Effective October 1st 2023, it is no longer mandatory to undergo an upfront medical examination before submitting your application for permanent residency through Express Entry.
Obtaining an immigrant medical exam (IME) from a panel physician remains a prerequisite for permanent residency.
If you have not previously undergone an IME, you can now upload a blank document in the designated upload field of the Express Entry profile Builder during your application submission. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will subsequently provide you with instructions on scheduling your medical examination.
For individuals who have already completed an IME as part of a prior application, such as for work or study, and are currently residing in Canada, another IME is unnecessary when applying for permanent residency.
Regarding the IME requirement, all applicants for permanent residency must undergo this examination. Additionally, family members must also undergo a medical examination, irrespective of whether they will accompany the applicant to Canada.
It’s important to note that the medical examination cannot be conducted by your personal physician; rather, it must be performed by a doctor listed among the panel physicians approved by IRCC.
The final decision regarding your medical examination rests with IRCC, not the panel physician. IRCC reserves the right to reject a permanent residency application if the applicant’s health poses a risk to public health or safety in Canada or if it would strain Canada’s health or social services.
During your medical examination appointment, you must bring proper identification, any necessary eyewear, medical reports or test results for previous or existing medical conditions, a list of current medications, and the Medical Report form if an upfront medical exam was not conducted. If the panel physician does not use eMedical, you must also provide four recent photographs.
The medical examination typically includes a medical history questionnaire, a physical examination, and, depending on your age, chest X-rays and other laboratory tests may be required.
All fees related to the medical examination must be paid at the time of the appointment. Once the results are received, the physician will send them to you along with a document confirming that the medical examination has been completed.
It’s important to note that the validity of your medical exam results is limited to 12 months. If you do not become a permanent resident of Canada within that timeframe, you may need to undergo another examination.
