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Indian MBBS to Canada:
Complete Licensing Pathway 2026

India sends more IMGs to Canada than almost any other country. Here is the exact step-by-step pathway — costs, timelines, and what most people get wrong.

4–5 years
Minimum timeline
$5,000–8,000 CAD
Total exam cost
~400/year
CaRMS IMG spots

The Exact Steps

01

Source Verification (ECFMG / WES)

3–6 months$500–800 CAD

Your MBBS degree must be verified through the Medical Council of Canada. Submit transcripts, degree certificate, and internship completion. Start this before anything else — it takes the longest.

02

MCCQE Part 1

3–6 months prep$915 CAD

A 6.5-hour computer-based exam testing clinical knowledge and decision-making. MCQ-only — 210 questions. Available at test centres internationally including India. Pass mark is 439 on a 300–600 scale. Most Indian IMGs pass on the first attempt with 3–4 months of focused prep.

03

NAC OSCE

2–4 months prep$2,000+ CAD (+ travel to Canada)

Objective Structured Clinical Examination — only available in Canada. You must travel. 12 stations, 15 minutes each. Tests clinical communication, history taking, physical exam, and patient management. This is where most Indian IMGs lose marks — not on knowledge but on Canadian communication style.

04

CaRMS Match

Annual cycle$500–1,000 CAD

CaRMS is the main pathway for Indian IMGs — but PRA is viable for family medicine in several provinces. Which is faster for you depends on your specialty and years of practice. Your roadmap maps this.

05

Residency

2–5 yearsPaid position (~$60,000–80,000/year)

Once matched, you complete residency in your chosen specialty. Family medicine is 2 years, internal medicine 3 years, surgery 5 years. After residency you are fully licensed to practice in Canada.

What Indian IMGs Get Wrong

✕Starting NAC prep too late — it requires months of communication practice, not just knowledge review
✕Only targeting Ontario and BC — Atlantic provinces have far more accessible IMG positions
✕Not getting Canadian reference letters early — CaRMS applications require Canadian references
✕Assuming the same route as other Indian IMGs — province, specialty, and immigration status all affect your sequence and timeline significantly
✕Starting without a mapped sequence — knowing which step comes first for your profile can save 6–12 months

Before you start

The wrong province costs you 3 years.
Your roadmap prevents that.

🔒
Which province to target
Wrong choice = no PRA eligibility at all
🔒
PRA or CaRMS for your profile
12 weeks vs. 5 years to practice — depends on your history
🔒
What to do first
Wrong sequence = months wasted on ineligible steps
🔒
Your months-to-income date
Know your Day 1 before you start
Build My Roadmap — 2 Minutes →

6 questions. No email required to start. vs. $250/hr with a consultant.

Practice NAC Stations with AI

The biggest gap for Indian IMGs is NAC communication — not knowledge. Our AI simulator plays the patient and gives you real feedback on your history taking, empathy, and clinical reasoning.

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