades like electricians or plumbers.
Now a worker with a valid license or certificate in their province will be able to enter the Ontario labour market almost immediately. It is enough to send an application to the relevant regulator and confirm your status. Within 10 working days, you must be given a response and issued a temporary permit, and over the next 6 months, a full re-registration will be completed. Thus, instead of months of downtime, specialists will be able to work and earn money while their documents are being processed.
Imagine: an architect from Nova Scotia comes to design new neighborhoods in Toronto, an engineer from Alberta joins an infrastructure project in Ontario, and a geologist from Quebec goes "to the field" in the northern regions of the province in a couple of weeks. All this becomes a reality without the usual bureaucratic paperwork.
It is crucial to distinguish between regulated professions and trades.
Regulated professions are engineers, architects and similar specialists in the field where it is generally impossible to work without a license and where professional liability is especially strictly regulated.
Trades are crafts and construction specialties, some of which are mandatory for certification, and some remain voluntary. But both of them benefit from the new system: trades get quick access to facilities, and "white collar" technical workers get the opportunity not to wait for six months for formalities.
Currently, the process can take up to 6-8 months for engineers (for example, Professional Engineer), and for teachers in some cases up to 12 months.
That is why the reform is of particular importance not only for Canadian citizens, but also for immigrants who are in the country on work permits and are wasting time waiting for a license.
For the economy, this means one thing: the labor shortage will be ceased faster. Construction, infrastructure projects, energy and the extractive industry will receive specialists when they are needed, and not months after endless inspections.
What do you need to start the process? It's simple: find your regulator in Ontario, send an application with a package of documents and wait for a response. The details depend on the specific agency — be it engineers, architects or trades — but the general framework is the same: 10 days for the initial decision and six months for final registration.
I would like to separately note an important point for those thinking about immigration: work experience gained while waiting for re-registration in Ontario is counted as Canadian experience. This means that these six months can play a decisive role when applying for PR.
Ontario is becoming one of the first provinces that decided to simplify interprovincial mobility by opening the labour market to specialists from all over Canada. This is a signal to other regions: barriers must fall.
Conclusion: for specialists, this is a chance to quickly enter the market and strengthen their immigration file, and for employers, it is a real tool for attracting the necessary personnel without bureaucratic delays.
Oleksandra Melnykova, Canadian Immigration and Refugee Consultant.
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