Canada permanent residence: New medical exam requirements for applications under Express Entry

People seeking permanent residence in Canada via the Express Entry system will be required to complete the medical exams prior to submitting their applications. The new rules, which have been announced by the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) come into effect on August 21, 2025. This marks a major shift in how health admissibility gets assessed by the immigration authorities for those seeking permanent residence.

The latest move changes the earlier guideline where Express Entry applicants first used to submit their permanent residence applications and then underwent medical exams on the instructions of IRCC.

IRCC stated that starting from August 21, proof of complete immigration medical exam (IME) needs to be uploaded into the Express Entry profile builder at the time of application.

Notably, the change does not affect the non-Express Entry permanent residence applications.

What to expect

As per the latest IRCC guidelines, those planning to apply for permanent residence through Express Entry in Canada will have to complete the IME through an IRCC-approved panel physician and later upload a proof in this regard while submitting their application.

People must make sure that each of the family members, whether accompanying or not, must complete the medical exam.

Exemptions

As per CIC News, those applicants in Canada who underwent the medical exam in the last five years for a work or study permit will be able to utilise it by providing their IME number or unique medical identifier at the time of submitting the application. But they will have to undergo a new exam if the IRCC determines the previous results cannot be used.

Immigration medical exam: What it includes

1. Review of medical history, such as surgeries, treatments, chronic illnesses and more.
2. Physical examination of overall health, which includes eyes, heart, lungs, and others.
3. X-rays.
4. Blood and urine tests.
5. Mental health assessment.
6. Immunisation record.
7. When attending an IME, the applicants are advised to bring along proof of identification (passport or national identity card), recent photographs, current medications, medical reports or results for previous or existing conditions.

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For scheduling the medical exam, applicants will have to check IRCC’s list of panel physicians, opt for their relevant country or territory, and later get in touch with a physician directly to book an appointment. Usually, such exams cost $140-280 per person.

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