Exempting Protected Persons from Second Medical Exam

Summary#

These final regulations, the Regulations Amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (Exempting Protected Persons in Canada from Medical Examinations when Applying for Permanent Residence), make permanent a policy that lets some people who have been granted refugee protection in Canada skip a second mandatory immigration medical exam when they apply for permanent residence. The change came into force on October 30, 2025 and formalizes a temporary policy that began on September 10, 2020.

What it does#

• Exempts protected persons in Canada (and their accompanying family members in Canada) from having to do a second immigration medical examination when applying for permanent residence, if:
  • they previously had a medical exam that showed they are not likely to be a danger to public health or public safety, or they complied with any required medical surveillance; and
  • they have not spent six consecutive months since that exam in a country or territory that the government, after consulting the Minister of Health, has designated as having a higher incidence of serious communicable disease than Canada.
• Keeps the exemption from applying to people who were put under medical surveillance and did not comply. Those people must still complete the medical exam when they apply for permanent residence.
• Applies only to people who already submitted a new or pending permanent-resident application where the second medical exam has not yet been started.
• Replaces the temporary public policy with a permanent regulatory rule so the exemption remains in force going forward.

Who's affected#

• Mainly protected persons in Canada who have already had an immigration medical exam when they made their refugee claim and were cleared, plus their accompanying family members living in Canada.
• Panel physicians, radiology clinics and laboratories may see a small drop in demand for immigration medical exams.
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will administer and monitor the change. The government expects small administrative savings and some one-time update costs.

Why it matters#

• It lowers a financial barrier for a vulnerable group. A full immigration medical exam typically costs about $400, and exempting eligible people avoids that fee.
• The government estimates the exemption has already saved around $14.4 million by exempting 36,022 exams (to May 14, 2024) and expects about 9,820 people will be exempted each year, saving applicants roughly $3,928,000 annually.
• It can speed up when eligible protected persons become permanent residents and gain access to benefits like provincial health coverage.
• According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the risk to public health is low because these applicants were previously screened, are linked to health services if needed, and officers check travel history to catch any new risks.