🇨🇦 Canada Updates Immigration Medical Exam (IME) Requirements for Temporary Residence Applicants

🗓️ Effective Date: November 3, 2025

Canada has announced an important update to its list of countries and territories that require an Immigration Medical Exam (IME) for temporary residence applicants.

This revision includes four new countries added to the list and six countries removed — meaning some applicants will now need to complete an IME, while others will no longer be required to do so.

🇨🇦 Canada Updates Immigration Medical Exam (IME) Requirements for Temporary Residence Applicants

🌍 What’s Changing?

Here’s a quick look at the updates taking effect November 3, 2025 👇

IME Now Required	🚫 IME No Longer Required
Argentina 🇦🇷	Armenia 🇦🇲
Colombia 🇨🇴	Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦
Uruguay 🇺🇾	Iraq 🇮🇶
Venezuela 🇻🇪	Latvia 🇱🇻
Lithuania 🇱🇹
Taiwan 🇹🇼

🇨🇦 Canada Updates Immigration Medical Exam (IME) Requirements for Temporary Residence Applicants

If you’ve lived in or traveled to one of these newly added countries for six consecutive months in the year before arriving in Canada, you’ll now need to undergo an IME.

Applications submitted before November 3, 2025, will not be affected by this change.

🩺 Who Needs an IME?

You’ll be required to complete a medical exam if any of the following apply:

1. You plan to stay in Canada for more than six months and have lived in or visited an IME-required country within the last year.

2. You’re applying for a Parent or Grandparent Super Visa.

3. You intend to work in a job that involves protecting public health.

🧑‍⚕️ Jobs That Require an IME

If your occupation involves close contact with people, you’ll need an IME regardless of how long you plan to stay or where you’ve been.

Some examples include:

• Health care professionals and lab workers 🏥

• Patient attendants in nursing or senior homes 👵

• Medical students or physicians on short-term locums 👨‍⚕️

• Teachers and child-care workers 🏫

• In-home caregivers for children, the elderly, or people with disabilities 🧸

• Daycare staff 👶

• Agricultural workers who have lived or traveled in IME-listed countries for six months or longer 🌾

👉 If you’re staying less than six months and won’t work in a public-facing job, you usually don’t need a medical exam.

📋 How to Schedule an IME

To book your IME:

1. Visit the IRCC’s official list of panel physicians.

2. Choose your country or territory.

3. Contact the panel physician directly to schedule your appointment.

Once you’ve submitted your immigration application, IRCC will provide specific instructions — including when to book your exam and what type (Standard or Streamlined) you’ll need.

🕊️ Possible IME Exemption (Until 2029)

Under a temporary public policy valid until October 5, 2029, some applicants may be exempt from taking a new IME if:

• You are applying (or have applied) for temporary or permanent residence,

• You currently live in Canada,

• You completed an IME within the past five years, and

• Your previous results showed little to no public health risk.

✉️ Final Thoughts

This update from IRCC highlights Canada’s ongoing efforts to balance public health protection with efficient immigration processes.

If you’re planning to apply for a work permit, study permit, or visitor extension, check whether your home country is on the updated IME list before submitting your application.

📍 Tip: You can find the most recent IME country list and panel physician directory directly on the IRCC official website.

🇨🇦 Canada Updates Immigration Medical Exam (IME) Requirements for Temporary Residence Applicants