An immigration medical exam may be required to live in Canada. For prospective temporary residents, the Canadian government has defined a few things that may make you inadmissible to Canada. These include things such as criminal records. Section 3(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) says that the purpose of the immigration legislation is “to protect public health and safety and to support the development of a strong and prosperous Canadian economy.” As such, you may need to satisfy the officer of your medical admissibility. This means you do not have any illness or diseases which could cause you to become a drain on Canadian social resources. These include health conditions that require a lot of support, such as home care. Also you cannot have an illness or disease which could become a public safety risk for Canadian society. This is evaluated on a case by case basis.
Who needs an immigration medical exam?
One of the ways to determine whether a person is medically admissible is through an immigration medical exam. If you will be Canada for less than six months, you probably will not need an exam unless you are working in certain fields. Visit this link for a list of applicable occupations.
If you are planning to stay in Canada for longer than six months, you may need to do the medical exam. This depends on whether you lived temporarily in a designated country for six or more consecutive months.
For example, you are a US citizen who lived in Cambodia in the past year. In this case, you will need to have an exam done if you are planning to stay in Canada for over six months. If you have any questions about medical requirements, feel free to contact us at 1-866-972-7366.