Medical Exams for Express Entry

If you get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence, one of the things you need to do is a medical exam.

In fact, not only you, but each family member will need to go through it.

Let's go over the details.

When do I need to do a medical exam?

Short answer is after you receive invitation to apply (ITA) and before you apply for permanent residence.

When you are going through the Express Entry, at some point you fill in your Express Entry profile and enter the Express Entry pool. If you have enough points, you are then invited to apply for permanent residence. That's when you (and your family) do the medical exams.

Because your invitation to apply (ITA) is good only for 90 days, IRCC recommends that you do it "as soon as you get your invitation to apply".

Who needs to do the medical exams?

The main applicant and all family members need to go through a medical exam, even if they are not going to Canada with you.

"Family members", in this context, means:

• Spouse or common-law partner
• Dependent children (yours or your spouse's)

What is included on the exam?

The exam consists of:

• Medical Examination
  • weight measurement
  • height measurement
  • hearing and vision tests
  • blood pressure measurement
  • pulse checking
  • listening to heart and lungs
  • feeling the abdomen
  • limbs movement check
  • skin check
• Blood analysis (might not be needed)
  • HIV
  • Syphilis
  • Others might be required - The doctor will explain which and why.
• X-rays (might not be needed)

Genitals or rectal area will not be examined.

There might be a need for breasts examination. If that's the case, the doctor will explain you why and how he/she will do it.

Here is a real example of examinations required for my visa application:

How do I find a doctor?

The doctor you chose must be an authorized doctor, on the IRCC list of panel physicians.

So you cannot just go to your regular doctor.

To find an authorized doctor on your city, go to the IRCC Panel Physicians List, select your country on the dropdown, and it will show you all the authorized doctors, with their addresses and phone numbers.

Then you just need to call, inform that you need to do the exam for Canada Immigration, and they will know how to guide you.

How to schedule and do the medical exam?

1. Find an authorized doctor on the IRCC Panel Physicians List
2. Call, inform that you need to do the exams for Canada Immigration, and schedule an appointment
3. Go to the appointment with all the required documents (listed below)
4. If the doctor asks, schedule and do required x-rays, blood work, etc.

What do I need to take to the exam?

When you call the clinic to schedule your appointment, they will tell you exactly what you need.

But as a reference, consider this list of items:

• Identification - any government-issued document with your picture, such as passport or driving license
• Eye glasses or contact lenses, if you need them
• Medical reports or tests results for previous or existing medical conditions
• List of your current medications
• The clinic might ask for 4 photos"

Do I need to upload the results?

There is a system called "eMedical", which doctors might or might not work with it. It is basically a website where doctors can send the results directly to IRCC.

If the doctor you went to uses eMedical, he/she will give you a sheet print out that you must include on your application.

If the doctor doesn't use eMedical, he/she will provide you with the first page of a form called "IMM 1017B (copy to client)", which you must include on your application.

When you schedule the appointment, or during the appointment itself, you can ask if the doctor uses eMedical, so you will know what to expect.

Here is a real example of an e-medical information sheet, from my own process:

How much will the medical exam cost?

Each doctor will have it's own price, so you might want to shop around before picking one.

But in a summary, you will need to pay for the doctor itself, and any other exams needed, like x-rays or blood work.

All payments are made at the doctor/clinic itself.

How long does the medical exam take?

Usually the exams itself needs only one appointment, which takes around one hour. But that might change depending on extra exams (like x-rays or blood work) that might be requested by the doctor.

Also, consider that availability might be scarce, which means you might not be able to schedule the appointment as soon as you'd like to. If that's the case, you can (and should) look for another doctor on the IRCC Panel Physicians List

Why do I need to do a medical exam?

The exam basically aims to assess two factors:

1. If you or your family bring any risk of danger to Canada public health (like contagious diseases)
2. If you or your family have high risks of demanding too much of health or social services in Canada.

So it is a way for IRCC to have some level of control and forecast of immigration impacts on social and health systems demands.

Changes due to COVID-19

Glossary

IRCC - Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. It is the Canadian Government department responsible for all matters related to immigration.

Express Entry - The process in place to select applicants for some of Canada's immigration programs. In a nutshell, candidates create a profile where they tell their age, skills, language skills, etc., and get a score for it. Every now and then IRCC invites the candidates with highest scores to apply to become permanent residents.

ITA - Invitation To Apply - After you submit your Express Entry profile, if you have enough points, IRCC will invite you to apply for permanent residence. This invitation is called ITA.

Sources

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/documents/medical-exams.html

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/medical-police/medical-exams/requirements-permanent-residents.html

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/standard-requirements/medical-requirements/exam/issuing-instructions-medical-examinations.html