From Pakistan · Medical exam
The medical exam for Canada, done by the right doctor.
Only an IRCC panel physician can do it — not your own doctor. Who needs one from Pakistan, when to book it, what to bring, and how long the result lasts.
Who needs one
Permanent residence: everyone. Temporary stays: it depends.
Permanent residence
Everyone applying needs an immigration medical exam — and so do your family members, even if they are not coming with you.
Visiting, studying or working
- Staying longer than 6 months? You need one if you lived in or travelled to a listed country for 6 months or more in a row in the year before — and Pakistan is on IRCC’s list.
- Any length of stay, if you will work where public health must be protected — health care, clinical labs, schools, child care, in-home care.
- Super visa parents and grandparents always need one.
When to do it
Upfront, or when IRCC tells you
Doing it at the wrong moment either wastes the result or delays your file. IRCC’s rule depends on the route.
- Express Entry
- Upfront — after your invitation to apply, before you submit. Book directly with a panel physician and upload the clinic’s confirmation document with your application.
- Other permanent residence
- Including sponsored spouses and children: wait for IRCC’s instructions after you submit a complete application, then do the exam within 30 days of receiving them. Missing that can lead to refusal.
- Visit, study or work
- You can do it upfront, before you apply — or wait, and the visa office will tell you if you need one.
Results last 12 months. If you have not become a permanent resident, or arrived in Canada, within that time, you may need another exam — so don’t take it so early that it runs out before your decision.
At the clinic
What to bring
- Identification — preferably your passport (a national ID card, or an original birth certificate for a child under 18, is also accepted)
- Your glasses or contact lenses, if you wear them
- Medical reports or test results for any current or past condition
- A list of the medicines you take
- The medical report form IRCC sent you, if you were instructed rather than going upfront
- Four recent photos — only if the clinic does not use eMedical; ask when you book
- Your vaccination record, if you have it (optional, but encouraged)
Only IRCC’s list counts
Afterwards, the clinic sends your results straight to IRCC and gives you a document confirming the exam — keep it. You can ask the clinic for a copy of your results; the reports and X-rays themselves become IRCC’s and are not returned.
IRCC decides whether you get a standard or a streamlined exam; you cannot choose. If the exam finds inactive tuberculosis, you will be placed under medical surveillance after you arrive, so that you get the right treatment.
Straight answers
Medical exam questions
Can my own doctor in Pakistan do the medical?
Is Pakistan on IRCC’s medical exam list?
Do I need a medical exam for a Canada visit visa?
When should I do the medical for Express Entry?
How long is the medical valid?
Do family members who aren’t coming with me need a medical?
Who pays, and is it refunded if I’m refused?
Also from Pakistan: the police certificate and giving biometrics. Already in Canada with a recent exam? IRCC has a temporary exemption for some people already living there.
Getting the timing right
Not sure when to book your medical?
Tell us your route and where your application stands. We’ll tell you whether you need a medical, when to book it so it doesn’t expire, and what else the file needs. No one can guarantee an outcome, and we won’t.