For an immigration medical exam in Mississauga or elsewhere in the GTA, use a panel physician on IRCC’s list, not your family doctor. PR applicants and their family members always need one; visitors, students and workers only in some cases. Bring ID and your medical records, expect to pay at the appointment, and remember that IRCC, not the physician, decides.
Key facts
- Every permanent residence applicant and family member needs an exam, including family members who are not coming to Canada.
- Express Entry applicants take an upfront exam after receiving an invitation and before submitting the application.
- For other PR applications, follow IRCC’s instructions and complete the exam within 30 days.
- Only a panel physician can complete the exam; your own doctor cannot do it for immigration purposes.
- Immigration medical exam results are valid for 12 months.
- The rules in this guide were checked on canada.ca on October 30, 2026; the IRCC pages used were dated August 4, 2026.
Who needs an immigration medical exam?
Every permanent residence applicant and every family member needs an immigration medical exam, even if a family member will not come to Canada. Temporary residents may also need one, depending on their stay, travel history, intended work or Super Visa application.
Visitors, students and workers staying in Canada for six months or less generally do not need an exam. An exception can apply when the person will work in a job that protects public health, such as health care, clinical laboratories, long-term care, schools and child care, domestic work or in-home caregiving.
For a stay longer than six months, a temporary resident may need an exam if they lived in or travelled to a designated country for six months in a row during the past year, will work in one of those public-health jobs, or is applying for a parent and grandparent Super Visa. Check IRCC’s medical exam requirements for permanent residents and medical exam requirements for temporary residents.
When should you take the exam?
The right timing depends on the application type. Express Entry applicants take an upfront exam after the invitation and before applying, while most other PR applicants wait for IRCC instructions.
| Application situation | When to take the exam |
|---|---|
| Express Entry | After receiving an invitation and before submitting the application. Contact a panel physician directly. |
| Other permanent residence applications | Wait for IRCC’s instructions, then complete the exam within 30 days. |
| Temporary residence | Follow the requirement that applies to your stay, travel history, intended job or Super Visa application. |
If you are applying through Express Entry, the Express Entry permanent residence information can help you place the medical exam in the wider application process.
Where can you take the exam, and what should you bring?
You must use an IRCC-designated panel physician. A family doctor or another personal physician cannot complete the immigration medical exam for your application.
Bring these items
- Identification, with a passport strongly recommended.
- Glasses or contact lenses, if you use them.
- Previous medical reports or test results.
- A list of your current medications.
- Form IMM 1017E or IMM 1020E, if IRCC sent one and the exam is not upfront.
- Four recent photos, if the physician does not use eMedical.
Before booking, ask the panel physician’s office whether it uses eMedical and what else it needs. IRCC’s PR medical exam page links to its list of panel physicians.
What do fees and results involve?
You pay all fees at the appointment. They vary by clinic and by the tests you need, and can include physician fees, special tests and specialist visits. IRCC says refugees and asylum seekers may be exempt from these fees.
The physician conducts the examination and submits the medical information through the required process. IRCC, not the doctor, decides medical admissibility. Results are valid for 12 months, so consider that validity when planning an application or responding to IRCC instructions.
Can you be exempt from a new exam in Canada?
Some people living in Canada may not need a new exam until October 5, 2029. The exemption can apply when they are applying for permanent residence or temporary residence and had a previous exam within the last five years that showed low or no risk.
If the exemption applies, include the earlier IME number. Do not assume that a previous exam qualifies without checking the current IRCC rule and your application circumstances.
Three mix-ups to avoid
- Booking too early for a non-Express Entry PR application. Wait for IRCC’s instructions, then book within 30 days.
- Treating a temporary-resident exam rule as a PR rule. Short stays usually need no exam; every PR application does, for the whole family.
- Letting results expire. Results are valid for 12 months, so plan the rest of the application around that date.
Keep your application category and IRCC instructions together with your appointment records. If the medical assessment raises an immigration concern, read North Vista Immigration’s guide to medical inadmissibility in Mississauga for the next issue to examine.
Frequently asked questions
Does every PR applicant need an immigration medical exam?
Every permanent residence applicant and every family member needs an immigration medical exam, even when a family member will not come to Canada. The exam must be completed by an IRCC-designated panel physician. Some people already living in Canada with a low-risk exam in the last five years may be exempt until October 5, 2029.
Can my family doctor complete my Canadian immigration medical exam?
No. Canadian immigration medical exams must be completed by an IRCC-designated panel physician. Your own doctor cannot perform the exam for immigration purposes. Bring identification, preferably your passport, along with relevant medical reports, test results, medication details and any IRCC form or photos required by the panel physician’s process.
When should an Express Entry applicant take the medical exam?
An Express Entry applicant takes an upfront immigration medical exam after receiving an invitation and before submitting the application. The applicant contacts a panel physician directly. This timing differs from other permanent residence applications, where the applicant generally waits for IRCC’s instructions and then completes the exam within 30 days.
What should I bring to an immigration medical exam?
Bring identification, with a passport strongly recommended, plus glasses or contact lenses, previous medical reports or test results and a list of current medications. If the exam is not upfront, bring IMM 1017E or IMM 1020E when IRCC sent it. Bring four recent photos if the physician does not use eMedical.
How long are immigration medical exam results valid?
Immigration medical exam results are valid for 12 months. You pay all fees at the appointment, including any physician fees, special tests or specialist visits that apply. The physician completes the medical process, but IRCC—not the doctor—decides medical admissibility for the immigration application.
Can someone in Canada be exempt from a new medical exam?
Until October 5, 2029, a person living in Canada who applies for permanent residence or temporary residence may be exempt if a previous exam within the last five years showed low or no risk. The applicant includes the earlier IME number. The exemption depends on the current IRCC rule and the person’s circumstances.
Next, check which rule applies to your application before you book. If you want your application timing reviewed, or a medical concern is part of your case, see North Vista Immigration’s medical inadmissibility page. North Vista is a regulated immigration consultant in Mississauga; it does not perform medical exams and cannot promise an outcome.