Medical exams for visitors, students and workers

In-Canada applicants

We’ve put in place a temporary public policy for immigration medical exams (IMEs) until October 6, 2024.

If you completed an IME within 5 years of submitting your new application, include the IME number (or the unique medical identifier number) from your previous exam in your current application.

You may be exempt from completing another IME if you meet all of these conditions:

  • You applied, or are applying, for either permanent residence or temporary residence.
  • You already live in Canada.
  • You completed your previous IME in the last 5 years.
  • Your previous IME indicated a low risk or no risk to public health or public safety.

If you plan to stay for 6 months or less

You generally don’t need a medical exam unless you plan to work in certain jobs in which public health must be protected.

Examples of such jobs are

  1. jobs that bring you into close contact with people, such as
    • workers in health care settings
    • clinical laboratory workers
    • patient attendants in nursing and geriatric homes
    • medical students admitted to Canada to attend university
    • medical electives and physicians on short-term locums
    • workers in primary or secondary school settings, or workers in child-care settings
    • domestics
    • workers who give in-home care to children, the elderly and the disabled
    • day nursery employees
    • other similar jobs
  2. agricultural workers who’ve visited or lived in one of these countries for 6 months or more in a row in the year before they came to Canada

If you plan to stay for more than 6 months

You need a medical exam if at least one of these applies to you:

If you need a medical exam, the visa office will tell you what to do next.

Types of medical exams

There are 2 types of immigration medical exams:

  • the standard medical exam
  • the streamlined medical exam

Streamlined medical exam

The streamlined medical exam is a simplified medical exam that we may request during certain urgent operational situations, like a humanitarian crisis, and in other exceptional situations as determined by IRCC.

You cannot request a specific type of medical exam. We’ll let you know which exam you need.

Who can do your exam

You must see a doctor on the list of panel physicians. Your own doctor can’t do the medical exam.

The panel physician doesn’t make the final decision about your medical exam. We make that decision. If there’s a problem with your medical exam, we’ll contact you in writing.

Find a panel physician to perform your exam.

When to get your medical exam

You can either get your medical exam before or after you apply.

Before you submit your application

You have the option of getting an exam before you apply. This is called an upfront medical exam.

You can get one if you apply to

  • visit (including parent and grandparent super visa)
  • work
  • study

To get one, contact a panel physician directly. If you present yourself for an upfront medical exam, the panel physician will conduct a standard medical exam.

After you submit your application

We’ll send you instructions on how to get your medical exam done. Please read these instructions to find out

  • when to book your appointment
  • the type of medical exam you need to get

If you don’t follow these instructions, we may refuse your application.

What to bring

When you go to your appointment for the medical exam, you must bring

  • proper identification
    • We strongly recommend you bring your passport as your identification document. You can also use other approved identification documents, including
      • a national identity (ID) card
      • a driver’s license issued from one the following countries (if you’re still in that country)
        • Australia
        • Canada
        • New Zealand
        • United Kingdom
        • United States
      • an original birth certificate (if the child is under 18 years old)
      • a refugee travel document
      • a Red Cross travel document
      • a UN laissez-passer
      • a seaman’s book
      • an Organization of American States travel document
      • a refugee protection claimant document
  • eye glasses or contact lenses, if you wear them
  • any medical reports or test results that you have for any previous or existing medical conditions
  • a list of your current medications
  • the Medical Report form (IMM 1017E or IMM1020E), if you don’t get an up front medical exam
    • We’ll send you this form
  • 4 recent photographs, if the panel physician doesn’t use eMedical
    • Contact the panel physician before your appointment to find out.

If you were previously vaccinated

We encourage you to bring any proof of previous vaccinations, including vaccination against

  • diphtheria
  • tetanus
  • pertussis
  • polio
  • Haemophilus influenzae type b
  • measles
  • mumps
  • rubella
  • rotavirus
  • hepatitis B
  • COVID-19

The proof of vaccination is not mandatory. If you give consent, the panel physician will

  • record your vaccine history
  • share the information with us.

If you’re referred for an X-ray or other tests, you may be asked to present your identification again when you go for those tests.

What you need to pay for

You must pay all fees related to the medical exam when you’re there, including

  • the fee for the doctor or radiologist
  • any special tests, investigations or treatment needed
  • any specialists you need to see

If you choose to get any of the vaccines the panel physician offers you, you may have to pay for them. This depends on the panel physician’s fees and local jurisdiction practices.

If we refuse your application after your medical exam, we won’t refund those fees.

Refugees and asylum seekers may be exempt from paying the fees for

  • medical exams
  • vaccines

Find out more about the exemption.

What to expect during your exam

If you’re getting a standard medical exam

Here is what to expect during your exam.

When you arrive

The panel physician or clinic staff will ask you for identification to confirm your identity. If you’re referred for an x-ray or other tests, you may be asked to present your identification again when you go for those tests. Your picture will also be taken for our records.

Medical history questionnaire

The doctor will fill out a medical history questionnaire with you. This questionnaire is about any previous or existing medical conditions. They’ll also ask you about any medications you’re taking.

It’s important to tell the panel physician about any previous or existing medical conditions. Processing your medical exam could take longer if you don’t.

Physical examination

You’ll undergo a physical exam.

The doctor or medical clinic staff will:

  • weigh you
  • measure your height
  • check your hearing and vision
  • take your blood pressure
  • feel your pulse
  • listen to your heart and lungs
  • feel your abdomen
  • check how your limbs move
  • look at your skin

The doctor or medical clinic staff won’t examine your genitals or rectal area. These parts of the body aren’t required for the immigration medical exam.

The doctor may need to examine your breasts. If they do, they will:

  • provide you with an explanation of why and how the examination is being done

Other possible tests

Depending on your age, you may be asked to do chest x-rays and laboratory tests at the clinic or a laboratory. This is routine screening and the doctor will discuss any abnormal results with you.

You may be referred to a specialist for more testing, depending on the results of your medical exam. Complete this request as soon as possible to avoid delays in the processing of your medical examination.

Vaccination

You should bring any proof of previous vaccination with you to your exam. If there are vaccines available, the panel physician may offer you vaccinations for preventable diseases.

If you bring proof of vaccinations with you

If you give consent, the panel physician will

  • record any proof of vaccine you bring with you
  • share the information with us
If you consent to getting vaccinated

If you consent to receive a vaccine and you consent to share this information with us, the panel physician will record and share

  • the vaccinations you received
  • the dates you were vaccinated
  • the reason a vaccination wasn’t offered or administered

Keep all paper copies the panel physician gives you for your personal records.

Vaccination is

  • completely voluntary
  • not required as part of your exam

We won’t refuse your application if you don’t accept any vaccines.

Get more information about vaccines and immunization

COVID-19 vaccination

The panel physician may offer you a Government of Canada-accepted COVID-19 vaccine if it is available. Vaccination is completely voluntary and is not required as part of your exam.

If you receive the COVID-19 vaccine during your exam, the panel physician will record it.

If you’ve already been vaccinated for COVID-19, even if you have only received 1 dose,

  • bring proof of your vaccination to your exam
    • Proof can be a paper copy or an electronic version
  • the panel physician will record your proof of vaccination with your exam
  • keep a copy of the vaccination record given to you by the panel physician

Get more information on travel and COVID-19 vaccines:

Right to have a chaperone

You have the right to a chaperone at any time during the medical exam.

You may:

  • ask the medical clinic to have a staff member in the room
  • stop the exam at any time to ask questions about what the doctor is doing
  • stop the exam and ask for a chaperone, even if you refused one at first

If you have questions or feel uncomfortable with a part of the exam, please ask the panel physician to stop and tell them about your concerns.

After your exam is done

Once the exam is done, the physician will send us the results.

The physician will give you a document confirming that you had a medical exam. Keep the document with you as proof of your immigration medical exam.

If you’re unsatisfied with how the panel physician or panel radiologist did your medical exam, you may

We welcome all compliments, comments or observations through our feedback form.

Getting a copy of your medical exam results

If you want a copy of your medical exam results, please ask the physician when you’re there.

Medical reports and X-rays that are part of the medical exam become our property. We cannot return them to you.

How to include your medical exam results with your application

If you had an upfront medical exam

When you have an upfront medical exam, the physician will ask you to fill out an IMM 1017B Upfront Medical Report. You must include a copy of the report with your paper application. If you apply online, you must upload the report before you can submit your application.

If you had a streamlined medical exam or you had your medical exam after submitting your application

You don’t need to send us anything.

How long your medical results are good for

Your medical exam results are good for 12 months only. If you’re a student or worker, your letter of introduction shows the date your results expire (if you received it after November 30, 2021).

If you don’t come to Canada as a visitor, student or worker within that time, you may need to do another exam.

If you’re getting a streamlined medical exam

Here is what to expect during your exam.

When you arrive

The panel physician or clinic staff will ask you for identification to confirm your identity. If you’re referred for a chest X-ray or other tests, you may be asked to present your identification again when you go for those tests. Your picture will also be taken for our records.

Medical history questionnaire

The doctor will fill out a medical history questionnaire with you. This questionnaire is about any previous or existing medical conditions.

It’s important to tell the panel physician about any previous or existing medical conditions. Processing your medical exam could take longer if you don’t.

Other possible tests

Depending on your age, you may be asked to do chest X-rays and laboratory tests at the clinic or a laboratory. This is routine screening and the physician will discuss any abnormal results with you.

You may be referred to a specialist for more testing, depending on the results of your medical exam.

Complete all steps as soon as possible to avoid delays in the processing of your medical examination.

Right to have a chaperone

You have the right to a chaperone at any time during the medical exam.

You may

  • ask the medical clinic to have a staff member in the room
  • stop the exam at any time to ask questions about what the physician is doing
  • stop the exam and ask for a chaperone, even if you refused one at first

If you have questions or feel uncomfortable with a part of the exam, please ask the panel physician to stop and tell them about your concerns.

After your exam is done

Once the exam is done, the physician will send us the results.

The physician will give you a document confirming that you had a medical exam. Keep a copy of the document as proof of your immigration medical exam.

If you’re unsatisfied with how the panel physician or panel radiologist did your medical exam, you may:

We welcome all compliments, comments or observations through our feedback form.

Getting a copy of your medical exam results

If you want a copy of your medical exam results, please ask the physician when you’re there.

Medical reports and X-rays that are part of the medical exam become our property. We cannot return them to you.

How to include your medical exam results with your application

If you had an upfront medical exam

When you have an upfront medical exam, the physician will ask you to fill out an IMM 1017B Upfront Medical Report. You must include a copy of the report with your paper application. If you apply online, you must upload the 1017B Upfront Medical Report before you can submit your application.

If you had a streamlined medical exam or you had a medical exam after submitting your application

You don’t need to send us anything.

How long your medical results are valid for

Your medical exam results are valid for 12 months only. If you’re a student or worker, your letter of introduction shows the date your results expire (if you received it after November 30, 2021).

If you don’t come to Canada as a visitor, student or worker within that time, you may need to do another exam.

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