Study Permit Medical Exam
Some students applying to study in Canada must complete an immigration medical examination. Whether you need one depends mainly on the length of your intended stay, where you have recently lived or travelled, the type of work you may do in Canada, and your individual circumstances.
Who Needs a Medical Exam for a Study Permit?
Not every study permit applicant needs an immigration medical examination, commonly called an IME.
For temporary residents, the requirement generally depends on the intended length of stay, recent residence or travel in countries or territories identified by IRCC, whether the person intends to work in an occupation where protection of public health is essential, and whether an officer has medical-admissibility concerns.
Your citizenship alone does not determine whether you need an IME. Recent residence or travel history can also trigger the requirement.
For the other requirements of a study permit application, see Study Permit Canada: Complete Guide .
The 6-Month Medical Exam Rule
If you intend to stay in Canada for more than six months, an IME is generally required if you lived or stayed for six consecutive months during the one-year period immediately before the relevant entry or application in a country or territory that IRCC identifies as having a higher incidence of serious communicable disease than Canada.
IRCC maintains the official list of countries and territories for this purpose. The list can change, so applicants should check the current version rather than relying on an older list.
| Situation | General medical exam rule |
|---|---|
| Stay in Canada of 6 months or less | An IME is generally not required solely because of the length of stay, although another ground may still require one. |
| Stay in Canada of more than 6 months | An IME may be required based on residence or stay in a listed country or territory during the preceding year. |
| Work in certain public-health sensitive occupations | An IME may be required regardless of the intended length of stay. |
| Officer has reasonable grounds to suspect medical inadmissibility | An IME may be required regardless of the general rules above. |
The regulatory wording is more precise than the common shorthand that applicants sometimes hear as the “six-month rule.” The relevant period is not simply whether you have ever lived in a particular country.
Medical Exams for Students Who Plan to Work
A separate medical requirement can apply when a foreign national intends to work in an occupation in which the protection of public health is essential.
IRCC examples include certain jobs in health services and occupations involving close contact with children or vulnerable persons. Medical and dental students admitted to Canadian universities are among the examples identified in IRCC's guidance.
This issue matters because a study permit can authorize eligible students to work without a separate work permit, but the ability to work in a particular occupation may still be restricted if the required medical examination has not been completed.
A student who expects to work in health care, child care or another occupation requiring medical clearance should consider the medical requirements before applying, rather than discovering an occupational restriction after arriving in Canada.
What Does Canadian Immigration Law Require?
The immigration medical examination requirement is grounded in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
Paragraph 16(2)(b) of the Act authorizes the medical examination requirement in the prescribed circumstances, while section 30 of the Regulations defines important categories of foreign nationals who are not exempt from that requirement.
For temporary residents, these categories include certain foreign nationals seeking to work in occupations where protection of public health is essential and certain persons seeking entry or an extension for more than six consecutive months after the prescribed residence or stay in an area identified by the Minister.
Section 30 also captures a foreign national where an officer or the Immigration Division has reasonable grounds to believe that the person may be medically inadmissible under subsection 38(1) of the Act.
When Should You Get the Medical Exam?
IRCC currently allows temporary resident applicants, including study permit applicants, to complete an upfront medical examination before submitting the application.
If you choose an upfront examination, you contact an approved panel physician directly. After the examination, the physician provides a document confirming that the IME was completed. A copy of that document should be uploaded with the online application.
Where an applicant has not completed an upfront examination and IRCC later determines that one is required, IRCC can provide medical instructions during processing.
Completing a required medical examination upfront can avoid the additional step of waiting for IRCC to request the examination, although it does not guarantee faster processing or approval.
For the complete application sequence, see How to Apply for a Study Permit in Canada .
Who Can Perform an Immigration Medical Exam?
An immigration medical examination must be performed by a physician approved by IRCC and included on the official panel physician list.
Your regular family doctor cannot perform the immigration medical examination unless that doctor is also an IRCC-approved panel physician.
The panel physician performs the examination and submits the medical information to IRCC, but the physician does not make the final immigration decision.
IRCC is responsible for assessing the medical information for immigration purposes.
What Should You Bring to the Medical Exam?
IRCC instructs applicants to bring proper identification to the appointment and strongly recommends using a passport as the identification document.
Depending on the applicant and the physician's instructions, the appointment may also require:
- eyeglasses or contact lenses, if worn;
- relevant medical reports or test results for existing or previous medical conditions;
- a list of current medications;
- the medical report form or instructions received from IRCC, where applicable; and
- photographs if the panel physician does not use the electronic medical system.
Applicants should confirm the exact requirements directly with the panel physician when booking the appointment.
Who pays for the medical exam?
The applicant is responsible for the cost of the immigration medical examination and any related tests or specialist assessments that may be required.
The medical examination is a third-party cost. It is not included in the study permit processing fee paid to IRCC.
What Happens After the Medical Exam?
After the examination is completed, the panel physician sends the medical results to IRCC.
If you completed an upfront IME, the physician gives you a document confirming that the examination was completed. Keep this document and include a copy with the application where required.
If you completed the examination after IRCC requested it, you normally do not need to send the medical results yourself. The panel physician submits them through the applicable medical system.
IRCC may request additional tests, reports or specialist assessments if more information is needed to complete the medical assessment.
Passing an immigration medical examination does not mean that the study permit has been approved. Medical admissibility is only one part of the overall application.
How Long Is a Study Permit Medical Exam Valid?
IRCC states that immigration medical examination results for temporary residents are generally valid for 12 months.
For students and workers, the letter of introduction issued after approval shows the expiry date of the medical results.
If you do not enter Canada within the applicable medical-validity period, you may need another examination.
Section 30(3) of the Regulations also requires a foreign national who is subject to the medical requirement and seeks entry to hold the required medical certificate based on the most recent examination completed within the previous 12 months.
Temporary Medical Exam Exemption for Some In-Canada Applicants
IRCC currently has a temporary public policy that can exempt certain foreign nationals already in Canada from completing another immigration medical examination.
IRCC has extended this measure until October 5, 2029.
A person may qualify where all of the following conditions apply:
- the person is applying or has applied for permanent residence or temporary residence;
- the person already lives in Canada;
- the person completed an IME within the previous five years; and
- the previous IME indicated low or no risk to public health or public safety.
IRCC instructs applicants relying on a previous IME to include the previous IME number or unique medical identifier number in the new application.
This is a temporary public policy rather than a permanent replacement for the normal medical-examination rules. Applicants should confirm that the policy is still in effect and that they meet all eligibility conditions when they apply.
Can a Medical Issue Affect a Study Permit?
Yes. Under subsection 38(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, a foreign national can be inadmissible on health grounds where the person's health condition:
- is likely to be a danger to public health;
- is likely to be a danger to public safety; or
- might reasonably be expected to cause excessive demand on health or social services.
Section 20 of the Regulations governs an officer's determination of medical inadmissibility and requires consideration of the applicable medical assessment. In an excessive-demand assessment, the Regulations also require consideration of relevant non-medical factors, including the person's intent and financial ability to mitigate the demand and the feasibility of any proposed mitigation plan.
A medical diagnosis does not automatically mean that a study permit will be refused. The legal question is whether the applicable statutory test for medical inadmissibility is met in the circumstances of the individual case.
Applicants dealing with a potential medical inadmissibility issue should distinguish that legal assessment from the much simpler question of whether an IME is required.
Study Permit Medical Exam FAQs
Does every international student need a medical exam?
No. Whether an IME is required depends on the applicable immigration rules, including the intended length of stay, recent residence or travel history, intended work and any individual medical-admissibility concerns.
Do I need a medical exam if I will study in Canada for more than six months?
Not solely because the program exceeds six months. For the residence-based rule, the applicant must also have the relevant history of residing or staying for six consecutive months during the preceding year in a country or territory identified by IRCC.
Can my family doctor perform my immigration medical exam?
Only if the doctor is an IRCC-approved panel physician. Otherwise, you must use a physician on IRCC's official panel physician list.
Can I complete the medical exam before applying for a study permit?
Yes. IRCC currently allows study permit applicants to complete an upfront immigration medical examination by contacting a panel physician directly.
How long is an immigration medical exam valid?
Medical results for temporary residents are generally valid for 12 months. If you do not enter Canada within the applicable validity period, another examination may be required.
Does the panel physician decide whether my study permit is approved?
No. The panel physician performs the examination and sends the medical information to IRCC. The physician does not make the final immigration decision.
Can IRCC ask for a medical exam even if I do not meet the usual country rule?
Yes. The Regulations also address cases where an officer or the Immigration Division has reasonable grounds to believe that a foreign national may be medically inadmissible.
Does a medical condition automatically cause a study permit refusal?
No. Medical inadmissibility is determined under the legal tests in section 38 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. A diagnosis by itself does not automatically establish inadmissibility.
Can an applicant in Canada use an old medical exam?
Some in-Canada applicants may currently qualify under IRCC's temporary public policy if they completed an IME within the previous five years and meet all of the policy conditions. IRCC has extended this measure until October 5, 2029.
IRCC can update the country list, medical procedures and temporary public policies. Confirm the current requirements before completing or relying on an immigration medical examination.