According to the legislation, a medical examination may include any or all of the following: a review of an applicant’s medical history, a mental examination, a physical examination, laboratory, and diagnostic tests, and a medical assessment of the applicant’s records (R29).
However, in order to have sufficient information to determine the inadmissibility on health grounds, foreign nationals who are requested to submit to a medical examination should generally have at least one full medical examination conducted by a panel physician, called a routine immigration medical examination (IME), which includes all of the following:
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review of past medical history;
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physical examination;
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mental examination;
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Additional age related tests:
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urine test (age 5 and older);
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syphilis and HIV blood tests (age 15 and older);
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chest X-ray (age 11 and older).
For immigration medical examinations done inside and outside Canada, the immigration medical assessment outcome will be captured in two ways:
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completion of the Medical Notification (form IMM 5365B); and
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entry in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)
Medical profiles (“M” criterion)
M1: No public health risk or danger, no public safety danger and no excessive demand
M2: Potential risk to public health. Medical surveillance required. Conditional entry recommended if granted entry to Canada. For example, applicants may be a “risk” due to a communicable disease that may reactivate, such as inactive tuberculosis.
M3: A health condition(s) is present but is not expected to place an excessive demand on health or social services.
M4: Inadmissible due to danger to public health, e.g., active infectious tuberculosis.
M4/4: Closed medical file due to NON-compliance from the applicant specifically related to tuberculosis. Note: In GCMS, the file is simply “closed”; the M4/4 code is only used in IMS.
M5: Inadmissible due to excessive demand on health and social services. For all M5 codes, the medical officer will add a descriptive code indicating the nature of the excessive demand:
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T9 – for excessive demand on social services;
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H9 – for excessive demand on health services;
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E9 – for displacement of Canadians who are on a waiting list.
M6: Inadmissible due to danger to public safety, e.g., psychopathic personality.
M6/6: Closed medical file due to NON-compliance from the applicant. Note: In GCMS, the file is simply “closed”; the M6/6 code is only used in IMS.
Medical profiles for applicants that are excessive demand exempt
M19: Excessive demand exempt (EDE) applicant with no identified health condition. Note: This code is no longer used in GCMS 4.0, but it is used in the previous version of GCMS.
M29: EDE applicant who has a condition for which the degree of risk to public health is not sufficient to exclude admission under Section 38(1)(a). M29 codes will follow with the appropriate medical surveillance S code. Note: This code is no longer used in GCMS 4.0, but it is used in the previous version of GCMS.
M39: EDE applicant who has identified health condition(s) which will require health or social services in Canada. If medical surveillance is required, applicant will then be coded under M29. Note: This code is no longer used in GCMS 4.0, but it is used in the previous version of GCMS.
Note: An EDE applicant, if assessed as medically inadmissible (e.g., danger to the public health and/or danger to public safety), will be coded the same as a non-EDE applicant.
Combined medical profiles codes
M23: Has a condition for which the degree of risk to public health is not sufficient to exclude admission under Section 38(1)(a) AND has a condition for which the potential demand on health or social services is not sufficient to exclude admission under Section 38(1)(c). Medical surveillance required.
M46: Has a condition, which is likely to be a danger to public health AND a condition which is likely to be a danger to public safety, to such an extent that the applicant is inadmissible under Section 38(1)(a) and Section 38(1)(b)
M45/M56: Has a condition, which might reasonably be expected to cause excessive demand on health or social services AND a condition which is likely to be a danger to public and/or a danger to public safety to such an extent that the applicant is inadmissible under Section 38(1)(c) and Section 38(1)(a) or Section 38(1)(b).
For all M45 codes and M56 codes, the medical officer will add a descriptive code indicating the nature of the excessive demand:
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T9 – for excessive demand on social services;
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H9 – for excessive demand on health services;
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E9 – for displacement of Canadians who are on a waiting list.
Surveillance codes (“S” criterion)
All cases require an “S” code.
S1: No requirement for medical surveillance Note: For M1 profiles, the surveillance code is defaulted to S1. For other medical profiles, the surveillance code “S1” needs to be manually selected.
S2.01: Applicant is inadmissible to Canada (active tuberculosis); used in conjunction with the medical profile M4.
S2.02: Medical surveillance required. Conditional entry recommended if granted entry to Canada (pulmonary tuberculosis inactive).
S2.02U: Medical surveillance required. Conditional entry recommended if granted entry to Canada (complex pulmonary tuberculosis inactive).
Reassessment of a Medical File for the Issuance of a New Medical Certificate
When the final decision to land an applicant is pending only due to the expiration of the medical certificate or the validity of the medical certificate is about to expire and the client is unable to land before it expires, an immigration/visa officers can request a reassessment of an applicant’s medical file by a medical officer or a Health Branch delegated to staff. Such a request may result in the issuance of a new medical certificate.
Starting Date for Calculating the 12 Month Validity Period of a Medical Certificate
The last medical assessment on file is the starting date for the 12-month validity of a medical certificate.
