Immigration Medical Exam (IME)
What is a "medical exam"?
It surely sounds like you have to go do a knowledge test and many applicants whose first language is not English are confused by this “exam” term… but no, it is not such thing.
An immigration medical exam (IME) is a physical examination from a medical practitioner who has been approved by the Government of Canada, that checks your overall health.
Do I need a medical exam for the Working Holiday application?
All participants, regardless of nationality need an immigration medical exam (IME) in the two following situations.
Scenario 1: Jobs that put you in close contact with people, such as:
- workers in health-care settings
- clinical laboratory workers
- patient attendants in nursing and geriatric homes
- medical students admitted to Canada to attend university
- medical electives and physicians on short-term locums
- workers in primary or secondary school settings, or workers in child-care settings
- domestics
- workers who give in-home care to children (nanny or au pair), the elderly and the disabled
- day nursery employees and
- other similar jobs
or
Scenario 2: You have lived in or travelled to one or more specific countries or territories for at least 6 months in a row in the year before you come to Canada. The list of countries > here <
For example, in the Working Holiday application there will be a question if you want to work in any of the listed jobs. If you answer the question with “yes”, then a medical exam will be a mandatory requirement as part of the application.
Why do I need the medical exam?
With this immigration medical exam (IME), the Canadian government wants
- to ensure that you do not have a disease that endangers the Canadian population
- to determine that you are not going to be a burden for the Canadian health system or social system.
Where can I do the medical exam?
The immigration medical exam (IME) can only be performed by a licensed panel physician. A family doctor is not allowed to do the medical exam. You can find the list of panel physicians > here < where you can make an appointment.
How much does the medical exam cost?
Depending on the medical office performing the medical exam, around $400-$600 CAD including urine test and chest X-ray.
My appointment for the medical exam is after the deadline, what do I do?
You can submit proof that you’ve made an appointment to get one. Submit all documents and the application. Then IRCC will open up a new upload spot and give you a new deadline for the upload. Usually another 30 days. You can then upload the form later.
After uploading, you must also submit the document.
To do this, you have to continue with NEXT and click through all the steps until the status of the document is set to "replacement provided". Only then the document is completely submitted.
What can I expect during the medical examination?
First, the doctor will fill out a medical questionnaire about your medical history and medications.
Then the doctor will:
- weigh you
- measure your height
- check your hearing and vision
- take your blood pressure
- feel your pulse
- listen to your heart and lungs
- feel your abdomen
- check how your limbs move
- look at your skin
Then you need to do a blood test (to test for HIV or syphilis) and a chest x-ray. Depending on the clinic, it may not be possible to do it in the same building, then you have to drive across the city to one of the laboratories.
What happens after the medical exam?
- The medical office will submit the medical results directly to IRCC.
- They will give you an information printout sheet or an “IMM 1017B Upfront Medical Report” that you have to upload into the “Proof of medical exam” spot in your Working Holiday application.
- If you don’t have this upload spot, upload the document in the “Optional documents” at the bottom of the checklist
Can I get a copy of my medical exam results?
The Canadian government will not provide any copies of the medical exam results. However, you can request a copy from your panel physician after the exam. Keep in mind, there might be an additional fee for this.
How long is the medical exam valid?
The medical exam is valid for 12 months. The POE (approval letter) will show you the date of the exam validity.
As you know, a POE is valid for 12 months after approval, which means that you can activate your work permit within the 12 months. But: The medical exam is also only valid for 12 months and you must activate the work permit within the 12 months of the medical exam.
To explain it in a simpler way, below is an example of the two validity dates on the POE (approval). In this example you must travel to Canada and activate by April 22, 2025 and not in July. If you do not activate the work permit until April 22, 2025, the medical exam will expire and you have to do a new one.
If my medical exam is expired, does it mean that I won't get a work permit at the border?
If you activate the work permit within the POE validity, you will still receive a work permit. But it will have restrictions on the bottom, that you can’t work in jobs that require a medical exam. You can only work in those jobs after you get a new medical exam.
Can I do the medical exam before the invitation to save time?
Yes, in general, a medical exam can also be done beforehand. It is then called an “upfront medical exam”.
However, consider the following risks:
- A medical exam is very costly and costs around CAD$400-$600 depending on the physician.
- You do not know when you receive an invitation or don’t know if you receive one at all. The IEC process is a lottery and many countries have more applicants than spots available. If you are not invited, the medical exam costs are wasted.
- There are no refunds if you are not successful with your Working Holiday application.
- A medical exam is valid for 12 months. The 12 months for the activation of the work permit begin with the date of the medical exam not with the date of POE approval.
- Example: You do the medical exam in January 2025, but you get the POE (approval) in July 2025, then you must travel to Canada and activate the work permit by January 2026 at the latest, otherwise the medical exam will expire.
If my Working Holiday application is refused, will the medical exam cost be refunded?
No, the medical exam fees will not be refunded.
I did not do a medical exam as part of the application; I would like to do one now
This is definitely possible and there are two situations. You can follow the steps > here < to see which situation applies to you and how to remove the restrictions from the work permit.
I don't want to work in one of the mentioned jobs, but the application requires a medical exam
The application system is very weird in this situation, it requests a medical exam if you mentioned a visit or work in one of the countries where a medical exam is necessary. Even if it was many years ago.
What to do if this applies to you: In the medical exam spot upload a short explanation that you spent xx time in xx country in year xx and that you do not need to provide a medical exam. That should be sufficient.