Medical Test for Canada Student Visa in 2024: Everything you need to know

Thinking about studying in Canada? There is a lot more than just picking a course, finding a college and getting in.

One of the biggest hurdles is getting a visa, and therefore, the medical test for Canada student visa. Every immigrant from India, be it a student who is planning to study for more than six month in Canada or a foreign skilled worker, has to visit a Canada visa medical test center in India and get these medical tests. 

These medical tests determine whether you have a good medical condition as per the common law. 

Read this article to get all the important information regarding the medical test for a Canada student visa. 

Who needs a medical exam for a Canadian visa?

A medical exam is mandatory for applicants for a Canadian visa based on the duration of stay and past travel history. 

• If you plan to stay in Canada for 6 months or less, a medical exam is generally not required unless your job involves public health protection.
• A medical exam is mandatory if you plan to stay for more than 6 months and have lived in some countries for 6 months or more in the year before coming to Canada. India is included in this list. 

Since students will be staying more than 6 months a medical test for Canada student visa is mandatory. 

Also Read: Education Loans to Study in Canada: Interest Rates, Courses, Requirements & Banks

Types of medical exams

There are two types of medical tests for obtaining a Canadian student visa. These include:

• Standard Medical Exam: This is the typical exam most applicants undergo. This is the type of medical test usually required for a Canadian student visa. 
• Streamlined Medical Exam: This is a simplified test requested in emergency situations, such as during a humanitarian crisis.

Where can I get a medical test for Canada student visa?

You can get your medical exam at a Canada visa medical test center in India or any country of your choice. These centers generally provide ana eMedical test system.

You can go to the Government of Canada’s website to find a Canada visa medical test center in India or your preferred country. 

If due to COVID-19 the panel physician’s office is closed, schedule an immigration medical examination (IME) first and then contact the panel physician’s office to ensure that it is still taking place. 

Who can conduct the medical test for Canada student visa?

One important prerequisite is that the doctor performing your physical examination for the medical test for Canada student visa must be a panel physician.

This means that the physician should be listed as a designated panel physician authorized by IRCC. 

Other medical professionals are not qualified to examine you at a Canada visa medical test center in India and issue a Health Certificate.

What to expect during the medical test for Canada student visa

A medical test for Canada student visa is nothing to be concerned about. The test is only conducted as a precautionary step.

Through the tests, the Canadian government ensures that you do not pose a threat to the Canadian population’s safety or health. 

Here are the 6 steps  of that will be carried out at the Canada visa medical test center in India:

Step 1 – Document verification to confirm identity.

Note- additional tests may require you to show documents again at the Canada visa medical test center in India.

Step 2 – A photograph will be taken.

Step 3 – Filling out of a medical history questionnaire about any existing or previous medical conditions + information about any current medications. 

Step 4 – Physical examination by a certified doctor at the Canada visa medical test center in India. 

Step 5 – You may be asked to go for other laboratory tests. This depends on your age and medical condition. 

Step 6 – You can get test results immediately if you optopted for an upfront examination or else you will have to wait. 

Importance of medical tests for Canadian student visa

Medical tests are a mandatory part of the Canadian student visa application process. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or IRCC is tasked with protecting public health and making sure that applicants don’t pose a threat to the health of Canadians. 

The IRCC-mandated tests help prevent the spread of infectious diseases and assess whether applicants have medical conditions that could be harmful to public safety. 

The medical test for Canada student visa screens for infectious diseases such as Ebola and tuberculosis. Some other conditions such as untreated syphilis and substance abuse issues could also lead to visa refusal. In short, IRCC prefers students who are in good health to enter Canada and pursue studies. 

Exemption for medical exam requirements for Canadian student visa

Though exemptions are rare, there are cases where they do apply. 

Due to relaxed norms, thousands of students have migrated to Canada for higher studies in recent years. To ease the burden on infrastructure and reduce costs IRCC, in 2022, has implemented some exemptions regarding immigration medical examination (IME). 

Those who are exempted include: 

• Individuals who have filed a new or pending application for temporary residence, or a permanent resident visa from within Canada.
• Individuals who have completed an IME within the past five years without being identified as a risk to public health or safety.

Therefore those applicants who have visited Canada in the past five years and have already undergone an IME don’t need to repeat unless specifically required. 

List of medical tests for Canada study visa

The screening process is through and you have to see an empanelled doctor. These are the medical tests you can expect when you apply for a Canadian student visa. 

• Detailed Physical Examination
• Chest X-rays for tuberculosis and other conditions
• Blood tests for infectious diseases 
• Urine tests for infectious diseases and substance abuse

Other assessments include recording height and weight, an eyesight test, HBsAg and HCV tests for Hepatitis B and C. 

Details about the medical exam at the Canada visa medical test center in India

Now that you know how the procedure goes, let’s move to the part that most students are wary of, the physical exam part of the medical test for Canada student visa. 

The test is done in four parts:

Part 1 – Weight Check, Height Check, Eye Check

Part 2 – Blood Test, urine test 

Part 3 – X-ray test 

Part 4 – Full body check, blood pressure measurement

• Examiners might also check your nosenoise, heart, and lungs, along with and any other important vitalsorgans. 

• To identify any lingering abnormalities inwith vital systems, chest X-rays are an essential medical examination. If you are pregnant, for the sake of the fetus’s health the X-Ray test will not be conducted. However, you and your newborn must undergo a few examinations following the birth of the child.
• Blood tests are conducted   to check if you are free from major diseases and disorders such as active TB, HIV, and Syphilis.
• Your urine sample will be thoroughly examined in the cutting-edge laboratory to identify any potential medical problems. This test can be used to diagnose anything from minor abnormalities to significant ones, including diabetes.

• The urine test also detects instances of drug abuse. There might also be verbal inquiriesinquiry about substance abuse. 
• The doctor will not check your rectal area or genitals during the immigration medical examination. They might examine your breasts, if essential. If they ask to examine your breasts, inquire why they think it’s essential.
• You might be offered a Government of Canada-accepted COVID-19 vaccine if it is available. Vaccination is completely voluntary and is not required as part of your exam.

Note – You have to be vaccinated against the following vaccine-preventable diseases: mumps, measles, rubella, polio, tetanus and diphtheria toxoids, pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type B, rotavirus, and hepatitis A. 

Still nervous? You are not the only one. Plenty of people are. Learn from the experiences of others.

Join the SelectRight platform. The AI-based platform  which has been designed to help you find the ‘right’ university for you which also has a Ddiscord channel.

On this discord channel, you can connect with others who have been through the process and learn from their anecdotes.  

Also Read: Education Loan for Study in Canada: Interest Rates, Courses, Requirements & Banks

Checklist of things to get for your medical test for Canada student visa

The IRCC will authorize a doctor on the day of your physical examination, and you will be required to provide the following information for the medical test for a Canada student visa:

• If you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses, bring them along. 
• A document for identification. Get at least 1 government-issued document with your photograph and signature, such as your passport or Aadhaar card.
• Carry any test results or medical records relating to current or past medical issues.
• Get a list of your medications.
• Bring 4 recent photographs if the panel physician doesn’t use eMedical.
• Bring the Medical Report form (IMM 1017E), if you don’t have an up-front medical exam

When to get the medical test for Canada student visa done?

You need to get a medical test for a Canada student visa before you apply for a Canada student visa as you are expected to attach all the required documents.

In an upfront medical examination, you have to contact the designated physician directly at the Canada visa medical test center in India. In this case, the IRCC will send the medical form to you.

Instructions will be issued to make sure that the medical examination is held within 30 days of receiving the instructions from the governing authority if you are having your exam after submitting your application.

The test result is valid for 1-year. If your course extends for more than a year, you might need to take the test again. 

What do you Need to Pay for?

You will have to pay for all the fees related to the medical test for a Canada student visa. This will include the following: 

• Special investigations
• Any tests or treatmentstreatment needed
• Fees for seeing the radiologist or doctor
• Any specialists that you will need to consult
• The cost of result and validation

The medical test for a Canadian student visa should cost you around 5,000-9,000 INR.

Note – If your visa application is rejected after the medical exam, the money won’t be refunded. 

Right to have a chaperone

Throughout the medical examination, you have the right to a chaperone at any time. 

• Even if you initially declined one, you can still request a chaperone at the Canada Visa Medical Test Centervisa medical test center in India.  
• You can stop the exam at any timeanytime to ask questions.
• You can request that a staff person from the medical clinic be present throughout.

The government of Canada encourages you to ask the panel doctor to stop the examination if you have any reservations or questions regarding a particular aspect of it.

After the Medical exam

The doctor will provide you with the examination results after it is complete. They should also give you a document that confirms that you had a medical exam. 

Regardless of whether you underwent an upfront examination, save a copy of the printout that the panel doctor gave you as documentation that you underwent an immigration medical examination.

If you are unsatisfied with how the panel physician or panel radiologist did your medical exam, you can:

complain using the Web form or

contact the Client Support Centre

There is also a feedback form where you can enter your compliments, comments or observations.

Tips to pass the Medical test for Canada Visa

• Sleep well on the night prior to the exam.
• Avoid fatty or unhealthy foods for at least a week prior to the examination.
• Drink lots of fluids and stay hydrated.
• Don’t panic as the procedure is standard.

Is it possible to fail the Visa Medical exam?

There are four grounds on which you might fail the test:

• In case you carry any communicable disease that can put Canadian citizens at risk. 
• You don’t have proof regarding required vaccinations. Bring any proof of previous vaccination for COVID-19, if you have one. This is not mandatory. 
• Physical or mental disorder that exhibits tendencies of violent behavior.
• Substance abuse and addiction.

Now that you have been briefed on the medical test you need to pass to get your student visa, let’s move on. 

The medical exam to get your student visa is only one of the many complicated steps to getting into a Canadian university.

Luckily, there are experts out there to help you, and these experts have developed platforms thatwhich can make the transition easier. 

SelectRight is one such platform.

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Once you’ve selected the right university in Canada, the next crucial step is securing an education loan with the lowest possible interest rate. Even a slight reduction in interest can save you tens of lakhs over the repayment period of your loan. This is where FundRight can be a game-changer.

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Also Read: How Fundright Helps You With Affordable Education Loan To Study In Canada