IRCC Clarifies Medical Exam Exemption for In-Canada Applicants

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has clarified when certain foreign nationals already living in Canada may avoid completing another immigration medical examination.

The temporary policy applies to eligible applicants for permanent residence or temporary residence who previously completed a qualifying Immigration Medical Examination, or IME, within five years of submitting a new application.

IRCC has extended the measure until October 5, 2029.

Who May Qualify for the Exemption?

Applicants are not automatically exempt simply because they completed a medical exam in the past.

According to IRCC, a person may qualify when they are applying for permanent or temporary residence, already live in Canada, completed their previous IME within the past five years and were assessed as posing low or no risk to public health or public safety.

Eligible applicants should provide the IME number or Unique Medical Identifier from their previous examination with their new application.

Certain accompanying family members in Canada may also qualify when they meet the applicable conditions.

Being in Canada Remains Important

One of the most important conditions is the applicant’s location.

The temporary policy was created for qualifying foreign nationals with applications made from within Canada. This means an applicant should not assume that an old medical examination automatically qualifies them for the exemption if they are now applying from outside Canada.

Applicants should carefully check their circumstances before relying on a previous medical examination.

What Happens If You Do Not Qualify?

Anyone who does not meet the exemption requirements must follow the normal immigration medical examination rules.

IRCC may provide medical instructions after reviewing an application. In situations where an upfront examination is permitted, applicants may also arrange the examination before receiving instructions.

An immigration medical examination must be completed by an IRCC-approved panel physician. A family doctor or regular physician cannot conduct the required immigration examination unless they are also an approved panel physician.

The Policy Does Not Remove Medical Admissibility Rules

The temporary measure does not eliminate Canada’s broader medical admissibility requirements.

Instead, it prevents eligible applicants from unnecessarily repeating a recent medical examination when IRCC already has a suitable assessment on file.

The policy was introduced to improve processing efficiency while continuing to protect public health. IRCC reported in 2024 that more than 286,000 applicants had benefited from the measure during its first two years.

Applicants Should Check Their Records

Before submitting an application, in-Canada applicants should confirm when their previous IME was completed and locate the associated IME or UMI number.

They should also confirm that the examination falls within the five-year period and meets the policy’s public-health conditions.

IRCC notes that the temporary policy may be revoked before its scheduled expiry, so applicants should review the latest official guidance before applying.