Those who want to apply for permanent residency in Canada will have to undergo medical tests and all medical conditions will be assessed accordingly. The following guide is prepared to explain medical requirements to prospective Permanent Resident applicants.

Every applicant who wishes to become a permanent resident will be required to undergo a medical exam, and this includes parents, spouses, partners and dependent children. You can get your immigration medical examination in your home country, and the doctor conducting your physical examination must be an approvedPanel Physician by Immigration Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Applicant’s vision, heart and lung condition will be examined, and chest x-rays, urine tests and blood tests are medical tests that a PR applicant must undergo when applying for permanent residency in Canada. All applicants for Canada permanent residence must undergo all medical exams. However, any PR applicant who is pregnant has the option to either to take their chest x-ray test during their pregnancy, or to postpone the chest x-ray test until baby is delivered. If she decides to postpone chest x-ray, then her PR application file will remain open until she completes her chest x-ray.

In general, reports of Immigration Medical Exams (IME) are prepared and submitted by the Panel Physician to the IRCC within 10 business days. Upon review of IME report, the IRCC officer determines if applicant’s current or expected medical conditions will cause concerns for Canadian public and healthcare system. Applicants suffering from any medical conditions that require hospitalization and continual medical care support,will generally be recalled for further testing. Although Panel Physicians are approved by IRCC, it is important to note that only IRCC officers make final decisions to approve, recall, or reject each medical application.

Once an applicant undergoes an IME, a health certificate will be issued that is valid for a year. Upon arrival for their IMEs, applicants will be asked to present a valid government issued photo IDsuch as a passport, along with any documents they may have received from IRCC. At Immigration Medical Centre which is 100% E-Medical (all documents will be accepted, processed and submitted electronically), staff will take applicant’s pictures and as such applicants don’t need to bring any photos on the day of their appointment. The applicant will then be asked to provide their urine sample. Then Panel Physician will fill out a medical history questionnaire with applicant regarding any previous or existing medical conditions. Furthermore, Panel Physician will ask applicant about any medications they maybe taking, and once the questionnaire is complete, a physical examination will begin. The doctor will record weightand height of the applicant, and will check for vision andthen take a blood sample, and record blood pressure and listen to heartbeat and lung movement. Additionally, they will feel abdomen and check the movement of applicant’s limbs. Once above tests are completed, applicant is guided to the x-ray clinic to perform their chest x-rays. The entire process from beginning to the end would generally take about an hour to an hour and a half.

The Immigration Medical Centre can provide you with more information regarding the medical test requirements for permanent residency in Canada. If you have questions about a panel physician, the immigration medical examor are looking for an immigration medical clinic near you, please contact us today at www.immigrationmedicalcentre.ca