All permanent resident applicants and certain temporary resident applicants are required to complete a medical examination. This is to determine whether there are any serious medical issues that will result in one of the following:
- Danger to public health (infectious diseases)
- Danger to public safety (mental health or addiction issues which may cause unpredictable or violent behaviour)
- Excessive demand on Canada’s health or social services (high costs and burdening the health care system, resulting in longer wait times for Canadians). This assessment is forward-looking, making a prediction of the demand that an applicant is likely to cause in the next 5 (or 10) years. While a monetary threshold is established each year, this is only part of the assessment.
Spouses and dependent children being sponsored by a Canadian are exempt from medical inadmissibility due to excessive demand, as are refugees and protected persons.
After you complete a medical exam, if the Designated Medical Practitioner (DMP) identifies a problem, you will likely be requested to do further medical examinations. If the DMP and immigration officer believe that you are medically inadmissible for one of the reasons above, you will be given an opportunity to respond and provide documents in support of your case before a final decision is made. This is your opportunity to show Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) why you or a family member should be allowed to enter and will determine the outcome of your application. If the applicant or any dependent is found inadmissible, the rest of the family will too. For example, if a dependent child is found to be medically inadmissible, the parents and other siblings will also be refused. It is crucial to identify key relevant evidence that may counter a finding of medical inadmissibility and present detailed legal arguments to support your case. We have solid experience in handling cases of medical inadmissibility and would be happy to assist you.
