Eligibility criteria

BASIC ELIGIBILITY

To participate in the R-1 match, you must:

1. be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada. Some exceptions may apply.
2. be a medical student or graduate who has obtained, or is in the process of obtaining, a medical degree by July 1 of the match year from an institution that meets one of the following criteria:
   • Canadian medical school that is accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) or;
   • A U.S allopathic medical school that is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), with an MD graduation date of on or before June 30, 2025.
3. have had no previous RCPSC/CFPC/ACGME accredited postgraduate training, if applying in the first iteration of the match. Some exceptions may apply.

FIRST AND SECOND ITERATION

The R-1 match is run in two phases, called iterations.

First Iteration

The first iteration is open to all applicants who meet the basic eligibility criteria and have had no previous RCPSC/CFPC/ACGME accredited postgraduate training in Canada or the U.S. Some exceptions may apply.

Second Iteration

The second iteration is open to all applicants who meet the basic eligibility criteria, including applicants who are only eligible for the second iteration based on the provincial criteria and/or have previous RCPSC/CFPC/ACGME accredited postgraduate training in Canada or the U.S.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

You will be required to have obtained your Medical Identification Number for Canada (MINC) and enter it into your application.

In addition to basic eligibility requirements, individual provinces and residency programs may have specific requirements and restrictions as provincial governments and faculties of medicine are responsible for the management, organization and delivery of health care services for their province.

Refer to the provincial criteria of the province you are interested in training in, as well as the program descriptions for more information.

Potential additional requirements by province

• Proof of language proficiency requirement (Refer to the Summary of language proficiency requirements)
• The Casper test (refer to the program descriptions)
• The Family Medicine Professional Choices Assessment (FMProC)

Medical students or graduates who have obtained or are in the process of obtaining a medical degree from an allopathic medical school in the U.S can either be considered Canadian Medical Graduates (CMG’s) or International Medical Graduates (IMG’s) within the residency application process, depending on their graduation date. This differentiation is due to changes made in the joint accreditation process of medical schools in the U.S and Canada.

• If you graduated from a U.S. allopathic medical school before July 1, 2025, you are considered a Canadian Medical Graduate (CMG). Refer to the CMG tab for eligibility requirements.
• If you graduated on or after July 1, 2025, you are considered an International Medical Graduate (IMG). Refer to the IMG tab for eligibility requirements.

BASIC ELIGIBILITY

To participate in the R-1 match, you must:

1. be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada. Some exceptions may apply.
2. be a medical student or graduate who has obtained, or is in the process of obtaining, a medical degree by July 1 of the match year from an institution that meets one of the following criteria:
   • An international medical school listed with the World Directory of Medical Schools that is recognized in Canada or;
   • A U.S allopathic medical school that is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), with a MD graduation date of on or after July 1, 2025 or;
   • A U.S osteopathic medical school.
3. have written and passed:
   • the National Assessment Collaboration (NAC) Examination; and
   • the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Exam Part I
4. have had no previous RCPSC/CFPC/ACGME accredited postgraduate training, if applying in the first iteration of the match. Some exceptions may apply.

Some provinces may allow exceptions to either exam. Refer to the Summary of MCC Examination requirements.

FIRST AND SECOND ITERATION

The R-1 match is run in two phases, called iterations.

First Iteration

The first iteration is open to all applicants who meet the basic eligibility criteria and have had no previous RCPSC/CFPC/ACGME accredited postgraduate training in Canada or the U.S. Some exceptions may apply.

Second Iteration

The second iteration is open to all applicants who meet the basic eligibility criteria, including applicants who are only eligible for the second iteration based on the provincial criteria and/or have previous RCPSC/CFPC/ACGME accredited postgraduate training in Canada or the U.S.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

You will be required to have obtained your Medical Identification Number for Canada (MINC) and enter it into your application.

In addition to basic eligibility requirements, individual provinces and residency programs may have specific requirements and restrictions as provincial governments and faculties of medicine are responsible for the management, organization and delivery of health care services for their province and may have differing regulations in place.

Refer to the provincial criteria of the province you are interested in training in, as well as the program descriptions for more information.

Provincial assessments

If you are interested in applying to the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, or Quebec, you are required to complete an assessment before you are able to apply through CaRMS:

• British Columbia: UBC Clinical Assessment Program.
• Alberta: Alberta International Medical Graduate Program.
• Quebec: Recognition of the equivalence of an M.D. degree

Potential additional requirements  

• Proof of language proficiency requirement (Refer to the Summary of language proficiency requirements)
• The Casper test (refer to the program descriptions)
• The Family Medicine Professional Choices Assessment (FMProC)

Provincial criteria can vary significantly due to factors such as:

• local healthcare priorities
• language requirements
• return-of-service obligations
• provincial assessments.

Consequently, not all are eligible to apply to all residency programs as eligibility can differ from one province to another.

Application Streams

Applicants apply to residency programs through application streams, which are groups of residency positions set aside for specific applicant types, based on their education. These streams are determined by provincial ministries of health, which allocate positions according to workforce planning priorities and eligibility criteria.

Each stream is limited to certain applicant groups — for example, there are streams open only to Canadian Medical Graduates (CMGs), or only open to International Medical Graduates (IMGs) who meet specific provincial assessment requirements.

Your eligibility to apply to an application stream depends on where and when you completed your medical degree and additional requirements set by the province offering the stream.

In addition to basic eligibility requirements, there are also individual provincial requirements that may differ between provinces as provincial governments are responsible for the management, organization and delivery of health care services for their province and may have differing regulations in place.

Refer to the provincial criteria of the province you are interested in training in, as well as the program disciplines and locations you are interested in applying in by consulting program descriptions and for more information. 

Provincial requirements by province

Summary of citizenship requirements

Summary of MCC examination requirements

Summary of language proficiency requirements

Summary of eligibility for practicing physicians

Individual provincial criteria

Newfoundland and Labrador

Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island

Québec

Ontario

Manitoba

Saskatchewan

Alberta

British Columbia

The Association of Faculties of Medicine (AFMC) is the academic partnership of Canada’s Faculties of Medicine and is the national voice for academic medicine in Canada. The resolutions outlined below partially inform the eligibility criteria for the match.

AFMC motion

Be it resolved by the AFMC Board of Directors that effective July 1, 2025:

• That all graduates of Canadian medical schools be assured access to a residency position in Canada to complete training necessary to enter practice,
• That access to postgraduate training organized by the Residency Match in Canada be through a defined and transparent process for eligible graduates of CACMS accredited medical schools and also for eligible graduates of international medical schools,
• That these processes must be defined by July 1 of the calendar year to ensure proper implementation can occur,
• That we affirm that eligibility for a postgraduate training program is determined by each Canadian medical school,
• That participation in the first iteration of the Canadian Residency Match be restricted to eligible graduates of CACMS accredited schools or international medical schools, who have had no previous RCPSC/CFPC/ACGME accredited postgraduate training.

R-1 Match Policies

1. Letter of reference policy
2. Interview format policy
3. Transcript translation policy
4. Applicant release policy
5. Match Violation Policy