Canada extends medical exam exemption for some immigrants

Shelby Thevenot
Published: December 28, 2021

Canada's immigration department is renewing a temporary medical exam exemption on some foreign nationals who are applying for immigration.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is extending the already-existing medical exam exemption on immigration candidates applying from inside Canada until March 31, 2022. Originally, the public policy came into effect in June and was set to expire on December 28.

When foreign nationals apply for permanent residence, they must provide an immigration medical exam or a unique medical identifier number from their previous exam. This exemption allows them to not have to do an additional medical exam, if they have already completed one and they meet the following criteria:

Discover if You’re Eligible for Canadian Immigration

  • they have applied for permanent residency and have not completed a new immigration medical exam;
  • the have completed a medical exam within the last five years and were found to pose no risk to public health or safety, or complied with a requirement to report to health authorities for monitoring; and
  • they have not left Canada for more than six months in the last year to live in a country that is on the federal government’s list of countries requiring an immigration medical exam.

Family members of applicants may be eligible under this policy if they are also in Canada and meet the above criteria.

IRCC will contact individuals who are not eligible for the public policy to discuss the next steps, the immigration department says in a media release.

IRCC also writes that this policy helps streamline application processing for low-risk, in-Canada applicants, while at the same time managing public health risks.

The policy is also supposed to support faster immigration application processing. Although IRCC reached its goal of admitting 401,000 new immigrants this year, the department is currently dealing with an enormous backlog. The most recent figures say that nearly 1.8 million immigration applicants are in the queue to get permanent residency status.

Discover if You’re Eligible for Canadian Immigration

© CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.

Share this article
Share your voice
Did you find this article helpful?
Thank you for your feedback.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Did you find this article helpful?
Please provide a response
Thank you for your helpful feedback
Please contact us if you would like to share additional feedback, have a question, or would like Canadian immigration assistance.
  • Do you need Canadian immigration assistance? Contact the Contact Cohen Immigration Law firm by completing our form
  • Send us your feedback or your non-legal assistance questions by emailing us at media@canadavisa.com
Related articles
IRCC issues thousands of invitations to CEC candidates, with lowest cut-off score since September 2024
An overhead picture of Niagara Falls and the American-Canadian border.
IRCC issues invitations to Express Entry candidates in first draw of July
The maid of the mist travels upriver on Canada's Niagara Falls
Canada postpones removal of study programs from PGWP eligibility
A group of graduates wearing graduation caps with blue tassels.
2025 mid-year review: major immigration policies and changes implemented
Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario on a cloudy day, with some greenery visible.
Top Stories
Rental market softens as temporary residents leave Canada
The regions in which low-wage LMIAs won’t be processed, as of July 11
Top Canadian employers hiring for jobs qualifying for category-based draws under Express Entry
Join our free newsletter. Get Canada's top immigration stories delivered to your inbox.
Subscribe
More in Express Entry
Top Canadian employers hiring for jobs qualifying for category-based draws under Express Entry
A HR manager goes through documents with a candidate for a job.
How foreign work experience can boost your CRS score in a competitive Express Entry pool
A corporate woman looking happy
IRCC issues thousands of invitations to CEC candidates, with lowest cut-off score since September 2024
An overhead picture of Niagara Falls and the American-Canadian border.
Canada updates minimum fund requirements for Express Entry programs
Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council.
Link copied to clipboard