Canada Immigration Medical Exam Report
One of the final requirements for Canada’s immigration process is a medical exam report. Every applicant for permanent residence must undergo a medical exam before an immigration officer can approve their application. Medical exams play an important role in determining whether a candidate is admissible to Canada.
Medical inadmissibility can prevent an applicant from coming to Canada as a permanent resident, student, or temporary worker. There are two types of medical issues that could result in refusal:
- You, or any of your dependent family members, pose a danger to the health or safety of the general public;
- You, or any of your dependent family members, have a condition that would cause excessive strain or demand on Canadian health or social services.
*Excessive demand is defined as a condition where the expected cost of treatment would exceed five times the annual average health and social services costs for an individual in Canada.
Whether an applicant fulfills the health requirements is determined by a Medical Certificate or Medical Report based on a medical exam conducted by an authorized medical practitioner. Therefore, the medical report is an important immigration document that can have a significant impact on your chances of successfully immigrating to Canada.
Who should undergo Canada’s immigration medical exam?
Along with the principal applicant, all dependants, including those who are not accompanying the principal applicant to Canada, should undergo the immigration medical exam and obtain the medical report. An applicant’s eligibility depends on all his or her dependants fulfilling the health requirement.
To become eligible for permanent residence in Canada, the applicant and all dependants must not suffer from a condition that puts public health at risk or places excessive strain on the Canadian health system. This requirement comes into effect from the time the applicant files the application for Canadian permanent residence.
Certain foreign nationals applying to work or study in Canada may also require a medical exam. The best way to find out if a medical exam is required is by visiting IRCC’s dedicated page.
When to obtain the medical report
Depending on the immigration program they are applying to, applicants have two options for undergoing the medical exam.
- Contact a qualified physician and complete the exam before submitting the immigration application. In this case, the applicant must include a copy of the upfront medication notification (IMM 1017B) with their application as proof the medical exam was completed. This option is available to Express Entry applicants.
- Initiate the process after submitting an application. Alternatively, an applicant may need to wait to receive instructions for getting the medical exam. In this case, the applicant must complete the exam and submit the report within the deadline provided with the instructions.
Who is an IRCC authorized panel physician?
The medical exam for Canadian immigration must be with an IRCC approved panel physician. In exceptional cases, IRCC may grant a dispensation and temporarily permit a non-panel physician to conduct the exam. However, the dispensation is very rarely granted to physicians outside Canada. This option is available primarily to immigration applicants who are physically present in Canada.
What to expect during a medical exam Canadian immigration
According to the government of Canada, an immigration medical exam will typically require any or all of the below:
- review of past medical history
- medical assessment of records respecting the applicant
- physical examination
- mental examination
- review of past medical history
- laboratory test
- diagnostic test
- medical assessment of records respecting the applicant
- urinalysis – applicants age 5 and older
- chest x-ray (posterior-anterior view) – applicants age 11 and older
- syphilis – applicants age 15 and older
- HIV – applicants age 15 and older
Canadian immigration medical exam cost
The cost of a medical exam for Canadian immigration will vary depending on the panel physician visited. Applicants are responsible for paying all fees involved with the medical exam.
Contents of a medical exam report
Your medical report will contain the following details:
- Summary of personal details
- Your consent to the medical exam
- Medical history questions
- Physical exam report
- Lab test report
- Chest X Ray report and findings
- Reports covering urinalysis, HIV test, Syphilis test, and other medical reports
- Other relevant information
In most cases, the panel physician will submit the report electronically directly to IRCC. IRCC only accepts paper-based reports when the physician does not have access to the ‘eMedical’ electronic submission facility.
It is important to note that the medical report is the property of IRCC and that you must specifically make a request to your panel physician if you wish to retain a copy for your records.
How long is a Canadian immigration medical report valid for?
If you clear the medical exam and are not disqualified on health grounds, then this positive report will be valid for a period of 12 months from the date of the medical assessment. This validity period is the same whether the examination was done in Canada or a foreign country.
If the validity period has expired — more than 12 months have passed since you underwent the medical exam — then you and your dependents will have to undergo the examination again in order to continue to remain eligible. This is one reason why doing the exam after the file has begun processing may be beneficial. An upfront test may lapse if the processing period exceeds 12 months.
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