Can I Get My Upfront Medical Checkup Done Before Receiving My Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian Permanent Residency?

Yes, you can get your upfront medical examination done before receiving your Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian Permanent Residency (PR). Completing the medical checkup early can indeed help expedite your application process once you receive the ITA.

Ensuring Panel Physician Approval

However, it's important to ensure that the medical examination is conducted by a panel physician approved by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This is crucial because the medical results are typically valid for 12 months. Therefore, timing your examination accordingly is essential.

If you choose to do the medical checkup upfront, you will need to include the results when you submit your application after receiving the ITA.

Submission Process

It's advised to keep the medical exam as the last step when submitting the application after receiving the ITA. The medical report is valid for 12 months, and during this period, you must enter Canada as a PR. When your application is approved, your visa date will expire on the date that is 12 months from the medical report date.

Medical Examination Requirements and Validity

The Canadian Immigration, Citizenship, and Alignment (CIC) will send you a letter when you are required to do your medical exam. You will need to go to one of the doctors approved by the CIC and pay out of pocket, as the immigration examination is not covered by any insurance.

The doctor will send the report directly to the CIC, so you won't see your results. However, if you have any issues that might affect your immigration but can be resolved, the doctor might prescribe you some medications and request a follow-up exam. For instance, my father's blood pressure was too high initially, so the doctor advised him to take blood pressure medications for a month before sending the new examination results. A similar situation occurred with my partner’s mother, where the doctor assisted in resolving a medical issue and then redid the exam, preventing the need to send a potentially rejected report.

Since the CIC is generally good at informing you of your requirements and deadlines, you don't have to worry too much about it ahead of time. Just follow the steps, and you'll be fine.

Conclusion

With proper planning and adherence to the guidelines, you can streamline your application process by getting your medical checkup done upfront. This not only expedites your application but also ensures you meet the requirements in a more timely and controlled manner.