Designated Medical Practitioner Handbook
Chapter 1: Purpose of Handbook
Designated medical practitioners (DMPs) play an important role for the Department by conducting the immigration medical examination (IME) of applicants for permanent and temporary residency in Canada. This handbook provides instructions, information and reference material related to the role and functions of DMPs, and the Canadian immigration medical examination processes. It also describes the administrative and operational aspects of the DMPs’ responsibilities and provides contact information so that DMPs can obtain additional information or clarification, if required. The handbook is also available in electronic format on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website at www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/dmp-handbook/index.asp.
Both the immigration process and aspects of migrants’ health are subject to change. Periodic amendments and updates to this handbook will consequently be prepared and issued when required. These updates and amendments will supersede the previous relevant sections of this handbook. For those DMPs with Internet access, the handbook and revisions will also be made available online. Comments regarding errors or omissions are appreciated. Comments should be forwarded to the regional medical officer responsible for your region or to the Manager, DMP Program, Health Management Branch, Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Contact information is provided in Appendix I.
1.2 Definitions and abbrs
The following list gives a definition of abbrs found in this manual and others that DMPs may encounter in their work.
Applicant – Any person who applies to enter or remain in Canada as a permanent resident (including refugees) or as a temporary resident (including tourists, students or temporary workers).
CBSA – Canada Border Services Agency. The government agency that manages the access of people and goods to and from Canada (www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca).
CDC – U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CIC – Citizenship and Immigration Canada
DICA – Department of Immigration and Citizenship of Australia
DMP – Designated medical practitioner. A medical professional appointed by CIC to perform immigration medical examinations and report on the health status of potential permanent and temporary residents to Canada. Depending on the situation, there are various types of DMP appointments (see Chapter 4 for details).
EIA – Enzyme immunoassay
Excessive Demand – Requirements for medical or social services of such a level as to threaten the sustainability of Canada’s publicly funded healthcare system, or deny or delay access to Canadians that would prevent the admission of an applicant to Canada.
EDE – Excessive demand exempt. Applicants for immigration to Canada who, due to specific aspects of the legislation, are not evaluated or assessed for inadmissibility on the grounds of expected demands on health and/or social services.
Furthered Case – A medical officer may determine, upon reviewing the medical documents received from a DMP, that additional or more detailed information is required to complete an applicant’s medical assessment. This additional information may be in the form of supplemental or more detailed clinical or laboratory investigations, or reports and analysis from consultants or specialists. Cases where this additional information is requested are said to be “furthered.”
HMB – Health Management Branch, CIC
IMA – Immigration medical assessment. The standardized medical determination made by a medical officer concluding whether an applicant’s health condition is likely to be a danger to public health or public safety, or might reasonably be expected to cause excessive demand.
IME – Immigration medical examination
IMM 1017 – Canadian immigration medical examination form used for nonexcessive demand exempt applicants. A sample is provided in Appendix II.
IMM 1017 EDE - EFE – Canadian immigration medical examination form used for certain excessive demand exempt applicants. It is similar in appearance to the IMM 1017, but marked with an EDE - EFE stamp to indicate it is an excessive demand exempt case. A sample is provided in Appendix II.
IMM 1017 EFC – Canadian immigration medical examination form used for certain excessive demand exempt family class applicants. A sample is provided in Appendix II. It should be noted that there are two versions of this form: one used outside Canada, and one for applicants in Canada. Details are provided in Chapter 11.
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board. An independent administrative tribunal that makes decisions on immigration and refugee matters in Canada (www.irb-cisr.gc.ca).
Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and Regulations – Canadian legislation regulating the immigration process, including immigration health activities and the immigration medical examination.
IOM – International Organization for Migration
Locum Tenens – Physician substitute acting for the DMP, from the Latin term “to hold one’s place.”
Medical Assessment – A medical determination made by a medical officer or assistants concluding whether an applicant’s health condition is likely to be a danger to public health or public safety, or might reasonably be expected to cause excessive demand.
Medical Examination – Includes the review of the functional inquiry for both recent and past aspects of the applicant’s medical history, the findings on physical and mental examination, and the results of relevant radiology, laboratory and diagnostic tests.
Medical Officer – A physician authorized by the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism under the Act to provide immigration medical assessments. Medical officers are employees of the Government of Canada and should not be confused with locally appointed DMPs (see the definition of DMP).
Medical Report – Medical Report forms IMM 1017 and IMM 5419 are used to record the results of the medical examination. Depending on the type of applicant, several different versions of the IMM 1017 are used.
PHAC – Public Health Agency of Canada
RMO – Regional medical office. The operational location for CIC medical officers. The primary contact and the place to which DMPs should forward Medical Reports and correspondence. Contact information is provided in Appendix I.
RMOF – Regional medical officer. CIC medical officers with regional responsibility for the Canadian immigration health program.
SMS – Short message service. A telecommunications protocol that allows the transmission of short text messages between mobile telephones.
TST – Tuberculin skin test
Visa Officer/Immigration Officer – A person designated as an officer for the purposes of immigration legislation by the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.
WHO – World Health Organization
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