Here are Immigration Medical Exam (IME) related frequently asked questions and their answers sourced from IRCC’s website.
Q1.
How long your medical results are good for?
Your medical exam results are good for 12 months only. If you’re a student or worker, your letter of introduction shows the date your results expire (if you received it after November 30, 2021).
Q2.
I completed an Immigration Medical Examination (IME) prior to receiving my visa. Do I need another immigration medical exam to travel back to Canada if my visa is not expired?
A. That depends; you must have a valid medical to enter Canada if you:
- Indicated in your application that your stay in Canada was longer than 6 months;
- Have not yet entered Canada; AND
- Have lived for 6 months or longer in one or more of the countries listed in the link here and are still planning to return and stay in Canada for longer than 6 months.
Q3.
I tried to travel to Canada but I was told by the airline that my visa is not valid; however, my validity date shows that my visa is still valid. Is it because I need a new medical?
A. Your visa may have been put on an administrative hold if you:
- Have not entered Canada AND
- Indicated in your application that your stay in Canada was longer than 6 months and your medical is no longer valid because 12 months has passed since your medical was assessed AND
- Are showing that you reside in a country where a medical exam is required OR
- Information was received that you no longer meet the requirements to enter Canada.
Q4.
How do I know if my visa is valid for travel?
A. To check your application or status of your visa, click on the following link: IRCCSECUREACCOUNT
If your visa has an administrative hold, it will show in your IRCC secure portal account as being invalid for travel. An e-mail should also have been sent to the e-mail address indicated in your most recent application explaining why your visa is no longer valid for travel, and the steps to take to reactivate your visa.
Q5.
How long will it take IRCC to remove the administrative hold on my visa so that it is valid for travel?
It will take roughly four to six weeks to process your medical exam results from the time they are received.
Q6.
How do I make an appointment with a Panel Physician to complete my Immigration Medical Examination?
Do not present yourself in person to a Panel Physician and/or radiologist clinic without an appointment as you will be advised to leave and make an appointment. While Panel Physicians will do their best to schedule your appointment within 10 working days, however IRCC request your understanding if this standard cannot be met due to increased demand on their services. Your results may also take longer than 30 working days to be assessed. Please plan your travel accordingly, and do not book flights/hotel stay until your visa is active.
When making an appointment with a Panel Physician for a new IME, you will need to request an “Upfront Medical Exam”. The Panel Physician will send your IME results directly to IRCC. Note that you will not be able to see this update in your online IRCC secure account because your file is closed, however IRCC will link it to your client profile in the background. Once reviewed, if your medical results are favourable, the administrative hold will be removed and your visa will be valid for travel.
Q7.
Do I need to send my medical exam confirmation to IRCC?
No. You do not need to provide IRCC with confirmation that you completed your IME. The Panel Physician will send the results directly to IRCC, who will then link it to your client profile. You may ask your doctor for eMedical Information sheet.
On the Information sheet, there is a section called Health Case Status. This section will show the date when the information was sent to IRCC. In addition, when you finally decide to travel to Canada, you need to carry this eMedical Information Sheet with you as you might be asked for it at the Port of Entry.
Q8.
It has been a long time since I have redone my medicals and it has still not been updated in my IRCC online account. Do I need to wait for it to get updated in my account or can I go ahead and plan my travel based on my new eMedical Information Sheet?
Once IRCC has received your medical results from the Panel Physician, they will assess your medical results and link it to your client profile. Note that you will not be able to see this update in your online IRCC secure account because you have already been issued a visa and your file is closed.. Please be patient as they work through a backlog following the most recent lockdown. They ask that you do not book flights or attempt to travel until you receive notification that your visa has been re-activated. Please continue to monitor your MyCIC account.
Q9.
What if my visa became invalid but I have a valid IME result?
In order for IRCC to remove the administrative hold, please provide evidence that you already held a valid IME result by submitting a web form enquiry at the following link: IRCCWEBFORM. Please provide a copy of your eMedical information sheet as part of your enquiry. It may also be that you don’t meet other requirements, in which case they will send you a letter to inform you of those reasons.
Q10.
I submitted my study permit application online but have not done an up-front medical exam. Should I do them now?
A. If you have already submitted your study permit application online, but have not yet done a medical exam, do not proceed to do a medical exam now. You must wait until IRCC has assessed your application, at which point you will be sent instructions to do your Immigration Medical Exam (IME).
Q11.
I went ahead and did my re-medicals before the expiry of existing medicals, either as instructed by IRCC or on my own initiative. Will this affect my visa status and how will I know my recent medicals have been linked to my existing study/work permit?
A. One can proactively do upfront medicals if your medicals are expiring soon. When making an appointment with a Panel Physician without an IME, you will need to request an “Upfront Medical Exam”.
The Panel Physician will send your medical results directly to IRCC. Note that you will not be able to see this update in your online IRCC secure account because your file is closed, however IRCC will link it to your client profile in the background.
Once reviewed, if your medical results are favourable, the administrative hold will be removed (or won’t be issued if these steps are done well in advance) and your visa will remain valid for travel. Your results may also take longer than 30-45 working days to be assessed. Please plan your travel accordingly.
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