Medical Exams for Visitors, Students and Workers
Physical examination
You’ll undergo a physical exam.
The doctor or medical clinic staff 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
The doctor or medical clinic staff won’t examine your genitals or rectal area. These parts of the body aren’t required for the immigration medical exam.
The doctor may need to examine your breasts. If they do, they will:
- provide you with an explanation of why and how the examination is being done
Other possible tests
Depending on your age, you may be asked to do chest x-rays and laboratory tests at the clinic or a laboratory. This is routine screening and the doctor will discuss any abnormal results with you.
You may be referred to a specialist for more testing, depending on the results of your medical exam. Complete this request as soon as possible to avoid delays in the processing of your medical examination.
COVID-19 vaccination
The panel physician may offer you a COVID-19 vaccine if it is available. Vaccination is completely voluntary and is not required as part of your exam.
If you receive the COVID-19 vaccine during your exam, the panel physician will record this if it is one of the vaccines authorized by Health Canada.
If you’ve already been vaccinated for COVID-19, even if you have only received 1 dose,
- bring proof of your vaccination to your exam
- proof can be a paper copy or an electronic version
- if the vaccine you received is authorized by Health Canada, the panel physician will record your proof of vaccination with your exam
- keep a copy of the vaccination record given to you by the panel physician
Right to have a chaperone
You have the right to a chaperone at any time during the medical exam.
You may:
- ask the medical clinic to have a staff member in the room
- stop the exam at any time to ask questions about what the doctor is doing
- stop the exam and ask for a chaperone, even if you refused one at first
If you have questions or feel uncomfortable with a part of the exam, please ask the panel physician to stop and tell them about your concerns.
After your exam is done
Once the exam is done, the physician will send us the results. The doctor will give you a document confirming that you had a medical exam.
Whether you took an upfront exam or not, keep a copy of the print out given to you by the panel physician as proof of your immigration medical exam.
If you’re unsatisfied with how the panel physician or panel radiologist did your medical exam, you may:
- complain using our Web form or
- contact the Client Support Centre
We welcome all compliments, comments or observations through our feedback form.
When to send your medical exam results
Whether you took an upfront exam or not, the doctor will send us the results.
Keep a copy of any document or print out given to you by the panel physician as proof of your immigration medical exam.
If you took an upfront medical exam
You must include a copy of the IMM 1017B Upfront Medical Report form that the doctor gave you after your exam. If the doctor works with eMedical, they’ll give you an information sheet print out.
You must attach that form to your paper application. If you apply online, you must upload that form before you can submit your application.
If you took a medical exam after you submitted your application
There is no further action required on your part.
How long your medical results are good for
Your medical exam results are good for 12 months only.
If you don’t come to Canada as a visitor, student or worker within that time, you may need to do another exam.
Getting a copy of your medical exam
If you want a copy of your medical exam, please ask the doctor when you’re there.
Medical reports and x-rays for the medical exam become our property. We cannot return them to you.
