The 2026 Main Residency Match placed 6,733 non-US international medical graduates, a record number, at a match rate of 56.4%. [1][2] The same match placed US MD seniors at 93.5%. [2]
Both numbers are true, and neither one is a prediction for you. We want to explain what the Match is, what the figures include, and what a Canadian graduate of a school abroad needs to have in place before the rank order list deadline.
What the NRMP Does
The National Resident Matching Program runs the Main Residency Match. Applicants apply to programs through ERAS, interview, then submit a rank order list. Programs rank applicants, and an algorithm assigns positions. If you match, you are bound to the position.
If you do not match, there is a follow-up process called SOAP, the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program. As we explain in our dual application article, applicants who submitted a CaRMS rank order list and did not match in the NRMP cannot participate in SOAP. [3]
The 2026 Numbers
NRMP’s 2026 Match by the Numbers reports 44,344 total positions. It lists 11,944 non-US IMGs submitting program choices, of whom 6,733 matched to first-year positions, a rate of 56.4%. [2]
The ECFMG describes the same result as a record absolute high for non-US IMGs despite a slightly lower match rate. [1] The category “non-US IMG” includes Canadians, but the figures do not separate them out, so we cannot tell you the rate for Canadians who studied abroad. The figures also cover IMGs of many nationalities and specialties.
What You Need to Be Eligible
To take part, you need to meet the ECFMG certification examination requirements. ECFMG says IMGs must have passing results or satisfactory completion of those exam requirements by the NRMP rank order list certification deadline. [4] For the 2027 Match, that deadline is 3 March 2027 at 9 p.m. Eastern.
That means Step 1 and Step 2 CK passing results plus the clinical and communication skills requirements met through an ECFMG pathway. We cover them in the ECFMG article.
The 2027 Dates
Registration opens 15 September 2026. Rank order lists are certified by 3 March 2027. Match Week runs 15 to 19 March 2027, with Match Day on 19 March. If you are also in CaRMS, the CaRMS results come first, on 2 March 2027. [3]
What the NRMP Charges
The NRMP’s fee page lists an $85 registration fee covering up to 20 program codes on the primary rank order list and 20 across all supplemental lists. There is a $50 late registration fee for registering after 29 January. Each program code ranked beyond 20 costs $30, up to a maximum of 300 ranks, and lists of 100 or more ranks carry additional fees. Couples matching pay $45 per partner. All fees are non-refundable. [5] The page lists no IMG-specific fees. [5]
For most IMGs, the NRMP’s own fees are the smallest part of the cost. The exams, ECFMG certification, ERAS programs, interviews and travel are bigger.
Visas
A Canadian matching in the US needs a way to work legally. The most common route for IMGs is the J-1 exchange visitor visa sponsored by ECFMG, and some programs sponsor H-1B visas instead. The two have very different consequences, and the choice may limit which programs you can rank. We cover that in our J-1 versus H-1B article.
Ranking Strategy
We are not going to give ranking advice, because we are not qualified to and it depends heavily on specialty. We would say only that you should read the NRMP’s own guidance on rank order lists and talk to advisors at your school and to residents who matched as IMGs.
The Bottom Line
The NRMP Main Residency Match is the main way into US residency. In 2026, 6,733 of 11,944 non-US IMGs matched, a rate of 56.4%, against 93.5% for US MD seniors. To participate, you must meet ECFMG exam requirements by 3 March 2027 and pay NRMP fees starting at $85.
If you are applying to Canada too, read our dual application article before you rank. Check all dates on the NRMP site, and use our Resources page for the sources we trust.
References
- ECFMG. (2026, March 23). IMGs continue to strengthen U.S. health care in 2026 residency match. https://www.ecfmg.org/news/2026/03/23/imgs-continue-to-strengthen-u-s-health-care-in-2026-residency-match/
- NRMP. (2026). 2026 Match by the Numbers. https://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026_Match_by_the_Number.pdf
- NRMP. (2026). Early matches. https://www.nrmp.org/residency-applicants/get-ready-for-the-match/early-matches/
- ECFMG. (2026, June 24). ERAS 2027 residency tokens now available. https://www.ecfmg.org/news/2026/06/24/eras-2027-residency-tokens-now-available/
- NRMP. (2026). Match fees. https://www.nrmp.org/match-fees/