Starting from October 1st, candidates of Express Entry are not required to undergo an upfront medical examination prior to submitting their permanent residence application via the Express Entry System. 

For candidates applying for permanent residence, there is an immigrant medical exam (IME) requirement managed by a panel physician. 

When applying for permanent residence, if candidates haven’t appeared for the immigrant medical exam (IME), they can now upload a blank document in the required field of the Express Entry profile Builder. 

After that, the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will send them additional instructions on when to schedule your medical examination. 

On the contrary, if candidates are already residing in Canada and have already completed their upfront medical examination as a part of their prior application for work or studies, they are not required to appear for another medical examination (IME) when applying for Canadian permanent residence. 

Understanding the Immigrant Medical Exam (IME) 

Candidates who desire to obtain Canada’s permanent residence status are required to appear for an IME -the Immigrant Medical Exam. Besides this, the family members of the candidates are also required to appear for a medical exam even if they do not accompany them to Canada. 

For the IME, the medical exam of the candidates can not be performed by their own doctors. Rather, they are required to visit a doctor who is listed among the panel physicians whom the IRCC authorizes. 

IRCC makes the final judgment on your medical evaluation, not the panel of physicians. If your health poses a risk to Canada’s public health or safety or imposes an undue burden on social services or health in Canada, IRCC will deny your application for permanent residence. 

Requirements for the Immigrant Medical Exam (IME) 

When appearing for the medical exam, candidates must bring a few things with them. The following are the medical examination requirements: 

  • Valid identification 
  • If eyeglasses or contact lenses are a part of your vision, bring them. 
  • If you have any previous or existing medical conditions, bring medical reports or test results. 
  • A list of your current prescription medications 
  • Bring the complete Medical Report form if you don’t get an upfront medical exam. 
  • Bring four recent photographs if the panel physician does not utilize eMedical. 

The medical examinations will most probably include a medical history questionnaire, in which the candidates will be asked about the prior and current medical issues. Additionally, you’ll be subjected to a physical examination. You may be requested to undergo a chest x-ray and other laboratory exams, depending on your age. 

You may be requested to undergo chest X-rays and other laboratory testing, depending on your age. 

At the time of your arrival, you must pay for any expenses associated with the medical exam. When the results are ready, the physicians will email you the reports along with the certificates proving that you have undergone the medical checkup. 

It’s notable that the medical exam results remain valid for a year. Suppose candidates couldn’t come to Canada as permanent residents of Canada during the time period. In that case, they may be required to appear for another medical exam, i.e., IME – the Immigrant Medical Exam.