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Canada PR Applicants🍁- Upfront Medical Exams⚕️ No Longer Required
According to the official government online portal, applicants applying for Express Entry on or after October 1, 2023, are not required to undergo an initial medical assessment. Instead, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) advises such candidates to await specific directives prior to scheduling their Immigration Medical Examination (IME).
For those Express Entry candidates who have already undergone an IME, the IRCC instructs them to append a replica of the IME in the designated section meant for uploading such documents. Many newcomers, including those seeking work or study permits, are generally required to undergo this examination.
In instances where an applicant is still living in Canada 🍁and has previously completed a medical examination⚕️, repetition of the examination may be unnecessary during their permanent residence application process. Nevertheless, it’s mandatory to furnish the documentation acquired post-examination from the assigned panel physician, which include:
- • An informational print-out
- • The IMM 1017B Upfront Medical Report form
Applicants are urged to submit copies of the above documents during the online application process, or provide their IME number, also known as Unique Medical Identifier Number, from their previous examination.
Should the IRCC find the previous results unacceptable, candidates will receive detailed instructions to undertake a new Immigration Medical Examination post-application submission for permanent residency.
For those who are navigating the Express Entry pathway and have not yet gone through the IME, IRCC provides the following instructions:
- • Submit a blank document in the upload section specified while submitting your application through Express Entry Profile Builder
- • Anticipate further directives from IRCC concerning the scheduling of your Immigration Medical Examination
Permanent residency approval will be withheld if an applicant is deemed medically inadmissible, indicating a perceived threat to public health or safety in Canada🍁, or an anticipated excessive demand on the nation’s health or social services.
For applications submitted prior to October 1, the provision of an upfront Medical Examination⚕️ validation is obligatory. The IME must retain its validity during the application review period and generally has a validity period of 12 months.
In rare cases, the IRCC might consider approving submissions with attached evidence of a future scheduled medical appointment or an explanatory letter outlining the applicant’s exhaustive efforts to meet the requirements. However, this does not ensure automatic approval from the IRCC officer reviewing the application.
