For Express Entry, complete your immigration medical exam after receiving an invitation to apply and before submitting your permanent-residence application. Use an IRCC-approved panel physician, bring identity and medical records, and keep the information sheet or identifier the clinic gives you because IRCC may need it for your application.

Immigration Medical Exam for Express Entry: The Rule in Brief

An immigration medical exam is part of the permanent-residence process. Express Entry applicants generally complete it after receiving an invitation to apply and before filing the permanent-residence application. IRCC calls this an upfront medical exam. IRCC’s Express Entry medical-exam instructions set out this timing.

Each family member must also complete the required medical examination, even if that person will not accompany the principal applicant to Canada. The exam results must be valid when the application is submitted and when permanent residence is granted. IRCC’s permanent-residence application guidance explains this family-member and validity requirement.

Find the Right Panel Physician Before You Book

Only an IRCC-approved panel physician can perform an immigration medical exam for Canada. Your usual family doctor is acceptable only if that doctor is also approved as a panel physician. A regular health checkup with another doctor does not replace the immigration exam.

Use IRCC’s panel-physician search tool to look for an approved doctor by country, territory, or region. You may choose a panel physician in another country, which can help if you are travelling or cannot find a suitable appointment near your current address.

Availability can change. If your preferred physician is not accepting appointments, the clinic may direct you to another approved physician. Before booking, ask the clinic what identification it accepts, which family members need to attend, which tests are included in its fee, and how it will give you proof that the exam was completed.

The Express Entry Medical Exam Timeline

The medical exam fits into a specific part of the Express Entry process. Use this sequence to avoid booking too early or overlooking information needed for your permanent-residence application.

1. Receive your invitation to apply. Review the application instructions and the medical-exam requirement before arranging the appointment.
2. Identify every family member who requires an exam. This includes family members who are not accompanying you to Canada.
3. Choose an approved panel physician. Confirm the clinic’s appointment process, fees, accepted identification, and testing arrangements.
4. Attend the appointment. The clinic verifies identity, records medical history, performs the required assessment, and arranges the tests that apply to your situation.
5. Keep the clinic’s proof and identifiers. The physician or clinic submits the medical information through the required process. You may still need an information sheet, medical examination identifier, or receipt for your application file.
6. Submit the permanent-residence application. Follow the document-upload instructions in your invitation and application checklist.
7. Respond to any later request. IRCC may request additional medical information, testing, or clarification. The panel physician can explain medical follow-up, while an immigration representative can help you understand how an IRCC request fits into the application.

Panel physicians use IRCC’s required forms and medical-report processes. They conduct the examination and submit medical information, but IRCC makes the immigration decision.

Appointment Checklist: What to Bring

Prepare one file for each person attending. The exact list can differ by clinic and applicant, but the following items help prevent an avoidable second visit.

• Identity document: Bring the passport or other identity document accepted by the panel physician. Ask the clinic in advance about alternatives if a passport is unavailable.
• IRCC instructions: Bring your invitation, medical instructions, or other application information that identifies the reason for the exam.
• Family-member details: Prepare the identity and application information for every family member requiring an examination.
• Vaccination records: Bring available childhood and adult vaccination records. Do not delay the appointment solely because your records are incomplete.
• Previous exam information: Bring the date of a previous immigration medical exam and any medical examination or unique medical identifier information you received.
• Medical history: Bring relevant specialist reports, test results, hospital records, and information about ongoing conditions when available.
• Medication list: Write down prescription and non-prescription medications, including the name, dose, and reason for use.
• Accessibility items: Bring glasses, hearing aids, mobility information, or other items that help the clinic complete the appointment accurately.
• Payment method: Confirm accepted payment methods and which services are included before attending.

Children may need different identity evidence or testing arrangements from adults. Ask the clinic about every child’s requirements when booking instead of assuming the adult checklist applies unchanged.

What Happens During the Appointment

The appointment normally begins with registration and identity verification. The panel physician or clinic then reviews your medical history, asks about current and previous health issues, and completes the physical assessment required for the immigration exam.

Depending on the applicant’s age, application, medical history, and current instructions, the clinic may arrange laboratory testing, imaging, and a vaccination review. Do not assume that every applicant receives the same tests or that every test takes place at the same clinic.

The physician may ask for additional records or testing if more information is needed. This does not mean that an outcome has already been decided. It means the medical file requires further assessment before the process can continue.

For a detailed explanation of the role and reporting responsibilities of panel physicians, review IRCC’s panel-physician requirements.

Children, Families, Missing Records, and Other Special Situations

Use the following decision guide to prepare for situations that commonly cause uncertainty.

If you have no vaccination records

Bring any evidence you can find, such as records from a former clinic, school, employer, or health authority. Tell the panel physician that the history is incomplete. The clinic will explain what information or action is appropriate for the examination. Do not recreate a vaccination history from memory and present it as certain.

If you had an immigration medical exam recently

Bring the previous exam date and any identifier or information sheet. A previous exam does not automatically replace a new exam for every application. Ask the panel physician and review the current IRCC instructions to determine whether the previous examination can be considered.

If you are pregnant

Tell the clinic before testing begins. The clinic can explain how pregnancy affects any imaging or other part of the appointment. Do not skip the medical requirement or make a testing decision without discussing it with the panel physician.

If you take medication or have a chronic condition

Bring an accurate medication list and relevant medical records. IRCC assesses the medical information under its applicable medical-admissibility rules. The physician and IRCC assess the information within that framework.

If a family member is not accompanying you

That person may still require an immigration medical exam. Include the family member in your planning from the beginning, and ask the panel physician how the clinic handles an applicant who is in another country.

If IRCC requests additional testing

Read the request carefully and note its deadline. Contact the panel physician or clinic about the medical steps, then keep copies of appointment confirmations, reports, and submission evidence. If the request affects your application documents or timing, obtain immigration advice about that part separately.

IRCC currently has a temporary public policy that may exempt certain foreign nationals in Canada from a repeat medical examination until October 5, 2029, where the stated conditions apply. This is not a blanket exemption. Review the current IRCC medical-exam guidance against your own circumstances before relying on a previous exam.

How Long Are Medical Exam Results Valid?

Medical-exam validity must be considered in relation to your entire permanent-residence process. IRCC states that results must be valid when you submit the application and when you become a permanent resident. A result that is acceptable at filing may still require attention if it expires before finalization.

Do not treat a commonly quoted validity period as an automatic answer for every applicant. Check the date of the exam, the instructions attached to your application, any message from IRCC, and whether a current policy applies. If IRCC asks for a new examination, follow that request even if you believe an older result should still count.

What Medical Findings Mean for Your Application

The medical exam gives IRCC information for its medical-admissibility assessment. IRCC assesses that information under its applicable medical-admissibility rules.

Some files need additional reports, tests, or review before IRCC can make a decision. The panel physician can explain what is needed medically, but cannot guarantee the immigration outcome or decide how IRCC will assess the file.

Health information is sensitive. Give the physician a complete and accurate history and respond to follow-up requests by their deadlines.

Plan the Cost Without Assuming a Universal Price

There is no single immigration medical exam price that applies to every applicant, country, clinic, or family. Build your estimate by asking the panel physician for an itemized explanation of the following categories:

Ask for the clinic’s current fees before booking and keep the receipt. Prices from a U.S. clinic or another country do not establish the cost of an exam in Brampton, elsewhere in Canada, or any other location.

Canada’s IME Is Not the U.S. Form I-693 Exam

Canadian Express Entry applicants complete an IRCC immigration medical exam with an IRCC-approved panel physician. The timing is connected to the invitation to apply and the Canadian permanent-residence application.

U.S. immigration pages often refer to a USCIS medical examination and Form I-693. Those are U.S. terms and forms. Do not apply U.S. instructions, fees, validity statements, or vaccination checklists to a Canadian Express Entry application.

When You Need Help With the Immigration Application Around the Exam

A panel physician handles the medical examination and medical follow-up. An immigration representative can help with surrounding application questions, such as how to record the exam, respond to an IRCC request, manage family-member information, or assess how timing affects the permanent-residence file. Broader immigration-law questions may also require advice separate from the clinic’s medical role.

Maxx Life Immigration Services Inc. provides support for Express Entry applications. If you need help with the immigration application around your exam, explore its Express Entry services.