Upfront Medical Exams Now Mandatory for Express Entry PR Applications Starting August 21, 2025
Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced a major policy change that will impact all applicants applying for permanent residence (PR) through the Express Entry system.
Effective August 21, 2025, all Express Entry applicants will be required to complete their Immigration Medical Exam (IME) before submitting their PR application. This means medical results must be included upfront, rather than waiting for IRCC to issue instructions after submission, which has been the standard process until now.
Who is affected by the change
- This new requirement only applies to Express Entry permanent residence applications submitted on or after August 21, 2025.
- Applications submitted before this date will continue under the old process, where medical exams are done after IRCC’s request.
- Non-Express Entry PR applications, such as family sponsorship or certain provincial nominee streams, are not affected.
Why the change matters
Previously, applicants could submit their PR application and wait for IRCC to request a medical exam, sometimes months later. This new requirement means applicants must plan ahead—booking their medicals with an IRCC-approved panel physician before applying, and ensuring the results are ready to be uploaded with the PR application package.
This change could streamline application processing times but may also add pressure on applicants to arrange medicals promptly, especially in high-demand cities where appointment availability can be limited.
Medical admissibility rules
The medical exam is not just a formality—it determines whether the applicant and their accompanying or non-accompanying family members meet Canada’s medical admissibility requirements.
Applicants may be found medically inadmissible if:
- Their condition is likely to cause excessive demand on Canada’s healthcare system—defined as costs exceeding three times the national average per capita healthcare expenditure.
- They have a condition that poses a danger to public health, such as certain untreated infectious diseases.
Common chronic conditions, like diabetes, may not lead to inadmissibility if they are well-managed and stable. Applicants with such conditions are advised to provide evidence of ongoing treatment and control.
About Immigration Medical Exams (IME)
- Must be completed by a panel physician approved by IRCC—not any general doctor.
- The IME includes a physical examination, lab tests, and sometimes X-rays, depending on the applicant’s age and health history.
- Results are valid for 12 months from the date of the exam, so applicants need to time their medical strategically if they expect application processing to take longer.
This announcement signals IRCC’s push for faster, more predictable processing in the Express Entry system, but it also means applicants should start preparing earlier than before to avoid last-minute delays.
For a consultation about Immigration options, reach out to the CAD IMMIGRATION today!
