3 days ago
Canada Express Entry: PR applicants need mandatory upfront medical exam
Planning to move to Canada via Express Entry? The rules have just got tougher. Starting August 21, 2025, skilled worker immigration applicants will be required to complete a medical exam before submitting their permanent residence application.
The change applies to all applicants and their family members, even those not moving to Canada, and replaces the current process where the medical exam is scheduled only after Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) provides instructions.
'From August 21, 2025, proof of a completed Immigration Medical Exam will have to be uploaded into the Express Entry Profile Builder at the time of application,' IRCC confirmed.
What is changing
Under the new rules, anyone who receives an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence through Express Entry must:
• Complete an Immigration Medical Exam (IME) with an IRCC-approved panel physician
• Upload proof of the completed IME when submitting their PR application
• Ensure each family member, whether accompanying or not, also completes the IME
Who can be exempt
• Applicants already in Canada who completed an IME in the past five years, for example for a work or study permit, may reuse those results if still valid
• They must provide the IME number or unique medical identifier in their application
• If the results cannot be reused, IRCC will give further instructions
What the Immigration Medical Exam involves
The IME is carried out only by IRCC-approved panel physicians and is valid for 12 months. Depending on age and health, it may include:
• A physical assessment of overall health
• Blood and urine tests for infectious diseases and other conditions
• A chest X-ray, usually required for adults to check for tuberculosis or lung problems
• A review of medical history, including past and current conditions and medications
• Vaccination records, if the applicant consents
If an application is not finalised within 12 months of the exam, a new IME may be required.
What to bring to your appointment
When attending the medical exam, you must carry:
• Proper identification — preferably your passport, though other accepted ID includes:
1. A national identity card
2. A driver's licence from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, or United States (if still in that country)
3. An original birth certificate for children under 18
4. A refugee travel document, Red Cross travel document, UN laissez-passer, seaman's book, Organisation of American States travel document, or refugee protection identity document
• Eyeglasses or contact lenses, if used
• Any medical reports or test results for previous or existing conditions
• A list of current medications
• The Medical Report form (IMM 1017E or IMM 1020E) if you have not done an upfront medical exam — this is sent by IRCC
• Four recent photographs if the panel physician does not use eMedical (check with the physician beforehand)
What you need to pay for
Applicants must pay all costs related to the exam, including:
• The doctor or radiologist's fee
• Any special tests or treatments required
• Consultations with specialists, if needed
• Optional vaccines offered by the panel physician (fees depend on the physician and local rules)
IRCC will not refund these costs if the application is refused. Refugees and asylum seekers may be exempt from paying for the medical exam or vaccines.
If you can't complete the exam
If you or a family member cannot complete the medical exam — either due to exceptional circumstances or because there is no panel physician in your region — you must submit a letter of explanation. IRCC will review requests on a case-by-case basis.
Applicants can contact IRCC by using the online form (select 'Add a document to your application') or through the call centre.
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