Recognize TCM and acupuncture

AI summary

Petitioners ask government to recognize TCM and acupuncture in NOC and restore NOC 32200 to Express Entry, exempt herbal NHPs from fees, and integrate into federal workforce plans. The government responds that Health Canada will revisit NHP fees; TCM regulation is provincial; the NOC is scheduled for revision in 2026; Express Entry excludes NOC 32200.

AI summaries describe petitioners’ requests and claims. Consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS WHEREAS Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture are regulated health professions providing essential care in pain management and chronic disease, their exclusion from the 2025 Federal Primary-Care compendium undermines national health strategies and workforce modernization; WHEREAS Health Canada's proposed cost-recovery framework for Natural Health Products imposes prohibitive fees on traditional herbal formulas, creating financial barriers for small clinics and reducing access to culturally significant care for millions of Canadians; WHEREAS these federal policy decisions result in structural exclusion, negatively impacting public health access, patient choice, and the economic viability of small healthcare providers while ignoring decades of regulated practice; and WHEREAS the current exclusion from federal planning creates a fragmented healthcare system that fails to utilize the full scope of available healthcare providers. THEREFORE, your petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Formally recognize Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Acupuncture as a unique health profession, as defined within the National Occupational Classification (NOC); 2. Restructure the Natural Health Product cost-recovery model to exempt traditional herbal products, ensuring small practices and importers remain viable; 3. Formally acknowledge the integral role of these professions to ensure fair treatment and integration within all federally supported health workforce and modernization strategies; and 4. Restore NOC 32200 to the Express Entry Healthcare Occupations Category to provide skilled TCM and Acupuncture professionals equitable access to Canada's immigration system.

Government response

Response by the Minister of Health Signed by Maggie Chi On May 12, 2023, Health Canada launched a public consultation regarding its proposed fees for NHPs to strengthen the NHP program and support its long-term sustainability. Based on feedback received from the initial consultation, Health Canada developed and published a revised fee proposal on March 27, 2024. The revised proposal stated that Health Canada would publish fees in the Canada Gazette, Part II ahead of implementation, which has not taken place. The Department’s current focus is on advancing the policy and regulatory changes set out in Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada’s report on red tape reduction, which is focused on burden reduction and finding operational efficiencies. In light of the red tape reduction commitments, Health Canada will revisit introducing a cost recovery regime for NHPs once regulatory amendments and program adjustments have been completed. This will involve updating the NHP program costing model and extensive consultations with stakeholders, including the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) community. The Department informed stakeholders, including the TCM stakeholders, of this approach in November 2025. The regulation of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners falls under provincial regulatory bodies, and is outside of federal jurisdiction. Response by the Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario Signed by Annie Koutrakis The National Occupational Classification is Canada’s standard classification of occupations. It is designed for the collection, production and use in statistical programs, labour market analysis, the provision of occupational information and program administration. The National Occupational Classification system includes information on more than 500 occupations in Canada and categorizes those occupations following a rigorous set of criteria. The National Occupational Classification is jointly managed by Employment and Social Development Canada and Statistics Canada, with ongoing collaboration with stakeholders. The National Occupational Classification is reviewed regularly, with major revisions historically taking place every ten years. As part of the National Occupational Classification standard revision process, the next version will be released in December 2026. The consultation period for National Occupational Classification classifications for 2026 has closed, but Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture could be considered in subsequent revisions through stakeholder engagement. Response by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Signed by Peter Fragiskatos, M.P. The healthcare and social services category, currently in place in Express Entry, is designed to prioritize occupations facing long-term labour market shortages. According to Employment and Social Development Canada’s Canadian Occupational Projection System, the outlook for the occupation “Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioners and Acupuncturists” indicates that labour market supply and demand are broadly expected to be in balance at the national level over the period of 2024–2033. As such, this occupation is not included in the healthcare and social services category at this time. While this occupation is not currently eligible for the healthcare and social services category, as a high-skilled occupation (defined as occupations within TEERs 0–3), it is eligible for Express Entry generally. This means that candidates with work experience as TCM Practitioners and Acupuncturists may qualify for Express Entry and be invited for permanent residence through round types other than the dedicated healthcare and social services category-based rounds. Candidates with work experience in this occupation may be invited through Canadian Experience Class rounds, for example. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada regularly consults partners, stakeholders, and the public on issues that affect Canadians. Information on upcoming public consultations that will inform Express Entry and category-based selection in 2027 can be found on the IRCC website.